Unfortunately, it’s part of being human to want to deceive others.
Every day we are deceived by politicians, friends, relatives, etc.
We are usually more attentive and already know what happens in our day-to-day life.
But when traveling to an unknown place, we are always more vulnerable to situations that we have no control over.
It is best to be prepared, not to avoid all cases, but to minimize the damage.
The certainty you can have is that you will be deceived. But that doesn’t mean you will have bad times and big losses.
Just stay tuned and everything will work out.
By knowing the most common scam you will be in a position to avoid most of them and minimize the unavoidable ones.
Each place has its particularities, but in all of them, you will find variations of the 13 most common ones.
So read, get ready, and hit the road.
1. Scams by taxi drivers and individual transport.
These are the most common scams everywhere.
A – Charge a fee higher than normal.
They always have several alternatives for this.
- The meter is broken and so they charge any amount.
- Forgot to trigger the meter at the start of the race.
- Some say the mediator is an app and the numbers change really fast etc.
- Use a longer path
B- The place you want to go is closed.
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- Your attraction is closed for lunch.
- They say it’s closed that day. Kind of closed on Mondays.
- If it’s a hostel, they say it’s fully booked.
- His restaurant is closed, but he has a much better one.
- Your hotel is no longer operating.
All this is to take you to another place, where they earn a commission.
How to avoid:
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- Search beforehand to know the prices of displacements. Your hotel can help.
- Today we also have several apps where you can see prices and routes.
- With the value in mind, negotiate beforehand, if you don’t accept it, just try another one.
- Always note the taxi’s license plate and license. Avoid those that do not have the document exposed.
- If you have suitcases in the trunk, never get out of the taxi without the driver getting out first.
It prevents them from leaving with their bags when they get out of the car. - Even if the information goes straight to its destination, ignore the information.
If you get there and it’s true, it’s up to you what to do. But with me, it was never true.
I was in Ho Chi Minh and wanted to go to the mausoleum and the tuk-tuk told me it was closed.
I went anyway and it was open.
In Irkutsk, Russia, I asked a person on the train how much a taxi would cost to my hostel.
She told me 200 rubles. I asked the taxi driver if he showed me 200 on his smartphone.
So I took the taxi and before halfway through the trip the meter was already at 300. I sent him to stop and he kept saying #@#$$@@$.
I went down and got another one, which was another 100 rubles at the end of the trip.
Then I heard several stories of people who charge up to 2000 rubles.
2. Street game scams.
The shell game
I know gambling is a difficult thing for a lot of people.
Everyone knows about the scams, but even so, there are a number of people who participate.
It has a variety of them.
- 3 shell games
- 3 Cup games.
- Games 3 cards etc.
People see someone easily earning a good amount of money.
Enter the game and start winning.
Those who are losing bet more and more money, they keep losing and you win.
When you realize you lose your money.
I don’t understand how so many people fall for this scam.
3. Free bracelets/rosemary / whatever they can put on you
In this scam, common in Europe, a friendly person will approach you for a quick chat, then put a bracelet around your wrist or a hat on your head or give you a small sprig of rosemary.
Once you have it in person they will demand money.
When you refuse, they’ll start causing a scene in hopes that you’d rather give them some money than embarrass yourself.
Don’t let anyone put anything on your body, and be extremely wary of accepting anything for free. If they put something on you, just take it off, give it back, and be firm about it.
So go away and get on with your day.
They will not chase you.
4. “Accidental” spilling something on yourself trick.
You’re leisurely strolling around, getting to know the place, and you’re distracted so “accidentally” someone bumps into you and spills something on your clothes.
It can be from tomato sauce, beer, or anything that makes an impact.
The goal here is to get a big reaction and thus distract your attention from what’s going on around you.
At this time, possibly an accomplice will steal your wallet, phone, etc.
Some are very “professionals” who will only find out what happened later.
An Italian friend, strolling through Copacabana, a girl bumped into her and spilled her beer, while she was cleaning, a guy came up from behind, took the cell phone, and ran away.
I was on a bus in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and the bus was half full, at one point they made a motion to get everyone off the bus and pushed a lot of people.
When I got off the bus about 4 stops later, I noticed that my wallet was gone.
In this case, it wasn’t spilling another liquid, they diverted my attention, forcing the passage to get off the bus.
5. Motorcycle rental scam, jet ski etc.
This scam is very frequent in Asia.
The tourist rents a motorbike at very low prices and without bureaucracy.
Often they just require you to leave your passport. NOTE: Never give your passport to anyone.
When you return, you are charged a repair fee for something you didn’t know about.
There is also the case of the owner ordering someone to “steal” the motorcycle, or bicycle. So you have to pay a lot of money.
How to avoid.
- I took lots of pictures and let the owner know he is doing it.
