If it happens, hopefully you can have money wired via Western Union or something like that to hold you over until you get some funds. Losing your money or cards is a very rare situation, I only know one guy who did that and he was dumb enough to leave his wallet and passport on a public beach in a third world shit hole while he went swimming (you know who you are, haha). The key here is prevention, I've been using the same Samsonite money belt while traveling since 1999 and knock on wood, I haven't ever lost cards or cash, except that time in Medellin when those two whores drugged me and stole 300,000 pesos but that's a story for another time. This is advice for third world shit holes, here are some tips that I can share:
-Take a few different cards with you, I have two credit cards and two debit cards. Only take one of these cards out of your hotel/apartment at anytime, at night its better to leave them at home. Down here if you get robbed in a taxi, they'll take you to multiple ATMs to drain your account, oh you have a thousand dollar daily limit? They'll tie you up in a shitty room and drain your account over several days, its called a "paseo millionairio", here's a video of an attempted one in Bogota where a fucking DEA agent got killed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90vvdBKEyA4
-Go to cash machines in the day, preferably not ones directly on the street, better off going to a mall, then go directly back to your hotel and put the cash away (safe if there is one).
-Only carry enough cash that you're willing to lose, normally for me this about $150 USD, in places like Colombia that's enough for an entire day and a night of fun.
-Of course, don't flash your cash around, don't bring negative attention to yourself and don't bring back low class skanks to your hotel (I know, that can be difficult but love motels are cheap, so go there).
-Don't get totally wasted and sloppy, if you do, make sure that you're with friends.
-Put your wallet in your front pocket while in congested, shitty areas or on public transit.
-Don't trust bullshit scammers, there's a scam in Colombia where a well dressed guy will approach obvious foreigners with some fake police card saying they're doing ID checks, then they scam you by either taking your wallet, or trying to do onsite fines for not having your passport. If something like this seems fishy, tell them to fuck off or threaten to call the real police or even better, your embassy.
-Take a few different cards with you, I have two credit cards and two debit cards. Only take one of these cards out of your hotel/apartment at anytime, at night its better to leave them at home. Down here if you get robbed in a taxi, they'll take you to multiple ATMs to drain your account, oh you have a thousand dollar daily limit? They'll tie you up in a shitty room and drain your account over several days, its called a "paseo millionairio", here's a video of an attempted one in Bogota where a fucking DEA agent got killed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90vvdBKEyA4
-Go to cash machines in the day, preferably not ones directly on the street, better off going to a mall, then go directly back to your hotel and put the cash away (safe if there is one).
-Only carry enough cash that you're willing to lose, normally for me this about $150 USD, in places like Colombia that's enough for an entire day and a night of fun.
-Of course, don't flash your cash around, don't bring negative attention to yourself and don't bring back low class skanks to your hotel (I know, that can be difficult but love motels are cheap, so go there).
-Don't get totally wasted and sloppy, if you do, make sure that you're with friends.
-Put your wallet in your front pocket while in congested, shitty areas or on public transit.
-Don't trust bullshit scammers, there's a scam in Colombia where a well dressed guy will approach obvious foreigners with some fake police card saying they're doing ID checks, then they scam you by either taking your wallet, or trying to do onsite fines for not having your passport. If something like this seems fishy, tell them to fuck off or threaten to call the real police or even better, your embassy.