• Always be aware that you may be potential target when travelling in countries known for kidnapping. If you’re a businessman arriving at an airport, for instance, don’t have a driver waiting with a sign with your name and company on it: it would single you out too much.

 • If you’re an executive of a multinational, you might think you’re top of a kidnapper’s list but you’re probably too well-protected with bullet-proof glass and bodyguards to be an easy target. Also, the risk of foreign government pressure over the abduction of a high-profile target means that lower grade employees are more often targeted. Employees like engineers or, in the case of Roy Hallums, simple contractors, may not generate the highest possible ransom but they are a much less risky proposition.

 • Not everyone can afford executive protection so vary your routines. Don’t arrive on the same day of the week, stay in the same hotel, and take the same route to work. Limit the number of people with access to your itinerary. That way, if anyone is targeting you, they won’t know exactly when and where to find you.

 • In very poor countries with a history of kidnapping, even ordinary tourists can be potential targets.

 • Only take reputable public transport and avoid travelling alone. Some kidnap gangs work in concert with cab drivers.

 • Stay away from suspect places. Equally, avoid high-profile events that may give the impression you can afford the high life and are therefore worth kidnapping.

 • Don’t wear jewellery, carry a laptop with a company logo on it or wear designer clothes.

 • Be prepared. As with accidents and theft, you can take out insurance against being kidnapped. Policies make sure the ransom is paid and the insurers work in tandem with investigators to secure your release.