Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller covers a range of topics related to financial and personal security for expats living in Latin America. He begins by emphasizing the importance of carrying local currency instead of foreign money like dollars or euros, as using foreign currency can result in being clipped by 2 to 20%. He advises expats to always exchange money at banks rather than street money changers, who are more likely to overcharge or scam expats. Johnny also addresses the safety concerns of using credit cards in Latin America, explaining that expats with credit cards issued from local banks may not have the same protections as those from U.S. banks. He highlights the risks of credit card fraud and the difficulty of disputing charges, especially for expats who may not speak Spanish well. He concludes by recommending that expats avoid using credit cards altogether and, if necessary, take precautions to protect their cards.
Next, Johnny discusses the importance of purchasing credit card insurance when living in Latin America. He explains that while it may seem like an unnecessary expense, the insurance can protect against fraudulent charges and unexpected fees. Johnny shares a personal anecdote about how he was charged for a purchase he never made, which was only resolved because he had the insurance. He also warns about the prevalence of surcharges for using credit cards in Latin America, which can be as high as 20%. Additionally, he touches on the cultural phenomenon of credit card usage in the region, noting that it has become a status symbol similar to the first world, but with the risk of accumulating expensive debt.
Johnny then delves into the widespread use of credit cards in Latin America, highlighting how even people with minimal financial means are heavily reliant on credit cards, often leading to situations where they are rejected at fast food restaurants. He describes a credit card scam involving Russian mob members who use remote cameras and micro card readers to steal credit card information from ATMs, particularly in tourist areas. Banks have started to modify ATMs to prevent such thefts, but new scams are emerging, such as using dental floss to create fake credit cards.
The podcast segment then describes a sophisticated credit card theft scam that targets tourists and expats in Latin America. Thieves use dental floss to trap cards in ATMs, then use a sticker with a fake phone number to trick victims into providing their PIN. The thieves then retrieve the card using medical forceps. However, this scam is less effective against tourists because the sticker is not in Spanish, and the phone operator does not speak Spanish. The segment then shifts to discussing the risks of theft on beaches, noting that even in well-protected hotels, belongings are not secure outside the room. The speaker warns that beachfront property owners are not fully protected and shares a personal experience of being robbed on a beach in Rio, emphasizing the importance of using decoy wallets with expired cards.
Johnny Mueller discusses the importance of securing valuables while on vacation, especially in tourist areas. He highlights the risks of leaving belongings in beach bags or with friends, citing an example of an Australian couple who lost their wallet to a thief. He recommends using a retractable cable from a company called Walkabout Travel Gear to secure items, such as a cooler, to a beach chair or hotel room furniture. The cable is described as compact, nearly unbreakable, and equipped with a combination lock. Johnny also warns about the prevalence of theft in tourist towns and the need for vigilance.
In the final segment, Johnny discusses the prevalence of theft in Latin America, particularly in tourist areas. He highlights how thieves often target expats by following them from bars and discos, especially if they stay at low-budget hotels. Johnny explains that these thieves can easily gain access to rooms through front doors, sometimes using their own pass keys. He recommends using a Walkabout door lock, a small metal gadget that prevents entry even with a key. Johnny also warns about the risk of losing Swiss Army knives, which are often stolen by baggage handlers, and advises buying authentic Swiss-made knives rather than cheaper imitations made in China.
