A world traveller who has visited more than 40 countries has warned people to always be cautious if they find a food flyer under their hotel door. Mitch Glass, who’s travelled through Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, is the face behind Project Untethered, a travel-themed YouTube channel with more than 180,000 subscribers.
Drawing on his experience, he regularly shares videos that aim to help travellers avoid falling prey to opportunistic criminals. In a recent post, titled ‘How Hotel Thieves Pick Their Victims (Avoid These Mistakes!)’, Mitch outlined some of the dangers people could face in their accommodation.
The vlogger highlighted that one con sees victims “volunteer to get robbed” without realising it. Describing the situation, Mitch painted a picture in which an exhausted traveller arrives at their hotel at night while they are starving.
Fortunately for them, however, there’s a leaflet for a pizza delivery company beneath their door offering “big, juicy discounts”. The video then cuts to a segment on ABC News explaining how the scam operates.
A hungry victim then calls the number on the flyer and provides their credit card details to order a pizza. Yet, they’re left disappointed when nothing turns up, as it’s not a restaurant.
Mitch said: “The scam comes in different forms. Sometimes, you might actually get some soggy frozen pizza prepared by some random dude in his apartment, and that would probably be the best-case scenario.
“But the worst-case scenario is that you go to bed hungry, and you wake up with suspicious charges on your card. To avoid this, always order from reputable food delivery apps, or, better yet, never travel without packing emergency snacks.”
This isn’t the first occasion the YouTuber has issued a dire warning regarding hotels. Back in May, reports surfaced that Mitch had cautioned people about the perils of using hotel safes.
He alleged that these safes aren’t as secure as guests believe and represent a prime target for criminals. He even declared they’re the “first place where a thief is going to look”.
Mitch observed: “Take hotel safes, for example. Most travellers think that hotel safes are the most secure places to store their valuables in hotels, but that’s literally the first place where a thief is going to look.”
He pointed out that the safes frequently have default universal codes (possibly 000 or 1234) that aren’t necessarily changed by staff, and even when they’ve been altered, you don’t know who else possesses the code.
Furthermore, Mitch asserted that some safes can simply be opened with a “good bop on the top.” This explains why he tends to conceal his valuables in more unconventional spots.
Some of the hiding places he prefers include inside a pillowcase, microwave or cooker, within a pile of fresh towels, on top of a wardrobe, or tucked beneath the ironing board cover.