Buenos Aires Basics, Safety

Safety, Dangers, Crime and Prevention Tips for Buenos Aires

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By | July 21, 2009

Exterior of typical Argentine restaurant

What are some common safety tips for new travelers to Buenos Aires, Argentina? Prevent crime, avoid scams and focus on the fun that can be had in this great city.

In general, Buenos Aires is a safe place to visit. It’s true that petty robberies and scams can be common in areas of the city, 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-fifth that of Washington D.C. (2020)* 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!

How can I avoid theft in Buenos Aires?

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”.

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.

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.

4. Carry the minimum within your purse or wallet. As a general rule, don’t carry a ton of cash at one time and maybe have only one credit or ATM card on you. Carry a photocopy of your passport instead of the document itself.

5. Don’t walk around with your phone out, especially if you’re outside of Palermo or Recoleta or if it’s nighttime. Also, when at a restaurant/bar/café don’t keep your phone or wallet on the table. It may feel safe being right in front of you but some of the street vendors who enter establishments with their wares can be very sneaky. While they distract you with their sales pitch, your phone may disappear within the blink of an eye.

6. Avoid walking around alone late at night, especially in some of the less safe neighborhoods such as La Boca, Constitución, or Floresta.

How can I avoid scams in Buenos Aires?

7. Read up on the common Buenos Aires scams and tricks that are used time and time again here. Knowing and recognizing a scam in the making can save you a lot of head and heart ache.

8. Try to carry around smaller dominations bills to pay taxis and street vendors. If you can pay with exact (or close to exact) change, there is no opportunity for them to give you your change with counterfeit bills.

9. If you do pay with larger bills, always check that $1,000 and $500 peso bills are not ripped or counterfeit. Many establishments will refuse to accept bills with even the slightest rips, so damaged bills end up being worthless. To identify counterfeit bills, 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.

10. 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.

11. Try to only take taxis that are affiliated with a company (they have a company logo or lite sign above) like “Radio Taxi”, “Hola Taxi”, etc. The taxis that have simply a number on them work independently and have a higher chance of trying to pull a taxi scam such as intentionally taking you on a longer and more expensive route.

All in all Buenos Aires is a fun, international destination full of things to do. Enjoy yourself, keep an eye on your belongings and surroundings, and don’t be overly worried!

*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

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