During a short-term mission trip to West Africa, Participant Group C included details of their insurance plan on a ministry website, intending to reassure families that travelers were covered for medical and security emergencies.
Within days of arrival, the group’s local contact received inquiries from individuals asking whether the “Kidnap & Ransom coverage” mentioned online included ransom payments. That same week, a suspicious vehicle followed the group’s van leaving the airport. Local authorities advised immediate relocation, and the trip was ultimately canceled without incident.
Although no kidnapping occurred, investigators concluded that public mention of K&R coverage likely drew unwanted attention. The event illustrated a core truth of risk management: advertising a ransom policy can create the very danger it is meant to insure against.
*HopeWorks Travel Global is the anonymized name for an actual MissionSafe Client. All organization and individual names have been changed for the privacy of those involved.
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