LandingPad Buenos Aires

In general, Buenos Aires is a safe place to visit. It’s true that petty robberies and scams can be common in areas, but the rate of violent crimes here is much less than that of most major cities. For example, the murder rate here is about one-tenth that of Washington D.C.* With that in mind, when visiting Buenos Aires the smart traveler remains aware of his/her surroundings, vigilant to potential pick-pockets and petty thieves.

Although violent crimes are rare here in Buenos Aires, please don’t assume that robbers won’t hurt you. If you do happen to wind up in a sticky situation, don’t be brave, don’t take risks, just give them what they want and stay safe. To keep yourself from winding up in such a situation, here are a few tips and good observations to practice for your safety! But first be sure to read about the most common scams in Buenos Aires.

Safety Tip #1. Don’t carry expensive designer bags, sunglasses or flashy jewelry. The same can be said for electronics, and electronics cases. If it looks expensive, it could become a target for a thief.

A good rule of thumb is that crime in Buenos Aires is typically “opportunistic”.

Safety Tip #2. Be cautious while carrying your purse or bag, especially in crowded areas or while on public transport. It’s perfectly normal to wear your backpack over your chest in these situations in order to avoid someone’s sticky fingers getting into your belongings. Likewise, women should ALWAYS carry their purses directly under their arms and/or across their chests.

Safety Tip #3. Never leave your bag unattended, sling it over the back of a chair or even leave it on the top of a table while dining. It is always best to keep your bag on your person or wedged between your feet, even while dining. Even in places as frequented and familiar as Starbucks.

Safety Tip #4. Carry the minimum within your purse or wallet. As a general rule, don’t carry more than $300 pesos at one time, only carry your credit or ATM card for trips specifically to the ATM and carry a photocopy of your passport instead of the document itself.

Safety Tip #5. Don’t carry expensive electronics in the open. Keep your iPad tucked away, keep your cell phone stashed and your camera in your bag. Likewise, make sure someone is watching out for you while you are snapping your photos.

Safety Tip #6. Always check that $100 and $50 peso bills are not counterfeit. (See LandingPadBA.com’s guide to counterfeit currency in Argentina). The best technique is to examine the security thread. The plastic thread should weave in and out of the bill. Fakes will have pieces of imitation thread pasted on.

Safety Tip #7. Ignore suspicious people who try to approach you on the street. The mustard or bird poop scam was common a couple of years back, but could still be used or some variation of it.

Safety Tip #8. Never pick up a taxi in front of a bank especially after you have extracted money.

*The statistics presented within this article were gathered from materials published by the US Overseas Security Advisory Council and the Argentine Interior Security Commission. For further information, visit these sites: www.osac.gov and www.parlamentario.com

Updated: May 11, 2012