TSA Experts Issue Warning About Phones at Security Checkpoints

There's a growing warning for travelers passing through airport security: your phone might not make it to the other side.

A travel expert who goes by Tiffany on TikTok shared a surprising and all-too-common mistake she says could make you a target for theft—placing your phone directly into the TSA bin. It might seem harmless in the moment, but according to her, it's a fast track to losing your most essential piece of tech.

"The thing I'm absolutely never doing when I'm going through TSA—I am not putting my phone directly into one of the containers," she said in a recent video that's racked up thousands of views. "It's always going in a zipped pocket in my bag."

Tiffany says the warning didn’t come from a fellow traveler. It came from a TSA agent.

 "He looked at me and said, 'This is the fastest way to get it stolen,'" she recalled. 

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And he wasn't kidding. Phones are reportedly one of the most stolen items at security checkpoints the New York Post reported. With lines backing up and travelers rushing to reassemble their belongings, it doesn't take much for a thief to snag a phone left unprotected in a bin.

In one case, an Air France flight was forced to return to the gate after a passenger's phone was stolen. It's an inconvenience no one wants, especially when it could be avoided with one simple change.

The TSA says it recovers about 100,000 lost items a year, including electronics. However, it warns that any unclaimed devices will be wiped or destroyed after 30 days to protect sensitive data. 

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Their advice? Label your devices and keep them secured inside your bag during screening.

For Tiffany and other seasoned travelers, the message is simple: zip it up or risk losing it. 

"Always make sure your valuables are zipped up inside your bag when they go through the scanners," she urged.

Because when it comes to your phone, the safest place at security isn't the bin—it's in your bag.

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