Rise in thefts from tourists makes travel insurance essential

There has been a 17% rise in snatched or misplaced cards abroad in the past 12 months, which suggests that holidaymakers are increasingly being targeted by thieves, making it even more important for tourists to protect themselves with travel insurance.

According to life assistance company CPP travellers are most likely to have their cards stolen in Spain, where British holidaymakers lose twice as many cards as any other country.

France is the second most common place for card theft while theft is also on the rise in Thailand, Portugal and Greece.

Despite the growing risk of card crime, holidaymakers admit to being so laid-back on holiday that they leave bags unattended on sunloungers, allow waiters to take their cards out of sight, and hide cards in their room rather than use a safe.

Such a relaxed attitude to security could invalidate their travel insurance, however. Most policies will not pay out if clients have neglected their belongings.

Travellers are also urged to keep their cards safe as loss or theft can lead to identity fraud, especially in countries that don't have Chip and PIN but rely instead on signatures.

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