How to protect yourself while on vacation

A Powhatan County resident traveled to Ireland a few weeks ago and left her purse mistakenly under the table at a restaurant in Dublin on the first full day of a family vacation.

Within minutes after leaving, she realized it was missing. But it was too late. When she returned, a restaurant employee handed back her pocketbook, which a customer supposedly had turned in, minus her passport, $150 cash, a bank debit card and her digital camera.

Normally, she carries her valuables in a fanny pack around her body when traveling overseas. But not this time. The city seemed friendly, and she didn't feel threatened.

What would you do if this happened to you? What is the best way to travel with money so if it gets stolen, your vacation won't turn into a nightmare? What should you do after a theft?

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Before you leave:

• Diversify your wallet. Carry a combination of payment options in case something happens to one of them, said Marina Hoffmann, an American Express Co. spokeswoman.

• Don't take a lot of cash. You'll need only a small-to-medium amount of cash, including currency of the country you'll be visiting, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Martha Mitchell Meade said. You'll need cash for tips, taxi rides, snacks, pay-phone change and transportation tokens.

• Consider taking a PIN-based reloadable debit card, such as those issued by AAA and others. If it gets lost or stolen, the amount you haven't spent on the card can be sent via overnight courier to you abroad, Meade said. Use the card for shopping and getting cash from ATM machines.

• Leave unnecessary wallet items home. It only causes further aggravation in the event that the items are lost or stolen, Meade said. Leave behind anything you'd hate to lose, the U.S. State Department advises, including unnecessary credit cards and your Social Security card.

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Once you get there:

• Make a note of local emergency numbers. Keep with you the phone numbers of the police, your hotel and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

• Always leave some money, or a credit or debit card, in the hotel safe. "If something happens with one, you always have to have a backup," said Christi Bowen, security officer at Central Virginia Bank. Keep a backup credit card, your traveler's check receipts, airline ticket, and other personal identification in the safe, too.

• Carry your wallet in an inside pocket. One of the safest places is in a pouch or money belt worn beneath your clothing, the state department said. The agency warns against carrying money in handbags, fanny packs and outside pockets. They're easy targets.

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After a theft:

• Go straight to the police. You'll need a copy of the police report to get a temporary passport, if your passport was stolen, and to substantiate your losses back home.

• Immediately call your credit-card issuer. The issuer may have a travel-emergency program. It can help you replace your passport. It will cancel your credit card and issue a new one.

• Immediately call your bank if your debit card is stolen. The issuer will disable the card, and you won't be responsible for fraudulent charges. Someone dropped the Powhatan woman's passport holder into the mail, and it wound up at the embassy, which contacted her. Her bank card was tucked inside. She thinks the thief missed the card.

Visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Its staff will get you the temporary passport and attend to your other emergency needs. Show the police report and your ID from the hotel safe. The Powhatan theft victim said the temporary passport cost her $100.

Contact Iris Taylor at (804) 649-6349 or .