Tourists (or Residents) wearing Expensive Paraphernalia

[rabanito]

Please survive! Even a pretty girl aiming at your Rolex could be accompanied by other less palatable subjects without you noticing
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50797374

In this case the victims were "marked" at the airport, followed by unnoticed cars and motorcycles and assaulted in front of the hotel.  Eight people at least were involved and arrested afterwards, they say

 If being robbed, hand over your cash and valuables without resistance reccomends https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/argentina/safety-and-security#crime

[Rob C]

In addition, many car-hire companies splash their advertising logos on the cars, marking you out as an innocent from the start.

I remember another scam that went down in Glasgow: the taxi driver taking people from home to the airport would chat and discover how long they'd be on holiday. Need I say more?

Rob

[KLaban]

Some folk even broadcast their travel plans on LuLa, can you believe?

;-)

[Alan Klein]

Some folk even broadcast their travel plans on LuLa, can you believe?

;-)
I'm home.  I'm home.

[rabanito]

Another I know is to wait at the border - say Switzerland - and note the plate of the cars  loaded with bagagge going out.
Then look up the numbers on Internet ergo find out the owner.
You have usually two weeks to pay a visit and look if there is still anybody there...

[MattBurt]

Wow, that is terrible.
I always hope my old ugly luggage will help me look like a bad target but I know the camera(s) can give me away.

[Rob C]

Another I know is to wait at the border - say Switzerland - and note the plate of the cars  loaded with bagagge going out.
Then look up the numbers on Internet ergo find out the owner.
You have usually two weeks to pay a visit and look if there is still anybody there...

I just tried that, and all I get is a page of Chinese? writing. I just knew they were behind it all! And I didn't even need to buy a Huawei cellphone. Wait! Isn't the iPad made there or thereabouts?

Sometimes you lose, and then sometimes you can't win.

:-(

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... Then look up the numbers on Internet ergo find out the owner...

Where in the world you could do that!? Sounds highly improbable.

[rabanito]

Where in the world you could do that!? Sounds highly improbable.

In Switzerland for example.
Now you can block this information by just filling a short form on line.
But you have to be aware of that.

[JoeKitchen]

Where in the world you could do that!? Sounds highly improbable.

You can do it in the USA as well, look up the owner of a vehicle by the license plate number. 

What I find the most amusing, and annoying, is that I often loose projects due to the homeowners privacy concerns about possible break ins.  But then they post pics on Facebook, with GPS cords in the metadata, along with vacation pic. 

But anyway, I am always nervous when I travel and leave my camera at home.  My lenses are literally irreplaceable at this point.  All of them have been discontinued for 5 or 6 years by now, no one with used versions wants to sell them, and I have no desire for the more modern versions.  I have no idea how I would replace them if stolen.  My lenses are my number one concern when it comes to theft.  I may actually open safety deposit box just to stole them on long vacations.