Topics
Carrying local currency, Avoiding street money changers, Credit card safety in Latin America, Disputing charges and language barriers, Credit card insurance in Latin America, Fraudulent charges and credit card protection, Surcharges for using credit cards, Cultural aspects of credit card usage, Impact of first world banking in Latin America, Credit card usage in Latin America, Credit card scams, Russian mob involvement in financial crimes
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:36 The Importance of Carrying Local Currency 00:01:02 Why Banks Are the Best Place to Exchange Money 00:02:08 The Risks of Using Credit Cards in Latin America 00:05:18 Credit Card Insurance in Latin America 00:05:47 Recommendation to Purchase Credit Card Insurance 00:06:45 Consequences of Not Having Credit Card Insurance 00:10:31 Credit Card Reliance in Latin America 00:11:29 Credit Card Rejections and Stigma 00:12:20 Russian Mob Involvement in Credit Card Scams 00:14:59 New Credit Card Scam Involving Dental Floss 00:15:32 The Credit Card Theft Scam Setup 00:16:11 The Credit Card Theft Scam Execution 00:17:08 The Credit Card Theft Scam Limitations 00:17:37 Transition to Beach Security Discussion 00:18:18 Beachfront Property Security Risks 00:19:50 Personal Experience with Beach Robbery 00:20:46 The Setup and Its Limitations 00:20:52 The Problem with Waterproofing 00:21:07 What to Do When You Can't Take Your Belongings into the Water 00:21:12 The Risk of Leaving Valuables with a Friend 00:21:47 A Real-Life Example of Theft 00:22:25 The Solution: Retractable Cable from Walkabout Travel Gear 00:22:58 Using a Cooler and Ziploc Bags for Security 00:23:35 How to Secure Your Cooler with the Retractable Cable 00:25:25 The Social Setting of Theft 00:26:17 Recommendation for Secure Locks 00:26:55 Theft of Swiss Army Knives
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:11] Hi everybody, I'm Johnny Mueller, and you're listening to The Expat Files, living in Latin America, the one of a kind show that tells you what it's like to live, work, play, and or retire in Latin America. So let's get started. Okay, let's talk about some emails right now before I get into the main topics. Now, a show or two ago, I mentioned that it's a really good idea to carry around some cash with you, especially in the local currency. Because if you use dollars or euros, you'll always get clipped a little bit, anywhere from 2 to 20%. And I also mentioned you should always change your dollars or euros at a bank. Because any of these other places that'll offer to change your money, like the money
[00:58] changer guys on the street, and please do keep away from them. And I'll tell you why in a minute. And if you think that your own hotel, or the restaurant next door, or the hardware store across the street, are doing you such a great favor by changing your money, well they're really doing themselves a favor and not you. So it boils down to just this. You can expect to get clipped at any other place except a bank. So, if for some reason you need local cash right away, and that happens all the time, believe me. Well, if you can't find a bank, or it's after hours, or you can't find an ATM machine, well you can count on losing from 2 to 20%. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, most ATM machines will give you the bank rate, or very close to it. But more on that later. Now some listeners sent me emails saying, well, using cash in the third world, well
[01:48] that's not safe. I'd rather use my credit card, because at least if I use my credit card, and somehow I get screwed by being overcharged, having additional charges or whatever, well eventually you can straighten it out and get the charges dropped off your bill, right? Yes, in theory you can do that. And a lot of us in the first world have done it. And it does take a long time, and a lot of effort. And you know what kind of a pain that can be up in the first world. Now imagine you're contesting a charge that you made down in Paraguay, where they not only do all their business in Spanish, but all the bank statements are in Spanish too. Now what are you going to do about that? And since we're on a topic of credit cards, you'll come down here as a tourist with a credit card, or 2 or 10, issued from a bank in the United States.
