While out traveling, there are a number of sneaky ways that scammers will try to part you with your hard-earned money. If you’re not aware of the various travel scams that exist, it’s easy to get taken advantage of. In this guide, I’ll outline 27 of the most common travel scams and explain how to avoid them so you don’t fall victim. So whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, read on to learn how to protect yourself from scammers!
Over the past 12 years, I’ve traveled to around 70 countries. In that time, I’ve experienced my fair share of scams. On a few occasions, I have fallen victim. It happens to the best of us. In this guide, I’ll share some stories of my experience getting scammed. Hopefully, this information prevents someone out there from getting ripped off.
Table of Contents
- Taxi Scams
- Fake Ticket
- Closed Hotel
- Free Gift Scam
- Bait and Switch
- Fake Police Officer Scam
- Flirty Woman Scam
- The Friendly Local Scam
- Fixing Something Broken Scam
- ATM Scams
- The Rental Scooter Scam
- Drug Deal Scam
- The Photo Scam
- Wrong Change
- General Overcharging
- Price Changing
- Tour Guide Scam
- Begging
- Charity Scam
1. Taxi Scams
One of the most common places to get scammed while traveling is in a taxi. For whatever reason, taxi drivers are notorious scam artists. A few common taxi scams to be aware of include:
- Broken meter: After you get in the cab, the driver tells you that the meter is broken. He assures you that he will give you a good rate. After driving you to your destination, the driver demands a ridiculous amount of money for the ride. The amount could range from 2-10 times the actual going rate. Some particularly scammy drivers could demand hundreds of dollars.
- The meter runs faster than it should: Drivers can tamper with the meter to make it run faster than it is supposed to. The ride ends up costing more than the rate advertised on the side of the cab.
- The driver increases the price after the ride: After arriving at your destination, the driver informs you that the ride cost more than the fare you agreed to. They will make up an excuse. They may say it was further than they thought or traffic was bad so it took longer than they expected.
- The driver takes the scenic route: In this case, the driver uses the meter and takes a longer route to your destination to increase the fare. They assume that you don’t know the direct route because you’re a tourist.
- The driver quotes an outrageous price from the beginning: They just assume that all foreigners are ignorant of the actual price and will overpay. The driver hopes you accept the overpriced ride.
These scams can also take place in tuk-tuks and rickshaws as well.
How to Avoid it
- Use Uber or another rideshare service- Because the price is set by the app, you won’t have to haggle over the price of a ride or worry about being overcharged.
- Only ride in metered taxis- Insist that the driver use the meter if there is one. It is rare that the meter has been tampered with. The metered fare is always cheaper than negotiating with the driver. In some cities, it can take some time to find a driver who is willing to use the meter. For example, in Bangkok, I asked 5 drivers before I found one who would use the meter. Keep asking until you find one that agrees.
- Don’t accept a ride until you have agreed upon a price- If there is no meter or if the driver refuses to use it, always negotiate the fare before you accept a ride. Don’t even get in the cab until you agree on a price. If you can’t come to an agreement, walk away and find another cab.
- Ask a local how much a ride should cost- Before leaving your hotel or hostel, ask reception how much you should pay for a taxi ride to your destination.
- Shop around- If a driver gives you a quote that sounds high, ask a few drivers. Maybe one actually wants the fare and will give you the going rate. This works well in taxi parks where a bunch of drivers are just hanging around. Tell them how much you’re willing to pay. Maybe one will accept.
- Try to ride in registered taxis only- Some cities have both city-run and private taxis. You are much less likely to be ripped off in a city-owned and operated taxi.
- Don’t ride in unmarked taxis- Sometimes people will wait outside the bus or train stations and offer rides in their cars to earn some extra cash. Using these taxis is dangerous. you could get robbed or kidnapped, in a worst-case scenario.
- Use GPS- Pull out your phone, open Google Maps, and make sure the driver is taking the shortest possible route if the meter is running. Even if you don’t have a data connection, you can still do this with an offline maps app like Maps.me.
- Take another form of transportation- If you have the option, consider taking public transportation Public buses and trains always cost less than taxis. Alternatively, you could just walk if your destination is nearby.
2. The Fake Ticket Scam
In this scam, someone sells you a ticket that turns out to be fake. This could be a ticket for a bus, train, ferry, or entry to a tourist attraction.
This scam can get pretty elaborate. The scammer could write tickets out of a genuine ticket book that they stole or bought. They could even be wearing a company uniform. By the time you find out that you bought a counterfeit ticket, it’s too late. The scammer is long gone.
