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#ExploreBees Travel Scams

It sucks to get scammed by a stranger when you’re traveling on vacation. Even after years of continuous travel, people still get caught off guard from time to time. Here are some of the most common scams you’re likely to encounter while traveling, along with personal stories from my own experiences. Knowledge is power! The more people that know about these scams, the less likely you’ll fall for them.

BE CAREFULL & STAY SAFE

Travel Scams And How To Avoid Them

Broken Taxi Meter
Broken Taxi Meter

Cab drivers near airports or train stations are known to pull this scam, but it can happen anywhere. 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.

How To Avoid It:
Negotiate rates ahead of time, or ensure the meter is in fact working before you get in the car. If the taxi driver refuses to turn on the meter or tells you it’s cheaper without the meter, get out and opt for another driver. Not all cab drivers are scammers.

Overbooked Or Closed Hotel
Overbooked Or Closed Hotel

Again, this common travel scam happens largely with cab drivers. While en route to your hotel, the driver will tell you your hotel is either closed or overbooked and then take you to a more expensive hotel where the driver receives a nice fat commission.

How To Avoid It:
Call your hotel in advance and make sure they’re open. Ask if they offer shuttle service and then schedule a pickup. If your taxi driver still tells you the hotel is not available, insist that he take you there anyway. Tell him you already have a reservation (even if you don’t).

Free friendship bracelets
Free friendship bracelets

This scam tends to prey on female travelers. A friendly man or woman will approach to chat, then place a “free” friendship bracelet on your wrist. Or hand you a sprig of Rosemary for good luck. Once you have it, they will demand money. When you refuse, they will begin to cause a scene.

How To Avoid It:
Don’t allow anyone to put anything on your body, and be extremely wary of accepting anything for free unless there is a good reason for it. Especially in very touristy areas. Ignore them and keep walking.

Spills On Your Clothing
Spills On Your Clothing

A traveler will be walking down the street and feel something plop on their shoulder — often times bird poop or a fast-food condiment. Then, a friendly stranger approaches and begins to wipe off the offending mess while plucking your wallet from your pocket or purse.

How To Avoid It:
The best thing to do in situations like this is to not allow someone to help you. Instead, go to a restroom and clean the mess off yourself.

Fake Police Officers
Fake Police Officers

The fake police officer scam is a popular one in many large cities. Most often, a person will approach a tourist and offer illicit items, like drugs. While conversing one or two other people will approach, appearing to be police officers and flashing “badges.” They will then insist on the unknowing traveler hand over their passport and wallet. However, they are not police officers.

How To Avoid It:
Never hand over your wallet or passport. Request they show you their identification and then inform them you will call the police to confirm they are who they say they are. Or tell them your passport is locked up in the hotel safe, and they’ll need to accompany you to your hotel. If they don’t allow this, simply walk away.

Attraction Is Closed
Attraction Is Closed

A common travel scam in major tourist areas, some friendly local (who just happens to speak excellent English) will approach and inform you that the attraction you want to visit is closed for any number of reasons (religious ceremony, holiday, etc.). Then they’ll guide you to a different attraction or shop where you’re pressured to purchase something or pay a lot for entry.

How To Avoid It:
Instead of taking the local’s word, head to the ticket counter or shop and see for yourself. Or ask someone else nearby for confirmation.

Friendly ATM Helper
Friendly ATM Helper

Someone approaches an ATM cash machine to help you avoid local bank fees. What they really want to do is scan your ATM card with the card skimmer in their pocket and watch you enter your pin number so they can drain your account later.

How To Avoid It:
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.

Injured Or Child Beggars
Injured Or Child Beggars

Usually deaf, blind, or pregnant, sometimes accompanied by a “helper”, beggars will ask you for money. Women with babies are common (they might not even be theirs). Children are also frequently used by begging gangs to collect money. Why? Because it’s difficult for most people to say no to the old, injured, or young. Sometimes an accomplice nearby is just watching to see where you keep your wallet so they can pickpocket you later.

How To Avoid It:
It’s practically impossible to distinguish who is legit and who is not, so my policy is to never give cash to street beggars. However, if you really want to help them we do recommend buying food or giveaway old clothes for them. Then your money isn’t going to a gang.

Group Photo Offer
Group Photo Offer

A local offers to take a group photo so you can remember your experience in a new destination forever. While you’re posing, your friendly local photographer has just dashed away with your expensive camera.

How To Avoid It:

To avoid this scam, politely decline anyone who protectively offers to take a group photo, since it can be difficult to read the situation. Instead, consider asking a fellow tourist to take a photo, and then offer to return the favor.

Fake WiFi Hubs
Fake WiFi Hubs

While you can find WiFi almost anywhere these days, some of those free unlocked connections might be dangerous. 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 It:
Always ask the hotel/coffee shop/airport staff which wifi connection is the official one. Especially when you see a tempting unlocked connection. To encrypt all your online activity, use a VPN, or virtual private network.

Damaged goods
Damaged goods

You rent a motorbike, car or water scooter and are accused of damaging the vehicle. The rental firm demands money for the repairs. Be aware that the damage could be real, though you were not to blame. An employee might have trailed you and bashed up the rental when you were out of eyeshot.

How To Avoid It:
Rent through a reputable company. Take photos of the vehicle before you leave the premises and keep an eye on your rental at all times. If the disagreement escalates, contact the police or embassy.