[02:34] That's for sure. And those banks that issue credit cards in the United States, they do give you that protection, that insurance, against additional charges or theft of your credit card numbers, including unauthorized use, and all that. And you're fully protected, at least in theory, as long as you report a problem like that within a given period of time. Now let's talk about expats down here, who have a credit card or 2 or 10 issued from banks down here in Latin America. Now the big companies like Visa and MasterCard are connected with all the big banks down here in Latin America too. In fact, I have a Visa card that looks absolutely like any Visa card from the United States. Only it's issued by a third world bank. And you might think, because it's a Visa card, that I have all the perks and privileges
[03:21] that you have with your Visa card, issued on a bank somewhere up in Cincinnati, well, let me give you a heads up on that. In the first place, down here, if someone steals my credit card or my card and PIN numbers and uses them without authorization, I'm liable for that. And down here it's a well-known fact, especially among the banking community, that credit card numbers and the cards themselves get stolen and cloned at a rate about 10 times greater than any of those in the first world. And that's why I always recommend you avoid using plastic down here at all costs. And if you have to do it, like at a hotel, where they always ask for an imprint of your credit card first, don't let them take it into another room and do it. What I mean is, don't let it out of your sight. Because the fact is, there isn't a single person that I know down here, with a credit
[04:10] card or 2 or 10, who hasn't been stuck for at least some charges, that he never rang up himself. In the vast majority of the time, the credit card company won't wipe the charges and you'll have to pay up yourself, because it's very difficult, even for a Latin guy who's lived down here all his life, to prove that he didn't ring up those charges. So imagine what it would be like for you, when Spanish is your second language, or you don't speak it much at all. Good luck. Now over the years I've been through exactly that myself. I've been down to banks, and sat around for hours, pleading my case, and trying to get them to straighten things out for me. And they always tell you to come back later, or that they'll call you, and guess what? They don't call you. But there is a solution to the problem, that is, besides never using your credit card,
[04:59] like I recommend. You see, it boils down to the fact that if you have a Visa or MasterCard or whatever, drawn on a local bank, you don't have that credit card insurance, like you do up in the first world. And in most cases, when you get your card, they never tell you that. And why should they? It's in the fine print of the contract. And that's what they tell you, the first time you come in all irate, because someone puts some extra charges on your card. But the big thing in your favor, is that every bank and credit card company down here, offers additional credit card insurance on the side. And if you check that box on the form, when you're applying for your credit card, they'll bill you anywhere from $3 to $5 a month, for the privilege of having the same insurance that you get for free, if you'd had that card in the States.
[05:47] So even though it may be costs you $50 a year, I highly recommend you check that box and do it. Otherwise, you're just out there like a whino in traffic, and you're going to get hit and you're going to pay. Now lucky for me, after getting stuck for a few small charges on my very first Latin American Visa card, I caved in and bought some of that credit card insurance that cost me $3 a month for a credit card that had a limit of $2,500. And man, I was sure glad I did, because just one month later, when I was in Estapa, Mexico, at a 3.5 star hotel complex no less, two credit card billing cycles later, I got stuck for a $2,000 charge I never posted. And it was from a Mexican appliance store. It seems someone got my number and bought a few plasma TVs.
[06:35] And I'm sure some Mexican lowlifes are having a good old time watching soccer games and soap operas on my dime right now as I tell you this story. Well, it would have been on my dime if I hadn't bought that insurance. And yes, I got it straightened out. And by the way, don't worry if you don't know too much Spanish, or almost no Spanish at all, and you're having a lot of trouble with one of those credit card bills. Because you know, figuring out one of those bills, even in the first world, can be a pain in the ass. And when it comes to utility bills, well, we'll talk about that later, because that's even worse. But since I did mention utility bills, and I've been getting some email questions on them lately, I have to mention that even for the locals, they're impossible to figure out. But like I said, we'll talk about that later.
[07:22] Anyway, if you don't know much Spanish at all, and you're having trouble with that some people in your bank that speak very good English and will help you out, and if you can't locate one right away on the main floor, just ask for someone in the International Department where they do letters of credit, because I guarantee you, everybody in that department will speak very good English. And every time I've had trouble with my bank statements, they've been glad to help me. Okay, getting back to that email about using credit cards, well, there's one other very good reason why you shouldn't use a credit card down here. Besides the fact that in good time, you'll probably end up racking up charges that you're sure you never made. Anyway, 90% of the places where you might want to use your credit card, like restaurants
[08:09] and bars and hotels and gift shops, well, most of these places will have a little sign up by the cash register pointing out that you're going to pay an extra surcharge if you use your plastic. And those extra charges could be anywhere from 2 to 20% also. And I know what you're thinking, back a few years ago, up in the first world, there was a lot of that going around too, where if you used your credit card, they might slap a surcharge on you, calling it a processing fee or a handling charge or whatever. And people said it was discrimination and it went to court. And I believe now they can't do that. Not up in the first world anyway. Though if you took a good look at any credit card statement, there's a hundred different ways they could disguise a handling fee like that and you'd never know it. Anyway, down here in the third world, there's no such consumer protection law.