The scammer may try to convince you to buy from them by offering you a better price. They may tell you that the tickets at another company are sold out.
How to Avoid it
- Buy your ticket at an official ticket booth- Don’t buy your ticket from a person on the street. Bus companies almost always have a ticketing office with timetables and prices listed.
- Don’t purchase tickets in advance- If possible, buy your ticket when you are at the station ready to go. This isn’t possible on busy routes. Sometimes you have to buy your ticket in advance.
- Wait until you actually see the bus- If you’re unsure, wait for the bus to arrive before paying. On one occasion, I bought a bus ticket and watched 10 other buses depart for the same destination before my bus arrived.
- Make sure that there is space available and that the bus has some passengers already- This is important when traveling by shared taxi or minibus. Shared taxis leave when they are full, not on a schedule. If they don’t fill up, they could possibly wait hours to leave. Some drivers try to sell you a seat even if the bus is already full. They just assume that they can always pack one more person in.
My Experience With This Scam
After traveling through the Omo Valley of Ethiopia, I was trying to catch a bus to the Kenyan border. There wasn’t a proper bus station in the town I was in. The bus just departed from the main road in the morning.
While I was looking for a place to buy a ticket, a guy approached me. He claimed to sell bus tickets. He carried a ticket book that had the name of a bus company and a picture of a bus printed on the cover so it all looked legitimate. We were standing right next to the bus as well. I bought a ticket for the following morning.
Upon my arrival the following morning, I handed my ticket to the bus attendant. He informed me that my ticket was not valid because it didn’t have a bus number written on it. The guy asked me where I got it and how much I paid. After telling him the story, he informed me that it was all a scam.
He told me that there were multiple buses each morning and that I didn’t need to buy a ticket in advance. He also told me the real price. I asked a couple of people who were also boarding the bus and they confirmed that this was all true. In the end, I just bought another ticket from the bus attendant for about a quarter of the price of the fake. I learned my lesson. This scam cost me about $10.
3. The Hotel, Restaurant, or Attraction is “Closed”
This scam starts with someone telling you that your hotel or hostel is closed, fully booked, or out of business. They may give excuses like claiming it is fully booked due to a religious holiday or local festival. Usually, it is a taxi or tuk-tuk driver giving you this information. It could also be someone on the street. This can also happen when you’re trying to go to a restaurant, store, or a tourist attraction.
The scammer will offer to take you to an alternative destination. For example, if you’re trying to go to your hotel to check in, the scammer may offer to take you to a ‘better’ hotel that has a vacancy.
The scammer makes money by taking you to a business where they have a deal with the owner. They collect a commission for every customer they bring in. Usually, the place they bring you is overpriced or low quality. No respectable business would operate this way.
This scam is easy to avoid. Simply insist on going to your chosen destination anyway. If they keep bugging you, either find another driver or continue insisting. Eventually, they’ll take you where you want to go.
I experienced this scam in Delhi, India. When I first arrived, I didn’t have a hotel booked. I flagged down a rickshaw driver and asked him to take me to a hotel that I had written down before my flight.
He informed me that all of the hotels in the neighborhood were fully booked because of a festival. He offered to drop me off at a tourist information center instead. I was an inexperienced traveler at the time so I agreed.
When we arrived, the place looked legit so I went in and asked for a budget hotel recommendation. Tourist information gave me the same story. The guy told me that the only rooms available in the whole city were in the $200 per night range.
At this point, I was getting suspicious and he could tell. He insisted that I use his computer to look for a cheap hotel online. Once I found one on Hostelworld, he gave them a call. The guy on the other end said that they were fully booked due to a festival.
At this point, I realized that I was being conned and I walked. I was shocked that the rickshaw driver, tourist information, hotel were all working together to scam a tourist. The whole thing was all a scam. It’s actually quite impressive.
In the end, I found another rickshaw driver who took me to Pajargang, where I originally wanted to go. I found a nice budget hotel for $15 per night.
4. The Free Friendship Bracelet Scam
This scam begins with someone giving you, what you believe to be, a free gift. It could be almost anything. Most commonly, the scammer will tie a friendship bracelet around your wrist. They could hand you a good luck sprig of rosemary. Alternatively, they could hand you a magazine, card, or a small trinket.
After the object is in your possession, the scammer tells you that you have to pay for it. Sometimes they will ask for a donation. If you refuse to pay or try to give the gift back, the scammer will start yelling at you and causing a big scene.
