Travel Scams
Wherever you are in the world, when a destination becomes popular for tourists, there will be travel scams. These scams range from simple theft, trickery and can even result in much more serious events that can ruin your holiday. After being exposed to almost all of these scams in my eleven years of globetrotting I have created this Travel Scam Guide to help you become a Travel Scam expert without having to actually be scammed! Follow me as I discuss the top Travel Scams I have encountered!
The Rigged Taxi Metre
Hopping in a taxi in Saigon, Vietnam I was in a rush to get back to the hotel. Traveling only three blocks I look at the taxi metre and realise that it was already at 30 USD! When I asked the taxi driver about it he explained that I would have to pay it as that is the standard fare. I refused and the taxi driver got very violent!
Avoiding the Rigged Taxi Metre Travel Scam
Well I never ended up paying the driver and it resulting in a scary experience as he threatened to fight me.
There are many ways to avoid this pesky travel scam. The best is knowing how much a taxi should cost by asking a local, and keeping a close eye on the metre. Even doing that if you get stuck with a rigged taxi metre the best way to diffuse the angry taxi driver is to threaten to call the police. Even if you do not have a phone, just say your calling them now! This worked for me and the cab driver eventually let me go.
Broken Taxi Metre
Tired and grumpy I exited the New Delhi trains station from a twenty-hour train ride. Taking advantage of an exhausted traveler is what the looming taxi drivers want. When I approach the taxi he says the metre is broken and I will have to pay a very high price to go somewhere very close. He ensures me this is the “local” price.
Avoiding the Broken Taxi Metre Travel Scam
No matter how tired you are don’t give in! if you do, this travel scam will continue to be rampant. After asking the cab driver to please just turn the metre on he refused. Lucky that this being India, and like any busy transport hub in the world, there were hundreds of taxis. If you want the metre just simply say “ok I will get a taxi with the metre”, This is usually enough to convince him too put his metre on. If he still doesn’t turn it on simply go and find another taxi.
Be weary if you do get in the taxi that he does turn it on, more times than often he will forget to turn it on!
Closed Hotels
Arriving by bus into Siem Reap, Cambodia I am attacked by hundreds of unsuspecting hotel touts. Getting off the bus all of them tell me the hotel I want is fully booked. Ignoring them and getting into a taxi to my hotel he stops half way through the journey and tells me “sorry sir, the hotel you booked closed months ago”.
Avoiding the Closed Hotels Travel Scams
Feeling trapped and in the hands of this closed hotel scam I simply say “well I have a booking?”. Yes, the best way around this scam is to just say you have booked ahead of time. Even if you haven’t, just say that you do. This will also fend of the “my brother has a very nice hotel” follow up response from the taxi.
Closed Attractions Scams
While walking to Bangkok’s famous Wat Pho Temple a friendly local approaches me to ask if I need directions. Simply asking where wat Pho was lead to the response of “Oh sorry, Wat Pho is closed, the monks are praying”. While this might seem logically to the unjaded traveler, in reality the “local” is a scamming taxi driver.
Avoiding the Closed Attractions Travel Scams
“Well I guess Ill take my chances” I respond to the smiling scammer. Even with saying this he followed me all the way to the door of Wat Pho. You see, do not believe these kinds of stories. Massive tourist sights are rarely closed and you should always investigate to see if they actually are closed. Don’t be rude, just be stern!
Free Bracelets or Religious Items!
Entering the Ghats in Pushkar, India, a priest approaches me. “you must be blessed and receive a Hindu bracelet when entering here”. While this seems like a legit offering its not. This is not the custom, and this is not even a real priest.
Avoiding the Free Items Travel Scams
Do not accept anything for free! Always except that anything in the third world will cost you. This sounds harsh, but it is reality. Travel scammers are smart and know that being insensitive to culture is something us westerners are very worried of. They use this to their advantage and you are left with a big bill or a bad feeling. Just refuse any Free Offerings.
Motorbike Scams
Fresh off the trail from my motorbike journey through Laos central region, my scooter rental company looks at me with a stern look. They circle the bike with a notepad in hand shaking their head as they write down a bunch of random notes. They explain there is a lot of damage and I will have to pay a massive fine to fix the bike.
Avoiding Motor Bike Travel Scams
I was in no accidents and the bike only had the previous damage on it. This is the scam however. The bike owner will try to tell you that YOU did the previous damage and will give you a highly inflated price to fix it and then will not actually fix the bike. Best way to avoid this one? Before agreeing to take the bike tell the owner you are going to take photos and show him that you have photos of all the previous damage. This is usually enough to stop him from scamming.
Fake Police Scams
“Please sir buy me a bag of rice” a friendly beggar asks me on the streets of Nairobi Kenya. I tell him I don’t have the money and I proceed to go to the mall. When entering the mall, the police approach me and tell me I have just aided an illegal immigrant and I am under arrest.