[08:56] So they can discriminate against you if you use a credit card, and they do. So if you think using a credit card down here is some kind of convenience, you're wrong. There's a hundred and one ways they nickel and dime you to death every time you use one. And because the people down here are so enamored with all things first world, having a wallet full of credit cards is a status symbol over here. Just like it was 20, 30, or 40 years ago up in the first world. I'm sure some of you out there remember that when you had a credit card for every store you visited, from Target to Walmart to JC Penney's to Sears and Marshall Fields and Lord and Taylor. And you felt good about that, like you were something special. But these days, if you have a wallet full of credit cards in the first world, it's nothing
[09:41] to brag about because it probably means you have a truckload of credit card debt too. And that's the most expensive kind of debt to carry. And now our Latin American neighbors are all jumping on that bandwagon in a big way. It's becoming a credit card debt society down here, and they just can't help themselves. And it's become a goldmine for all the first world franchise banks that have landed down here in the past two or three years. And for all you US citizens up there who are wondering where that bank bailout money went, and a lot of it came directly down here where the first world banks have opened up thousands of franchises, especially Citibank. In fact, the Latin population is so gullible, they're falling for all those same tricks the banks pulled on us 20, 30, and 40 years ago.
[10:27] They don't even have to be creative or reinvent the rules. What worked on us idiots 30 and 40 years ago is working on them right now. And even though less than 50% of the working population down here can even qualify for a credit card, that segment of the population who have them have become complete slaves to the system. And all you got to do to prove that to yourself is to walk into a Pizza Hut or a McDonald's or a Wendy's or any of the fast food joints down here. Just stand in line and watch how many people pay for a three dollar happy meal or a couple of slices of pizza with a credit card. In fact, the first time you see that happen, you just can't believe that the average guy down here doesn't even have three dollars and change on him. Hell right now, I could dig that much out of the cushions from my living room sofa.
[11:17] Maybe I've been away too long, but tell me, who in the first world, in a right mind, would put three dollars on a credit card? And what business up there would even let you do that? But that's not all. As you stand in line, you'll see another very strange thing. Half those same people at McDonald's get their credit cards rejected and they'll go through that deck of plastic until they get one that finally works. I mean, getting your credit card rejected on a couple of double cheeseburgers, come on. Now you know what it's like up in the first world. When you get a credit card rejected, especially at a restaurant or in front of your friends. I mean, that always puts a damper on the event, doesn't it? And we always make a few excuses to save face, right? Well, down here in Latin America, it's so common to get your card rejected, there doesn't
[12:04] seem to be any stigma or embarrassment attached to it at all. You just move on from card to card until one of them finally goes through, or not. And while I'm at it, I might as well tell you about the latest credit card scam that's going around down here, and this is a good one. Now first we should talk about the Russian mob, which in fact has invaded Latin America to some degree too. I guess 75 years of communism was all the fine tuning these guys needed to scam practically any system. And what they're really good at, at least down here anyway, is scamming tourists at the cash machine. Which means down here, especially in the tourist areas, your trusty ATM machine ain't so trusty. And these Russian mob guys, they're Spanish might not be very good, but they're smarter
[12:49] than you think. Because they know that the tourists have high limits on their plastic. And they can scam a tourist for two, five, ten, or twenty thousand dollars, right up to your limit. Whereas a local Latin guy's plastic might only have a limit of a thousand dollars. So that's all a thief can get. And that's why these Russian mob guys don't spend much time in the big cities off the tourist track. It's just not worth it for them. Because tourists and their high limit credit cards are the real goldmine. And if you scam a tourist at a cash machine, there's almost nothing he or she can do about it. Not knowing the language, not to mention the fact that they're usually on tight schedules. Or they might be in a tour group that they can't leave. And they got to get home in a hurry. So that makes some perfect targets for a scam.