Sometimes the scammer makes it difficult for you to give the item back. For example, if they successfully tie a friendship bracelet around your wrist, removing it may be impossible without destroying it. In this case, you may be forced to pay.
Sometimes this scam is used as a distraction for a pickpocket. In this case, the scammer has an accomplice working with them. While you’re distracted dealing with the vendor, a pickpocket swipes your phone, wallet, watch, or anything they can easily access.
This scam is common in Europe but is used all over the world. Usually, you will encounter this scam in crowded, touristy areas.
How to Avoid it
- Don’t accept anything anyone tries to give you- Don’t allow anyone to place anything on your body. Don’t accept anything anyone tries to hand you. If someone tries to push something into your hand, simply don’t grasp it.
- Tell the scammer that you don’t want it and hand it back- If you’re firm, they will usually just move along.
- Keep your hands in your pockets- This way, they can’t hand you anything and can’t pickpocket you.
- Walk away- If the scammer continues harassing you, just walk away. Chances are, they won’t follow you too far.
5. The Found Ring Scam
This one’s a classic. In this scam, an innocent-looking person picks a ring up off the ground in front of you and asks if you dropped it. After you say it’s not yours, the scammer shows you the ring and excitedly tells you that it’s made of gold.
At this point, the scammer offers to sell you the ‘gold’ ring for a great price. They tell you that they’ll make some money now and you can resell the ‘valuable’ ring for a profit once you return home. It’s a win-win for both of you. The problem is that the ring isn’t gold. It’s fake and has no value.
This scam is easy to avoid. Just don’t buy anything valuable if you don’t know what you’re looking at. Particularly from someone on the street. Remember, if it’s too good to be true, it is.
This is an old con. You’ve probably seen this one in movies. You’re most likely to encounter this in Europe. This scam could also be done with other types of jewelry or anything of value really.
6. Bait and Switch
Shady businesses all over the world use this strategy. When you are shopping around, first they will bait you with a high-quality item. When you decide to purchase the item, they will switch it out with a lower-quality version of the same item. You pay for a high-quality product but receive a cheaper product in return.
Oftentimes, businesses draw you in by claiming that you can import their product to your home country and then resell it for a major profit. A few products to be wary of include:
- Carpets- Bait and switch happens all the time in carpet shops in North Africa and the Middle East. The showroom models are handmade with high thread counts. Once you purchase a carpet, the seller switches it out while wrapping it up and sends you home with a low-quality factory-made model.
- Precious gems- A pushy vendor shows you a beautifully cut diamond or ruby and offers an excellent price. Before the sale, they switch it out for a counterfeit or low-quality stone. This is common in Southeast Asia.
- Jewelry- Someone may approach you on the street claiming to sell Rolex watches or diamond rings for next to nothing. They may show you a real one and then sell you a counterfeit.
How to Avoid it
- Don’t buy expensive souvenirs- Stay away from buying expensive carpets, gems, jewelry, artwork, or luxury items unless you know what you’re doing. Stick with small, cheap souvenirs instead.
- Once you decide to purchase an item, don’t let it leave your possession- Don’t allow the salesperson to take it away and wrap it or bag it for you. This way they can’t sneakily switch it out on you. If you have to ship the item home, arrange shipping by yourself.
- Know what you’re purchasing- If you don’t know how to judge the quality of what you are purchasing, it is easy for the seller to pull one over on you. If you do your research first and are informed, it will be much harder for a seller to rip you off because you can just inspect the item before paying. Never take a seller’s word for it. Always assume they are all liars and cheats.
7. The Fake Police Scam
This scam usually begins with someone approaching you claiming to be a police officer, tourist police, or some other kind of law enforcement. They will be dressed in an official-looking uniform. They might even flash a badge at you.
The ‘police officer’ may inform you that there is a problem with counterfeit bills going around and demand that you hand over your wallet for an inspection. In this case, they will simply take your money or swap your real money out for counterfeits. You wouldn’t notice until they’re long gone.
Alternatively, the police may tell you that you broke the law and that you are in big trouble. They may demand to see your passport and visa. They could threaten with jail time or a large fine. At this point, they will ask you to pay a fine there and then to make the matter go away.
The fake police could also demand that you follow them to the ‘police station.’ They lure you to a deserted place where they can rob you.
