6 Riskiest Places To Walk Around With $100 Bills in Your Wallet

The feeling of big bills in your wallet is something that’s hard not to think about. When traveling around the world — or even in your own backyard — the thought of a ton of cash in your pocket can cause some serious anxiety. But sometimes it’s necessary — especially when you’re on vacation. But not all locations are created equal. Some are far riskier when it comes to carrying around cash.

Check Out: 10 Best US Vacation Destinations for Retirees on a Budget

Read Next: How To Get $340 Per Year in Cash Back on Gas and Other Things You Already Buy

GOBankingRates spoke with several travel safety experts to identify the most dangerous places to walk around with $100 bills in your wallet. From bustling city streets to popular tourist attractions, here are the 12 riskiest places to walk around with $100 bills in your pocket.

Tijuana, Mexico

According to Tim Hentschel, CEO and co-founder of HotelPlanner, Tijuana can be particularly dangerous for tourists, especially at night. “There are countless incidents where taxi drivers or other bad actors forced a tourist to get money out of their ATM, were then beaten up and had to walk back to the San Ysidro border crossing on foot,” he said.

Northern Coast of Peru

Zach Lazzari of Cross Border Coverage, who has traveled extensively in Latin America, warns about the risks of carrying large bills on the northern coast of Peru. “The entire region is a bit on the sketchy side. Beautiful but the odds of getting robbed are pretty dang high,” he said. “Carry multiple small bills so it looks like more money than it actually is and hide the big bills. Give up your small bills with zero resistance!”

Learn More: 9 American Travel Brands To Stay Away From

Caracas, Venezuela

Alex Cornici, CEO and founder at The Traveler, highlights Caracas as a high-risk area due to its economic instability. “Caracas has a very high crime rate, and significant risks originate from economic instability. Such instability magnifies the likelihood of theft and robbery. Visible amounts of cash make you a prime target,” he said.

Paris, France

Norman Bour, owner of TravelYounger, shares a personal experience of being pickpocketed on the Paris Metro. “I can tell you one place you don’t want to have anything of value in your pocket, and that is on the Metro from De Gaulle airport in Paris to the main train station, Gare du Nord,” he said. “We have been nomadic since 2019 and in country No. 43, Malaysia, and I never had a theft until last summer when I got pickpocketed by some real pros, a team of about four or five people.”

New Orleans, United States

The French Quarter in New Orleans is a notoriously good time — and a notoriously good place for petty theft, according to Hentschel. “It is not uncommon for people to be pickpocketed or accosted, especially late at night,” he said.

Naples, Italy

Cornici identifies Naples as a city with a high risk of petty theft, particularly in busy markets and tourist spots. “A city with a difference, but just as beautiful in its own right, Naples is undoubtedly home to some dodgy suburbs ripe for petty theft, namely pickpocketing. The worst of it is its busy markets and tourist haunts,” he said.

Other High-Risk Areas

Our experts also mentioned several other locations where carrying large sums of cash can be risky, including:

Chiapas, Mexico
Quito, Ecuador
Baltimore, United States
Times Square in New York City, United States
Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain

Minimizing Risk

To reduce your chances of being robbed, our experts recommend being aware of your surroundings and avoiding showing off wads of cash while you’re out and about. “Always be mindful of your environment, and do not expose large sums of money in public,” shared Cornici. “Wear a money belt or hidden pouches instead of a wallet.”

When traveling to unfamiliar cities, Hentschel suggests getting directions or consulting maps in safe spaces like coffee shops, restaurants or stores instead of doing it out in the open. “If you need to look at a map or get directions, go into a local coffee shop, restaurant or store rather than draw attention to yourself on the public streets where muggers are waiting,” he said.

By being cautious and following these expert tips, travelers can reduce their chances of becoming targets for theft and enjoy their adventures with peace in their minds and cash in their pockets.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Riskiest Places To Walk Around With $100 Bills in Your Wallet