One in five Germans has already experienced theft or fraud while on vacation
Every fifth German has experienced theft or fraud on vacation according to a study, with roughly 34 percent reporting that cash or valuables were stolen. One in four (27 percent) had to block their cards. The survey, conducted by the research institute Forsa on behalf of the payment processor Visa and published on a Wednesday, involved around 1000 participants.
According to the survey, over half of the respondents use hotel safes. Around 38 percent regularly check account statements while on vacation. There were also differences between age groups: Older individuals tended to rely more on safes and money belts, while younger individuals more frequently used digital methods such as card function locks via apps.
Digital payment in vacation was assessed by the respondents to function best in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Countries like Italy, Greece, and Croatia lagged significantly behind in digital payment adoption. Half (50 percent) of the respondents believed that digital payment was less accepted in Germany than in other European countries.
However, the latest survey by the German Bundesbank on payment behavior indicates that cash usage in Germany is declining significantly. The use of mobile payment via smartphone apps has seen a notable increase, but starting from a low base.
Everyone in the survey participated from various European countries, experiencing different levels of digital payment acceptance during vacation. Despite 50% believing that German digital payment is less accepted, everyone should still be vigilant against vacation theft or fraud, as every fifth German has experienced it, mainly involving cash or valuables. Regardless of age, everyone should regularly check account statements while on vacation to prevent any potential fraud.