[13:35] And naturally, the banks are trying to keep a lid on it because it's very bad PR. But if you talk to the right people at any one of these big banks, and I have, well they'll tell you how they've been finding these little miniature, button-sized remote cameras stuck on a wall or a post nearby an ATM machine aimed at the touch pad where you put your PIN number in. And along with that, they've been finding tiny little micro card readers hidden in the slot where you put in your credit card to get swiped. And most of the time, this occurs in a shopping mall where there's a public bathroom nearby. And the guy who placed that camera and card reader is in one of the stalls recording those card swipes and PIN numbers. And it's all part of a big credit card cloning operation.
[14:22] And like I said, this story's not well reported. But it's obviously having a big effect. Because I've noticed in the last few months, little by little, the ATM machines, especially in the tourist areas, are starting to get modified. And most obviously around the keypad area where you punch in your PIN number. Now you have to stick your hand under a plastic cover. And no one who's standing around that machine or any hidden camera pointed at it can get a good view of the PIN number that you're punching in. So that should stop that kind of crime for a few months, at least until those guys figure out another scam. But there's a much more clever and simple scam going down here right now. And you won't believe this. And this new one doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Russian mob.
[15:08] It's more an operation to scam the locals, not the tourists. And here's how it goes. The thieves take a regular piece of plastic sheeting and cut out a credit card from it. They cut a little slot in the near end of this fake credit card. Then they wedge a foot long piece of dental floss into that slot. Then they shove the fake credit card into the card slot, hold on to the dental floss. And as the fake card gets sucked into the machine, the dental floss gets pulled in with it, leaving the two ends of the dental floss still hanging out of the front of the machine. Then they tuck the two ends of the dental floss under the slot and use silicone glue to tack the ends of the floss underneath the slot so you can't see it. And they do this early in the morning in a shopping mall before any of the real crowds
[15:55] of people start coming in. Now when a real customer walks up to the machine and sticks his credit card in there, it's going to get stuck, held up by the dental floss, that's hanging down like a loop deep in the slot. And no matter what the guy does, the card's not going to come back out. But he's going to see a sticker right on the front of the machine, a sticker that the thieves put there just moments before they left. And it says something like, dear client, if there's any problem with this machine, or you've inserted your credit card and it's not been returned, call this number to resolve your problems. And when the client calls that number, the person on the phone asks them for their name and address and phone and their PIN number, and they almost always oblige. And as soon as they walk away from the machine, the thief, who is conveniently the next guy
[16:44] in line, he takes out a tiny medical forceps, grabs the hidden ends of the dental floss, and pulls that card that was hung up inside right back out through the front of the slot. And now he has the credit card, and his accomplice on the phone has the PIN number, and he's in a shopping mall, so he can go on a shopping spree, or start right in with some cash withdrawals. But you see, a scam like that can't work very well against tourists, because the sticker that they put on the machine isn't Spanish, and the person who's going to answer that phone, a supposed bank employee, is also going to speak pure Spanish. So it's something that the locals and expats who speak Spanish have to worry about. So if it happens to a tourist, and he loses his card that way, at least they'll never
[17:31] get his PIN number. But even so, he's going to freak out. Okay, enough about that. So let's get back to last week's topic, about how to protect your valuables, your passport, your money, whatever. Because I have some great solutions, whether you're an expat or a tourist. So what you probably don't know, is that there's a lot of robberies on the beach down here. And even if you're at a nice 3 or 4 star, well protected hotel complex, connected to a beach, you're still at high risk of being robbed. In fact, on every hotel property, even 4 star hotel properties, there's a sign somewhere that says that the management is not responsible for your belongings when you're out on the grounds. And that pretty much means anywhere outside your room, including the beach.