Fake Bus/Train/Plane Tickets
Fake Bus/Train/Plane Tickets

Someone offers to sell you train tickets at a discount, or avoid the line and pay a slightly higher price. Maybe a taxi driver offers to bring you to his friend who’s a local travel agent. However the tickets they are selling aren’t real, and by the time you figure it out, the scammers are gone with your money.

How To Avoid It:
Always buy transportation tickets from the official ticket office or website.

Gemstone Or Carpet Deals
Gemstone Or Carpet Deals

A local man casually brings up his lucrative side business of buying jewelry, gemstones, watches or carpets then selling them back in the United States (or some other country) for a fat profit. He offers to share how he does it and shows you where to find the best deal. The only problem is that these products are fake.

How To Avoid It:
Don’t buy expensive luxury items overseas while on vacation, no matter how good the deal is. Remember, if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably a travel scam.

Fake Hotel Wakeup Call
Fake Hotel Wakeup Call

While staying at a hotel, you get a call from the front desk in the middle of the night to confirm your credit card details. Only it isn’t the front desk calling, it’s a scammer who will drain your accounts when he makes a copy of your card using the details you give him over the phone.

How To Avoid It:
Never give out credit card details over the phone. Go down to the front desk in person the next morning if there is a problem.

Flirtatious Local Women
Flirtatious Local Women

You arrive in a new country only to discover that beautiful local women seem to pay much more attention to you than back home. One of them invites you out to a nightclub or bar. However, after a wild night, the woman disappears and you’re forced to pay an overpriced bill. Or worse, drugged and robbed.

How To Avoid It:
Be wary of attractive women who are unusually forward or hitting on you aggressively. I know it is every man’s dream to be propositioned by beautiful women, but if it’s not a normal occurrence for you, then it’s probably a scam.

Money Changing
Money Changing

The good old note switch-a-roo happens everywhere. The shop keeper or taxi driver gives you less change than you are supposed to get. Or they will quickly switch a 50 for a 5 and then claim you haven't given them enough. You approach the foreign exchange booth and ask to change money. During the changeover, the clerk switches similar notes and you end up with less than you paid for.

How To Avoid It:
Make sure you check your money before you leave and don't let them rush you during the process. It's vital that you keep your eyes peeled, as many currencies have denominations that appear similar in color and design.

Counterfeit money
Counterfeit money

This type of travel scam is most common in restaurants and in taxi rides. At the end of the meal/ride, you hand the employee a bill and he will claim that your bill is fake. They will return the bill to you and ask for a different type of payment. The problem is that you did end up giving him a real bill and while you weren’t looking he swapped the real bill with a counterfeit one.

How To Avoid It:
To avoid this type of scam, make sure to familiarize yourself with the country’s currency before arrival. Pay close attention when paying and use exact change when you can. Try to change money into small bills at your hotel or a bank, so that you won't be a target in this scam.

Bottled water
Bottled water

There is a popular scam being run in big cities that involves filling discarded plastic bottles with tap water, then selling them to overheated tourists at a high price.

How To Avoid It:
When buying water, always check to make sure that the container is properly sealed. Try to get drinking water from convenience stores or vending machines whenever possible. Examine the quality of bottled water before you drink it. Water sourced from public taps may be murky or slightly discolored, or have sediment floating around in it. Get in the habit of carrying a thermos on hot days and during long outings when you think you may get thirsty.

Restaurant menus
Restaurant menus

Restaurant menus are sometimes designed to mislead customers who aren’t paying close enough attention. This is especially prevalent in places with large, complex menus that offer lots of different options.

How To Avoid It:
Be clear about what you’re ordering Say the whole name of the item, have your waiter repeat your order back to you, and be sure to highlight the price listed on the menu. Don’t be shy about gesturing or visually indicating what it is you want, especially if the menu is confusing or unclear. If the menu is written in a language you can’t read, point to the item you want to order and Ask the meaning of names and other terms you don’t understand to use what words and phrases you know to make your intentions apparent.

Meal discount coupon
Meal discount coupon

Unscrupulous restaurants will sometimes use discount coupons to lure customers in, then claim the coupons are no longer redeemable

How To Avoid It:
Read the fine print and look for hidden expiration dates or other covert clauses that might render any coupons you’ve been given invalid. Don’t accept coupons that are being handed out on the street.

Bottled water
Paid blessing

At religious places, you will see “holy men” conducting ceremonies to bless anyone for a fee. 

How To Avoid It:
Just keep walking. You can pretend like you don’t understand or don’t hear the person, or you can give the time as you walk or say “I don’t want. If the person follows you or insists Don’t be afraid to keep on walking, and refuse to give them control of the situation by stopping you. 

Contact the local emergency services:If you encounter an emergency situation or if your personal safety is threatened while traveling, contact the local police or emergency services immediately.

Do’s & Don’ts

Protect yourself

The best thing you can do now is plan for how you can adapt your daily routine. Take few steps to protect yourself as Clean your hands often, Avoid close contact, Cover coughs and sneezes, clean daily used surfaces etc. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

do's and don'ts
Don’t carry too much cash
Don’t carry too much cash
Beware of strangers
Beware of strangers
Don't Lose your temper.
Don't Lose your temper.
Try local food.
Try local food.
Explore local culture
Explore local culture
follow the rules and regulations
Follow the rules and regulations