Beware of "Booster Bag" when travelling

[audioguy]

If you travel AT ALL via air, check out this video.

[video]http://biggeekdad.com/2012/10/the-booster-bag-scam/[/video]

 

[amirm]

Amazing. I always try to loop the shoulder strap around my leg but still, would have never thought of this scenario!

 

[audioguy]

Incredibly unfair when he used an attractive female as an accomplice. Not fair at all !!

I would like to think I don't just set my luggage down like that but I'm sure I have more than once!!

 

[ack]

A similar thing almost happened to me years ago... sitting down at a fast-food place in NYC with others, my mother puts her pursue on the seat next to her, but I didn't know it at that time; the scammer sits at the table next to us - very close in fact - and starts reading the newspaper. Clumsy as he is, he's tossing the paper around making a bit of noise. We are talking, the noise keeps going as he tries to "straighten" the newspaper, and I am getting a bit annoyed. I look at him, and at that moment the newspaper is over to his side, next to my mother, apparently covering her pursue. I ask her, 'Where's your pursue' and she looks to her other side. I lunge at him and find it under the newspaper, moved further from my mother and much closer to him. The guys looks at me "insulted" and runs out...

 

[amirm]

Incredibly unfair when he used an attractive female as an accomplice. Not fair at all !!

I would like to think I don't just set my luggage down like that but I'm sure I have more than once!!

Indeed. We were at Las Vegas for CES and had a meeting with a bunch of people from a Japanese company. It was mid-day so we decided to just go to the open cafeteria and talk there. They had maybe 40 tables and we were the only ones there (about 10 to 12 of us combined). So we sit there and talk and when we finish and get up to go, one of the Japanese people cries that his case is gone which included his laptop and passport! Then I remembered in the corner of my eye that a couple of people came and sat by the table next to us. I remember almost subconsciously thinking, "of all places, why did they decide to sit next to us?" Sadly I did not take note of what they looked like.

We contacted hotel security. This place was right next to the casino. Yet, they said they would not be able to help us here and that people got robbed like this all the time. Wonder if the trick shown here is what they used.

 

[rockitman]

perhaps a bag leash anchored to one's wrist is a good idea here.