Travel scams may befall anyone, regardless of where you are and how safe you feel while on holiday. There are dodgy folks out there with the sole purpose of making a living off cheating tourists, and you could be a victim if you are not careful.
While it is impossible to know when you will run into a scam, it is important to know what tricks these shady people have up their sleeves. So here’s a look at 21 common travel scams that can make your vacation experience a real headache.
1. The friendship bracelet
A usually charming person will approach you to offer to make a free friendship bracelet, all the while distracting you with random chatter. It doesn’t matter if you say no, they will still try to take your wrist or finger and begin making the bracelet on you, asking for an outrageous payment once done. This scam may also be used as a distraction while an accomplice pickpockets you.
How to avoid this scam: Don’t allow anyone to put anything on your body, and keep a close watch on your belongings. As much as possible, ignore them and keep walking even if they keep badgering you.
2. Flowers for your girlfriend
A man will approach you while you’re with a lady, and offer her a rose. Once she takes it, he will demand an extortionate amount of money for the flower, leaving you with little choice but to man up and fork out the amount.
How to avoid this scam: Remind yourself and your female companion to never, ever take anything from anyone, especially if it is offered to you for “free”.
3. Street games
A man will perform a game such as guessing which cup the ball is in or another similar magic trick on the side of the street, and will have a group of accomplices disguised as tourists watching his tricks and correctly guessing which cup contains the ball. This is to entice curious passersby to watch the show.
Two things may happen here:
- The trickster will get you to stake a wager to guess which cup the ball is in, all while the crowd shouts you to pick a certain cup that DOES NOT contain the ball. And either through crowd pressure or sleight of hand, the scammer will ensure you almost always pick the wrong cup and lose the money you bet.
- While you’re distracted watching the show, his accomplices will go about picking your pockets and bags.
How to avoid this scam: The best thing you can do is to simply avoid these crowds, but if you really want to watch those shows, keep your valuables at the most secure places in your clothes and your daypack in front of you. But it’s definitely better to just avoid these crowds.
4. The dropped wallet
An empty wallet that looks as though it was stolen and dumped would be placed on the ground. Your first instinct when you see this would usually be to check for the safety of your own wallet. An onlooker will then know exactly where to target when he attempts to pick your pocket further down the road.
How to avoid this scam: As much as possible, do not give away the location of your wallet. We know this may be a little difficult as you are acting on instinct, so another tip is to not put all your eggs in one basket: keep your money in different parts of your bag and pockets, so that even if the pickpocket targets the pocket that you checked, you still have other cash tucked away so that you don’t lose everything in one shot.
5. The photographer
When you’re taking photos with a partner, a friendly-looking local will come over and offer to take a photo of the two of you together. The best case scenario here is that he’ll ask for a bit of money for the trouble – he and of course, the worst case is that he’ll run off with your phone or camera.
How to avoid this scam: Do not leave your valuables in the hands of a stranger – if you wouldn’t pass a random man your wallet, you should do the same with your phones and cameras. If you want to take a photo together, you can opt to use a selfie stick instead.
6. Fake WiFi hotspots
WiFi is extremely important for many travellers these days, so this trick is gaining serious traction among scammers. Hackers will set up tempting unsecured wifi hotspots in public locations that unsuspecting victims eagerly connect to – giving the thief access to your computer, passwords, online accounts, and more.
How to avoid this scam: Always ask the hotel/coffee shop/airport staff which wifi connection is the official one, especially when you see an unlocked connection. To encrypt all your online activity, use a virtual private network (VPN).
7. The expensive taxi driver
There are taxi drivers who will try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge about the area and will intentionally take longer routes, side streets, and roads with heavy traffic. Some even have altered meters, where fares increase at a much faster rate than normal.
Another common way that taxi drivers overcharge you: when you get into a taxi and start to drive, the driver will inform you that the meter is broken and charge you a ridiculous price that is marked up several times – by then it’s too late for you to get off and refuse the ride.
How to avoid this scam: One way to avoid paying too much is to negotiate rates ahead of time, or ensure the meter is in fact working before you get in the car. You can also use Google maps to check the shortest route and estimated travel time, then let your taxi driver know that you prefer travelling by this way because it is the fastest – that way, he will know that you are not totally clueless and avoid taking too long a route.
8. The drop and swap
Taxi drivers, waiters, shop keepers etc. will ‘accidentally’ drop your change, and pick up similar looking (but lesser-valued) coins or notes instead
How to avoid this scam: Don’t take it for granted that everyone is honest, and take the time to carefully count the change that you have received.
9. Train pickpockets
Busy trains are one of the most popular settings for pickpockets. They will take advantage of the fact that commuters are standing in close proximity to one other, which makes it very easy for them to go through your pockets and bags.
How to avoid this scam: Never keep all your cash in one place, and always look out for strangers who may be too close for comfort. In addition, you may want to invest in anti-theft bags to keep pickpockets away.
10. Slow counting
A cashier will count through your change painfully slowly and often take pauses, in the hope that you will lose patience and just accept any change that you are given. However, they are actually counting through a much lower sum than you’re owed.
How to avoid this scam: Unless you’re not very particular about not getting the correct amount of change, you should definitely wait it through and then afterwards count again to make sure that you get the correct amount of change.