[18:18] And the reason why a tourist or an expat is an easy mark on the beach, is because throughout Latin America, just like in the first world, the vast majority of beaches are considered public property, and anyone can use them. And that's why I always laugh down here, when someone says to me, they just bought some beautiful beachfront property. Because I know that in most cases the law says, that you only own the property 10 meters in from the high tide mark. And the rest of that beach is public. And everybody, and I mean everybody, has a right to hang out there. And local thieves and scoundrels? Well that's their favorite place, especially in the tourist areas. And when you do see a big old mansion, or a multi-million dollar complex, you'll always
[19:03] see that they have their property walled or fenced in, but you'll notice right where the property meets the beach, there's always a space in the fence or the wall for people to pass through. Which means, if you own beachfront property, you are not exactly secure. And that's why if you buy a beachfront vacation home down here, and only use it once in a while, and you don't have a full-time guard, then you're asking to get robbed, and I guarantee eventually you will. But what about your personal security, when you're alone, or with somebody else, down on the beach walking, or in the water snorkeling, swimming, or just hanging around? Now if it's in the daytime, and you're with one or more persons, chances are you're never going to get robbed. You'll be just like every other partier on the beach, having a good time, and no one's
[19:49] going to bother you. However, if you're alone, just walking around, or jogging down the beach line, like I was a few years back on Ipanema beach in Rio, and two guys pulled a knife on me in broad daylight, and got my fanny pack, and if you've been listening to any of my past shows, you know they didn't get my motherlode, they just got my decoy wallet, and my expired credit cards. And the operative word here is expired, and let me tell you, everybody's got some of those in their junk drawer around the house, and it's a real good idea to hang on to a few of those, because they come in real handy for that decoy wallet in your fanny pack. And I told you all about that in last week's show, so go back and check it out. Now also in one of last week's shows, I told you about my belt with the secret zipper,
[20:37] and the hidden pouch that's connected by a loop to the belt, that hangs down in front of your pants, just in front of, or to the left of your crotch. And that setup is absolutely great, and almost foolproof, for any place you might want to go. But unfortunately, that leather belt and zipper, and that hidden pouch, well they're not waterproof, and I hope someday someone will figure out how to do that. So for now, if you're swimming, or snorkeling, or into any other kind of water sports, you're not going to go into the water with that stuff on. So what do you do with it? Well if you don't have a friend nearby sitting on a beach chair, under an umbrella, sucking on a couple of pina coladas, and minding your belt and pouch while you're in the water, well you got a problem. And even if he or she is minding your things, that person might not be a match for a dedicated
[21:23] thief who's been hanging in the wings and scoping out your stuff. And the mistake a lot of tourists make is leaving their valuables inside of a beach bag and sticking them next to their friend. Sometimes that's just not good enough. Your friend might just take a quick walk to the restroom, or doze off. And that's right when those bad boys are going to make their move and sneak in and take your mother load. I saw that happen 20 feet away from me to an Australian couple on a cruise, sitting on a beautiful, pure white beach in Roatan. The guy was in the water snorkeling, and the lady was lounging in her beach chair with her sunglasses on, sleeping away. And the next thing you know, she's looking for her beach bag, which has her husband's wallet. Now there's nothing that puts a damper on a vacation faster than that.
[22:10] Especially since they were on a cruise and only there for one day, and they had to report back to the ship by five o'clock or get left behind. Well those two Australians were frantic, and she cried a lot, but crying doesn't help. But I'll tell you what does. You just google, walk about travel gear again, the company I told you about in last week's show. And for 15 bucks, you can buy a very valuable piece of equipment. It's about a four or five foot length of cable that retracts into a tiny spool, no bigger than a pack of cigarettes. And you can wrap it around anything, and it's nearly impossible to cut through it without some special tools. And once you've wrapped it around something, it locks tight. So as you can imagine, there's a thousand and one uses for it. Go ahead and google it and see what I mean.
