PASSPORT thieves are targeting record numbers of British holidaymakers – as the value of a British passport is set to rocket in the wake of Brexit.
New research shows British passports currently sell for a whopping £2,800 on the dark web – 6 per cent more than before the referendum – and there are fears this could soar to £3,300 as Britain leaves the EU.
The study, by esure travel insurance, shows almost 350,000 passports were lost or stolen in 2015 – a staggering 23 per cent increase from 2014.
Meanwhile, as of August this year, the figure already stands at over 270,000 – with criminals using the passports to cross borders, commit identity theft and facilitate organised crime.
Dealing in British passports is already worth over £46 million – and a hard Brexit could see the documents rise in value by 20 per cent.
But the report warns that even the introduction of just some immigration restrictions could lead to a 5 to 10 per cent rise in British passports' value – which are usually purchased using the crypto-currency Bitcoin.
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High youth unemployment in countries such as Greece and Spain has been blamed for an upsurge in petty crime targeting British holidaymakers – with 30 per cent of passport thefts and losses occurring in Spain in 2015.
The most common hotspots for passport theft included bars and restaurants (14%), the beach (14%), busy streets (14%) and hotel rooms (13%).
How to keep your passport safe abroad
· If you’re staying in a hotel, make sure you keep your passport in a safe.
· If you need to carry your passport around, make sure it isn’t visible or obviously placed.
· You should also leave copies of you passport behind, both with friends or family at home.
· If your passport does go missing, contact your embassy immediately. This will speed up the process of getting a new one and may help prevent fraudulent behaviour with your missing one.
· Keep a note of your passport number.
However, it doesn't just happen overseas – as one in five (19%) of people reported a passport being stolen from their own home.
Nikki Sellers, Head of Travel at esure said: “The British passport is one of the most highly sought-after travel documents on the black market and with Brexit set to make the UK harder to reach, this is likely to increase. It is important to always be extra vigilant when abroad and to make sure you have a copy or photograph of your passport somewhere safe.’’
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