WATCH: Thieves use these techniques to target tourists' valuables

More than 21,000 British passports were lost or stolen last year, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

To educate Brits on the techniques used by thieves abroad, FCO has put together a campaign called Passport Hustle, including a series of short films with fraud and stealth crime expert James Freedman.

If a passport is lost or stolen, a trouble-free trip can become troublesome. For example, tourists often have to report the loss to police and visit the local Consulate or Embassy to be issued with an emergency travel document. These steps can take a lot of time and sometimes cost a lot of money.

Consulates around the world issued more than 30,000 emergency travel documents last year, according to the FCO.

Watch these four techniques thieves use to steal passports – as well as tips to avoid becoming a victim.

There are many other methods used by thieves to target tourists’ passports and valuables, in addition to pickpockets, so be vigilant.

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