[22:56] So here's some more good advice. When you're on the beach, what you should have is a small little plastic beer cooler. You know, the kind that holds just a six pack, no more. And you put your special belt and your fanny pack and your special pouch in that cooler. And don't forget to put them in a plastic Ziploc bag first, so they don't get full of mayonnaise and ketchup from your sandwiches. And when you're on vacation down here, whether you're an expat or a regular tourist, Ziploc bags, heavy duty Ziploc bags, and you can get them at all the stores down here too. Now you never can have enough of those either. Okay, now you got all your secret stuff and your valuables in that little cooler. Now what? Then you loop that cable from walkabout travel through the handle of the cooler and wrap it around the cooler a few more times.
[23:41] Then thread the little cable through one of the holes or openings in your beach chair. And then pull that retractable cable tight so that there's no slack. Now if someone wants to steal that cooler with all your valuable stuff in it, they'll have to run off carrying that beach chair along with it. Not very inconspicuous. You get the idea? And note that you can use that cable to wrap around any purse or bag that you have valuables in. Especially if you have to leave something like that in your hotel room. Go ahead and use that cable system to secure just about anything you have. Just loop it through an end table or a bed frame or any solid object that's in your hotel room and nobody's going to walk off with it unless they have a pretty special tool kit with them. In fact, I can think of a thousand uses for that little walkabout cable thing.
[24:29] Especially if your hotel room door has an iffy lock or a window that's just not secure. You could just wrap it around practically anything and secure it tight. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, to get it open, it has a three digit combination lock built into it. And don't think because it's got a steel cable that it's bulky and unwieldy. Because it's not. It's very thin and flexible. In fact, that steel cable's about as thick as the mouse cable on your computer. So check it out. And speaking of getting robbed in a low budget hotel room, well you'd be surprised at how many stories I've heard about people being robbed in the middle of the night. I mean, while you're right in the room and many times, by the time you're awake or have even figured it out, he's long gone. And so is your stuff. And almost always in tourist towns, by the way.
[25:17] Because thieves in tourist towns have it down to an art. And one of their favorite ways is to check out the Europeans and gringos who like to go out and party. They might be that very pleasant guy sitting right next to you at the bars and discos laughing and joking with you while you're having a good old time and getting hammered. And after they've got you scoped out, they'll trail you at a distance when you leave that bar or disco and check out exactly where you're living. And if you're staying at one of the low budget hotels, a lot of these thieves, they'll know exactly how to get in. And they'll usually come right through the front door because it's just not secure. And sometimes they won't even have to jimmy it because some of these guys have their own pass keys. Down here, almost no one ever changes a lock.
[26:03] So if you're a dedicated thief and you live down in a tourist area, you could stay over at some of these cheap hotels, take your own room key and have it copied and do it over and over again with different rooms until you've got a nice set. So here's my next recommendation, the Walkabout Travel Gear website again. So go ahead and Google it. And for 10 bucks, you can get a Walkabout door lock, a tiny little metal sliding gadget, a little bigger than a Swiss Army knife that hooks into your door's locking mechanism from the inside and won't allow even a person with a key on the outside to get in. Now that makes you perfectly secure inside your room. No matter how drunk you are from people trying to break in through the door. And remember, I use these Walkabout gadgets myself and I have nothing to do with that
[26:51] company. But sometimes I think I should get a commission. How about it guys? Oh, and speaking of Swiss Army knives, that's another thing people like to steal down here. In fact, believe it or not, I lost two of them in my check through luggage at the airport. And some baggage handler, one in Bolivia and one in Venezuela, stole mine by making a surgical slice through my baggage. And by the way, when it comes to Swiss Army knives, buy the Swiss Army knife. Don't buy the ones that look like Swiss Army knives, that are half as cheap and are made in China. And by the way, how can it be a Swiss Army knife if it says China on it? Wouldn't that be a Chinese Army knife? Answer that one for me, will ya? You've been listening to The Expat Files, living in Latin America.
[27:41] And don't forget you can email me on anything at all about Latin America. The Expat Files at gmail.com. That's theexpatfiles at gmail.com.