Supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage, including a provision for medical evacuation, may prove useful. The beaches as well as the ocean in the immediate vicinity of Casablanca are polluted and considered unsafe for swimming, although other coastal areas are safe. Criminals have targeted tourists for assaults, muggings, thefts, pickpocketing, and scams of all types. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate have also received reports of thefts occurring in the vicinity of ATM machines. Some travelers have been befriended by persons of various nationalities who have offered them food, drink, or cigarettes which are drugged.
Prudent travelers hire only official tour guides through hotels and travel agencies.
Traveling alone in the Rif Mountain area is risky, as tourists have fallen victim to schemes involving the purchase of hashish. Unescorted women in any area of Morocco may experience verbal abuse. Thieves sometimes bump cars from behind and rob their victims when they get out of the car to inspect the damage. The loss or theft of a U.S. passport abroad should be reported immediately to local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Driving practices are poor and have resulted in serious injuries and fatalities.