Avoiding Fake Police Travel Scam
First ask for the police badge, more than often they will provide you with an obvious fake, or refuse to give it to you. Next ask to talk to their “chief” at the station. Since there probably is no station they will begin to panic. By now you should know if these are real police. Do not pay a bribe and just simply walk away. A real police officer will surely arrest you anyways right? Well these ones won’t.
Fake Transportation Scams
Trying to get from Delhi to Agra in India should be simple right? Well not according to the scammers who just approached me at the Delhi train station. You must buy your ticket from the Official Tourist office they tell me.
Avoiding Fake Transportation Travel Scams
Guess what, there is actually an official tourist office. The location however is not where any friendly local is going to take you. In fact, they will take you to an office that will charge you ten times what the actual price is. Instead just say no to these friendly people, and look in your guide book where the official office is. If there is no office, then look online where the cheapest ticket can be found.
The Overly Friendly Beautiful Women
Sitting in a retro pub in Cartagena, Colombia I order my second beer. Just then a stunningly beautiful Colombian goddess sits down beside me. With her perfect smile she asks for me to buy her a drink. In Canadian culture this is a common way to flirt so my response should be and resounding yes!
Avoiding the Colombian Goddess (Friendly Women) Travel Scams
Well unfortunately my ego must take a hit here. This gorgeous woman is not here for my dashing good looks, instead she is here to either to try and get me to a hotel where she can sedate me to rob me or more commonly she works with the bar and wracks up an insane bill that I will be forced to pay. Sorry, not this time you beautiful thang!
Money Magic
I’m in a rush in Egypt. As I exit my cab I hand him 100 Egyptian Pounds. He looks at me puzzled and say “sir this is only 20 Pounds?”, baffled I try to remember if I handed him the right amount!
Avoiding the Money Magic Travel Scams
This time I refused and the driver got angry, but I learned my lesson from this. Now anytime I take a cab I count my money. If I know the fare ahead of time I take out the money beforehand, otherwise as the metre goes up I take smaller notes out. I also count the taxi fare out in front of him so he sees it, this stops this travel scam.
Gemstone, Perfume, Carpet Dealers
Last but not least is the gemstone, perfume and carpet dealer scams. Gemstones being India and Thailand, Perfume being Egypt and Carpets being Turkey. When companies need to do shady business they hire touts, very Sauvé well mannered people to do their biddings.
Avoiding the Gemstone, Perfume and Carpet Dealer Travel Scams
This one is simple, if someone says they know a great place or you need to stop there on your tour just say no. Shops selling good quality products don’t need to hire touts to bring you to them. If you want these products, look in your guidebook or online for reviews. In the end there are many cases of fake gems, low quality perfume and “old carpets” just being dirty new ones.
Also avoid any and every Tresor Rare store around! They too are huge scammers! If they’re products are as good quality as they claim they would stand behind them with some policy of refund or warranty for protection of the customer and not have to pull people off the street to come into the stores!
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Uauu thank you so much. This info is so helpfull!
This is awesome Stephen! An excellent round-up and I loved the way you explained everything. I also had the “fake art exhibition” in Beijing where “students” ask you to come see their school’s art exhibition. Next thing you know you’re taken through a rat maze of buildings, alleyways and lifts only to find yourself in a tiny little room crammed with paintings and a whole bunch of other worried-looking tourists.
Then the hard sell begins and they unofficially threaten to not let you leave until you buy something. Incredibly overpriced, of course.
Amusingly, I ended up picking one I liked, asked the “artist” to sign it for me specifically on the back and when the signatures didn’t match I told them I’d pay $5 for it and was very unimpressed with the scam (I speak some Mandarin but they also spoke English, plus I love to bargain). They sort of ashamedly agreed and I now love that little black and white painting of Beijing for all it represents.
Great article! I have been to 21 countries so I know you must have even more scams to write about having been to over 70 .
My 1st time in Asia was the Philippines and a taxi driver was supposed to take me to an internet cafe. He then says he will take me to his brother’s for free to pick up tickets to a pool party at a hotel ,which I have read online are popular there. He takes me several blocks and there are 5 guys with knives waiting for me and take $450 from me and leave me with $10. This was back in 2002.
Excellent article, Stephen. One of the most comprehensive pieces I’ve ever seen about travel scams. I’m going to post your link on my social media! Nicely done, sir!
Regards, Roy Stevenson
Thank you so much!
These are some very helpful tips for tourists, thank you so much for sharing! https://qompanion.my/articles/travel-scams-every-malaysian-could-fall-for-while-travelling-in-asia i also found this article when i was looking for information on what to look out for when travelling, hopefully others will find it helpful too! Cheers!
Great video, thanks for the tips! Indeed, as the hub of the Inca empire, Peru is a spectacular place to visit, with it being home to the majestic Machu Picchu, stunning Inca architecture, dazzling cloud forests, snow-capped peaks of the Andes and the mighty Amazon River.
However, there are tourist-targeting scammers and petty crime to be wary of. https://travelscams.org/south-america/common-tourist-scams-peru/
Do be wary of pickpocketing, drink spiking, public transport theft, taxi with two occupants, snatch theft and robberies, currency switcheroo / sleight of hand, and many more!