In a variation of this crime, a person approaches you to sell drugs or other illicit items. During this interaction, the fake police officers intervene. In this situation, they accuse you of buying drugs and threaten you with fines or jail.
At this point, they may offer to settle the fine right there and then to make the matter disappear. This could be hundreds of dollars.
I have heard of this scam happening in Mexico and Morocco.
How to Avoid it
These fake police officers can be very convincing. It can be difficult to tell a real police uniform from a fake. In Mexico, criminals sometimes get their hands on genuine police uniforms and badges. In this case, it’s pretty much impossible to distinguish a real police officer from a phony.
You could be dealing with a real police officer who is corrupt and searching for a bribe. It is also possible for a real police officer to stop you for a legitimate reason. If you get stopped and suspect that a police officer is a fake, you can run a few tests to find out.
- Request that the officer prove their identity- Any legitimate police officer will have a badge and identification number. If they can’t produce identification, they are fake officers.
- Call the police or emergency services and ask them to identify the officer- You can give them the name and ID number of the person claiming to be a police officer to see if they are legitimate. You should know the emergency number of the country you’re traveling in.
- Tell them that you want to go to the police station- If you decide to do this, you should know where the nearest police station is so the criminal doesn’t take you somewhere to rob you.
- Tell them that your passport and cash are locked up in your hotel room- If you don’t have anything to give them, they may just let you go.
- Demand to put everything in writing- Tell the officer that you want a written ticket for the violation. Also, tell them that you need a receipt for the fine.
- Just ignore them and walk away- This is a bit risky because if they are a real police officer, they could arrest you. If you are convinced that you’re dealing with a scammer, the best course of action is to walk away.
If you accidentally accuse a real police officer of being a fraud, they may make things more difficult for you as a means of punishment. Try to handle this travel scam carefully if you just aren’t sure. If they are an obvious imposter, try your best to get out of there. If you encounter fake police, consider filing a police report.
8. The Flirtatious Woman Scam
This scam usually targets male travelers. It begins when a beautiful local woman approaches you. Usually at a bar, restaurant, or just on the street. She will be a very friendly, flirty, and innocent-looking person. She may ask you about your trip and just generally act interested in you. After chatting for a bit, she will lure you to a bar or restaurant. At this point, a few different things could happen:
- You receive an outrageously expensive bill- In this case, the woman is working with a bar or restaurant. After a couple of drinks, you’ll receive a bill for several hundred dollars. If you try to leave, ‘security’ will come over and threaten you with violence for the money. If you don’t have the cash, they will accompany you to an ATM to withdraw the maximum.
- You could get robbed- The woman may lure you to a secluded area where her accomplices are waiting to rob you.
- She could slip something into your drink and drug you- From here, the worst case is you become a victim of organ harvesting or kidnapping. You could also simply be robbed while you’re passed out.
- The woman could distract you and pickpocket you- The woman could flirt as a distraction. She may take your wallet, phone, or whatever you have on you while you’re distracted.
- She could be a prostitute- In this case, you think you got lucky, but she was actually just a prostitute. Now, because you didn’t negotiate a rate, she can charge whatever she wants.
This scam is most common in Eastern Europe but happens all over the world.
How to Avoid it
This one is tough. Every traveler dreams of meeting a nice local companion to explore the country with. It’s easy to fall for this one. This common scam also begins in a bar where you’ve probably already had a couple of drinks so you are more easily influenced. What I will say is, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Some red flags include:
- She’s out of your league- You just have to be realistic here and think about the situation from her perspective. What does she have to gain?
- She’s way too forward and eager to get to know you– Even if she’s just asking questions about your trip, you have to ask yourself why.
- The woman speaks English better than the general population of the country where you are traveling-This is probably why she works this travel scam. Because she can easily communicate with tourists.
To help you avoid falling for this scam, ask at your hostel or hotel if there are any bars that should be avoided. At a hostel in Riga, Latvia, there was a large sign posted on the wall with a list of bars that were known for scamming tourists. Guests were advised to avoid those bars. Evidently, this was a common travel scam in the city.
If you meet someone that you’re interested in, make sure you’re both on the same page. It can be difficult to tell a working girl apart from a normal friendly local girl. I was once stopped on the street by an obvious prostitute. While trying to politely get away, she pickpocketed my phone. Luckily I was able to get it back.
