I Just Got Scammed Overseas. What Now?

We daresay getting ripped off when you're travelling is virtually a rite of passage – but there's a world of difference between paying a bit too much for a 'designer' bag and having someone steal your cash or card. When you're overseas it's easy to feel like you can't do anything about it, but there are a few simple steps you can take ASAP to keep your savings safe, and put you in a good place to recover the funds you lost.

Get yourself out of the situation, and write down as many details as you can.

Look, it totally sucks when you feel like you’ve been taken advantage of, and your first reaction might be to flip a lid or go after the culprits yourself. But at the end of the day, it’s all just stuff – and your safety is more important than any money or documents you can think of. If you can and you think it’s safe, you can call the authorities from a safe place, go straight to your local embassy or consulate, or head back to your accommodation, where they can give you some advice on next steps.

While the events are still fresh in your mind, it’s a good idea to gather your thoughts and jot down as many details as you can, so that if you want to file a report later you have everything you need.

Important stuff to write down includes:

• Where and when the incident occurred
• Your story of what happened
• A description of the perpetrator
• What property was lost, including their descriptions, brand names, serial numbers, or any other identifying marks. Also estimate the value of the stolen or damaged property.
• Your personal information, including your name, contact number, and address.

Get in touch with your bank and your local embassy (depending on what is stolen)

If your wallet has been stolen, the first thing you need to do is lock or cancel the stolen cards. Cards with modern banks often have a feature where you can lock your cards remotely, keeping your funds safe until you find the card or decide to cancel it. Otherwise, pretty much all banks will have a 24/7 hotline you can call to get support overseas.

Your passport can be used to commit identity theft, among other crimes that you really don’t want to be involved with. That’s why it’s important to report the loss of your passport to your local embassy, and get it replaced ASAP.

Should I file a report?

Filing a report might seem like a waste of time, especially if you know you’re leaving the country in a couple of days – but there are two reasons why it could be worth your while. The first one is that if you bought travel insurance before you left, you’ll need to have a police report in order to make a claim. Once you report it to the police, make sure you ask the police for a copy of the report once it’s filed.

Let your family know what’s happened

It can be embarrassing to admit when something’s gone wrong, but it’s good to get some emotional support (and maybe some financial support if you’re flat broke). Plus, if you’ve lost your phone or any ID it’s a good idea to give your family a heads-up to let you know if they notice any suspicious activity on your devices such as messages or login requests.

Take it as a lesson

Most of the time, losing something or having something stolen is just a matter of a small mistake, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Once you’ve done your best to recover your property (or get a report for insurance), there’s no point beating yourself up about it.

All you can do is pick yourself up and do your best to prevent it from happening again. For more tips on handling your money overseas and at home, make sure you check out our Travel Hub!

This content has been created by Year13 and is sponsored by Westpac.