11. Fake policemen
Official-looking policemen will approach you and regarding fake money that has been circulating in the area, claiming they need to check your wallet. When they return it to you, some money will be missing. They may also ask to see your passport or visa and pretend there is a problem, demanding you pay a fine to solve the issue.
How to avoid this scam: Never hand over your wallet or passport without first requesting that these ‘policemen’ show you their identification. If they refuse to show any official identification, inform them that you will call the police to confirm they are who they say they are.
Another way is to tell them that your passport is locked up in the hotel safe, and they’ll need to accompany you to your hotel. If they don’t allow it (for fear of getting called out by the hotel staff because they are fake), neither should you go along with their request.
12. Fake tickets
While you’re queuing for the ticket office, an official-looking (but fake) staff member will offer you higher priced tickets to bypass the queue. This can be tempting, but the tickets do not work.
How to avoid this scam: To play safe, never buy from anywhere other than the official ticketing counter.
13. The overly helpful local
A nice man, often one who speaks your language, will offer to help you at the ATM or ticket machine. While they may appear helpful, they are actually scanning your ATM card with the card skimmer in their pocket and memorising your PIN for when they pickpocket you later.
How to avoid this scam: Never let anyone near you while you’re making an ATM transaction, and ALWAYS cover the number pad with your other hand while entering your pin code. If someone approaches, take your card and find another ATM.
14. The map seller
This scam is less common these days due to the fact that most people no longer use paper maps, but you should still be wary if you see someone approaching you to sell you a map. The seller will unfold it in your face to show it to you, but this just acts as a distraction while someone picks your pocket.
How to avoid this scam: We’re not saying all map sellers are bad, but if you see someone holding a map, it’s best to quickly walk away and refuse to look at any map he or she is unfolding.
15. The beggar
A beggar, usually an old or pregnant woman, will try to gain your sympathy and get you to hand over some loose change. This may seem pretty innocent, but there is often an accomplice watching to see where you keep your wallet and then pick your pockets afterwards
How to avoid this scam: Keep only spare change in a pocket that does not contain your wallet – that way, even if the pickpocket tries to steal anything from that pocket, he or she will only manage to steal a few coins.
16. Pickpocket warning
Pickpockets will pretend to be helpful locals, and warn you that they’ve just seen someone get their wallet or phone stolen. They will then see where you check your phone and wallet, and they (or their accomplice) will attempt to pickpocket you later on. They may also put pickpocket warning signs around the area for the same reason.
How to avoid this scam: You can simply acknowledge them and then quickly walk away. Chances are, if they are kind enough to remind you that they witnessed someone being pickpocketed, they should have acted on it and made a police report together with the victims, instead of simply hanging around to advise other tourists.
17. The broken camera
Someone will ask you to take a photo of them and their group of friends. The camera won’t work, and when you hand it back to them, they will drop it and cause it to break. The entire group will then demand money for repairs, and may even pickpocket you during the commotion.
How to avoid this scam: You could avoid this scam by declining to take photos of anyone who asks, but if you still want to be kind and help a fellow tourist, make sure to wrap the camera strap over your wrist when you are handling the camera – that way, you will be able to catch the camera just in case.
18. Gypsy children
A large group of gypsy children will surround you and hassle you on the street until you hand over cash or other valuables. They may also try to sell newspapers, and open them up to distract you while picking your pockets.
How to avoid this scam: We know it’s difficult to reject and push away children – in any case, always make sure that you have your belongings close to you, and quickly walk (or run) away from the group. If they continue to pester you, you can threaten to call the police.
19. The closed hotel
Your taxi driver (who is in on the scam) will convince you that your hotel is closed for refurbishment, but knows of another place where you can stay. This new hotel will be ridiculously overpriced, and in an awful location.
There have also been cases of these hotels copying the names of popular hotels in a bid to trick tourists into thinking they have actually arrived at the correct place, and that the photos they have seen online are wrong.
How to avoid this scam: You can call the hotel front desk to check for yourself – if it’s open and the driver still insists that it is closed, our advice is to get off the taxi and avoid getting scammed any further. In addition, always make sure that you know the address of your hotel and that you have photos of the building from the official website.
Alternatively, you can also get the hotel staff to call and arrange for a taxi to pick you up – you can’t go wrong with that, and you get the added assurance that the hotel will look out for you.
20. Fake front desk call
An identity thief will call your hotel room pretending to be from the front desk, stating that there is an issue and will ask for you to confirm your credit card details. These calls usually happen in the middle of the night as you are much less likely to go down to the front desk to sort it out.
How to avoid this scam: Never share your credit card details over the phone. Professional hotel staff will ask you to come down to the front desk to settle any payment issues personally, and definitely not ask for confidential information such as the CVV number.
Remember, being prepared and knowing what travel scams to look out for is half the battle won. While it may not guarantee that you will not fall for them, your readiness should help mark you as a more difficult target for these travel scams.
21. Spills on your clothes
You are minding your own business, when someone walks into you and spills something on your clothes by accident. He or she offers to clean it up, dabbing the stain, and apologising profusely. While you are all flustered, they are picking your pocket. By the time you realise what has happened, they are long gone.
How to avoid this scam: Beware of people encroaching on you if it’s not a crowded area already. If someone spills something on you by accident, clean it up yourself and prevent anyone from coming too close.