9. The Friendly Local Scam
This scam starts with an innocent-looking person approaching you acting like you’re their best friend. Usually, these guys speak excellent English. They ask you about your trip, where you’re from, what you’ve seen, etc. Next, they offer you on a little tour of the city or ask you to join them in their favorite bar or restaurant. They may even offer to introduce you to their family or friends. After you accept their friendship, they start trying to get money from you in a few different ways:
- The scammer takes you to a restaurant or bar- The scammer may simply be trying to get some free food and drinks out of you. Alternatively, they may be luring you into a restaurant that scams you by overcharging. After ordering a few drinks, you may be surprised you with a bill for hundreds of dollars. This is the worst case. This scam is most common in bars in Eastern Europe.
- Your new friend may try to get money from you by begging- After building a report with you, they begin telling you a sob story. For example, maybe they tell you that their kid or mother needs medicine. Maybe they need money for a bus ticket to visit their family. These are all lies. It’s just a con.
- After they ‘help’ you with something, they demand payment- The scammer may claim that you owe them for their time if they help you with something simple like giving you directions or helping you find a taxi.
- They receive a commission- Your new friend may simply have a deal with the bar, restaurant, or shop they lure you into and receive a commission on anything that you purchase. Their job is to bring in business. They may offer you a free tea or something to psychologically make you feel like you have to buy something.
How to Avoid it
- Don’t talk to people who approach you on the street- This is tough because, as a traveler, you really want to meet locals and learn about the culture. Unfortunately, I have found that if someone approaches me on the street, 99% of the time they are just a scammer or are trying to sell me something.
- Don’t get too friendly- Don’t share details about where you are going or where you’re staying with anyone you meet. They could follow you to your hotel and try to bother you again.
- Just ignore them- Eventually, they’ll go away if you pretend they aren’t there. It feels rude to do this but they are also being rude by trying to scam you.
- Call them out on it- If you’re feeling confident, tell them that you see through their scam and that they aren’t getting any money from you. These guys will usually leave you alone at this point.
My Experience with this Scam
The last time I experienced this common travel scam was in Ethiopia. I kind of fell for it even though I knew what was going on. Basically, a guy approached and told me that he had saved me from some pickpockets that were targeting me. He spoke perfect English so I started chatting with him. Surprisingly, he was very sharp and knowledgeable. We ended up grabbing some drinks together. To read more, check out my story, Scams in Ethiopia: My Afternoon with a Con Man.
10. The Fixing Something Broken Scam
This scam starts when someone approaches you and offers to fix one of your belongings that is broken. This scam comes in two variations. Sometimes the scammer offers to fix an item that isn’t broken. The item is perfectly fine but the scammer tries to tell you that it needs to be repaired. If you accept, they will pretend to make a repair and then charge you for it. Alternatively, the scammer could break something of yours and then offer to fix it. They may use some kind of sleight of hand trick or distraction to damage one of your belongings.
For example, a scammer may bend down and cut your shoes or the laces and then offer to fix it. They could cut or tear your backpack or suitcase. Sometimes they don’t even care if you see them do it. They will just tell you that they have the tools to repair it. This one is common in India.
In another version of this scam, the scammer walks through a parking lot and puts a small dent in a car then waits for the owner to return. When they see the owner returning, they casually walk by, comment on the dent, and say that they have the tools to fix it with them. They then offer to fix the dent for a price. This happens in the U.S.
How to Avoid it
This one is tough to avoid because it can happen so fast. These scam artists are well-practiced. The only advice I can give is to never let anyone you don’t know handle your belongings. They can damage your stuff without you even noticing.
If you catch someone breaking something of yours and ask you to let them repair it, don’t let them. The repair will be of low quality and won’t last. Also, rewarding this behavior will just give them the incentive to continue doing the same thing to another unsuspecting tourist in the future. Find an honest person to make the repair.
11. ATM Scams
Most travelers use ATMs to withdraw local currency. Unfortunately, there are risks involved in using an ATM. Criminals can steal your card info or steal the money you just withdrew.
The most common ATM scam is skimming. A skimmer is an electronic device that criminals use to collect your credit card details. The skimmer is installed on the ATM. It attaches over the card reader slot where you insert your card. The skimmer records your card info when you insert the card. The criminal also needs your PIN. They use a hidden camera or keypad overlay to record your PIN while you enter it. Once a criminal has your credit card information and PIN, they can charge your card or sell your credit card info to other criminals.
Alternatively, a criminal could stand near an ATM or try to talk to you while you’re using the ATM. During this time, they could be scanning your card using NFC/RFID technology. They could also watch you enter your PIN. With this information, they can make purchases with your card.