Travelers present an especially attractive opportunity for criminals because they’re in less-than-familiar territory and carry money. One of the best places for thieves to target travelers is at their hotel. You can reduce your chances of becoming a bull’s eye for criminals if you pay attention to details, trust no one and remember a few simple rules:

• Crowded lobby? Keep an eye on your bags. This is a prime place for thieves to lift luggage.
• Room on the ground floor? Tell the desk clerk, “No thanks.” You should also nix one that can be accessed by an outdoor staircase. Instead, try to stay on higher floors in hotels with interior hallways and reduce the opportunity for burglaries.
• Your phone rings and it’s the front desk. The credit card information they took from you when you checked in was accidentally deleted from the hotel computer. They apologize for the inconvenience, but would you mind giving them that information again? If you’re smart, you won’t. It’s likely a ploy to get your credit card information.
• You’re in your room and someone knocks on the door. Don’t open it. Instead, ask who it is. If the person isn’t known to you, keep it locked. What if he says he’s hotel security or there to fix your plumbing? Call the front desk and check him out first.
• Call the hotel on an outside line and ask what room you are in. They should connect you without telling the caller your room number.

Police know you reduce your chances of becoming a victim by eliminating opportunities that make you a sitting duck.