- Never leave your passport as a guarantee.
- Try to have your own chains and padlocks. The ‘rental companies’ have a copy of the key.
- Always park in a safe place to avoid theft.
- Rent from official companies.
- It’s always good to have insurance for that.
6. Product scams and fake souvenirs or imitations.
This scam happens all over the world, mainly with carpets, wood, glass, and antiques.
You see a beautiful, perfect Persian rug, and after showing how good it is and receiving a lesson in what is fake and true.
The price is even better, and it’s at that price because the store is traditional, etc.
When you buy it, they fix it and exchange it for an imitation, which you often don’t know the difference.
But in the end, you got the fake one.
To avoid this scam, keep in mind that exclusivity, tradition, and quality don’t come at a good price.
You can’t buy a Ferrari for the price of a Volkswagen Beetle.
Fake souvenirs.
You will visit the craftsman, see him making the pieces and then go to the little shop, where the pieces are made in China.
I fell for this one in India. I was in a hostel and an Indian who was there was willing to help buy a genuine handmade Indian rug.
He took me to a place where they were actually making rugs and I bought one, packed it up, and brought it to Brazil. When I actually stopped to see the rug it was machine-made and not handmade.
How to avoid.
- Try to find out where the local fairs are.
- The less touristy, the greater the chance of actually buying something locally.
- Don’t think that you are the smartest in the world. If you think you’re winning, you’re usually being scammed.
7. The wrong change.
This scam happens in two ways
A – In countries where banknotes have similar colors.
In Vietnam, the 20,000 dong note looks like a 500.00 dong note and the 50,000 dong note looks like a 200,000 dong note.
B – You pay a higher bill and receive change as if you had given a smaller bill.
To avoid:
1 – Know the currencies of the country you are going to. See all currencies here.
2 – Always say the note you are delivering
3 – Don’t be in a hurry and always check the change.
4 – Try to have in currency the value close to your purchase, thus avoiding having bills with very large values.
8. Something found lying on the ground that could be yours.
Usually, an apparently honest person finds a ring, winning ticket, gold chain, etc.
And asks if it’s yours. You say no, but she shows that it has a lot of value.
He tells a sad story that he doesn’t have time to sell the object or recover the prize.
Then they offer it to you for a very low price. Some people wanting to take advantage accept the deal and then discover that they were deceived.
How to avoid.
I have a phrase that I really like and it has saved me from a lot of trouble.
“There is no free lunch”, that is, no one will offer you a deal to win.
You have to pay for it. So get smart.
9. Border fraud and visa on arrival.
This scam happens more at land borders where police officers and/or fake officials are usually involved.
You are approached to pay a visa fee to expedite the visa process and your entry.
How to avoid.
- Try to obtain the visa in advance. See here which documents are required on the Itamaraty Portal.
- If this is not possible, check at the embassy what the actual rules are for obtaining a visa and fees.
- Always go to the official office avoiding anyone other than the customs police.
Generally, officers do not circulate. They are always at the border office. It’s usually pretty easy to spot when you’re on the border.
On my way into Cambodia from Thailand, I was stopped by staff in uniform asking me to go to an office to do some paperwork.
As I had already done the visa on the internet. I refused, they insisted, but I said I already had the visa.
Then they asked for my passport and I didn’t give it. I asked why if I wasn’t at the border yet. Soon they let me through and I went to the royal border and passed without problem.
10. The Unofficial Sightseeing Scam.
When we are traveling we always receive offers of tours with very low prices.
They are usually people who do everything clandestinely.
It is important to know the origin of these offers.
How to avoid.
- Try to have some indication, from the hotel, or friends who have already used it.
- If not, it is best to look for official companies. Today you can have this information very easily on the Internet.
- Without reference, your chance of going wrong is very high.
11. Counterfeit Tickets.
This happens at bus terminals or concert halls.
You arrive, someone approaches you with tickets or tickets to sell.
Usually selling at a lower price, as she will not be able to use it due to a family illness or something very serious.
She’s selling you at this price, just so she doesn’t lose everything and with that also helps with her problem.
You are moved, by thinking that you are helping and also saving, and then you end up discovering that it is false.
How to avoid.
Always buy at the official box office.
12. False fines.
(Foto: Casseta & Planeta/Rede Globo)
In several places, you may be approached by a “fake” authority who will give you a ticket for some reason.
They give you the option of paying on the spot or going to the office where it will be much more difficult and time-consuming.
Most people prefer to pay right there and get rid of the problem.
Official authorities did not request payment on the spot.
How to avoid:
If this happens, I ask for a fine and say that you will pay at the office and that the logos will go away.
Be suspicious and ask for identification from the authority.
I have never paid anything on the spot and directly to the authorities who are imposing the fine on you.
Real police may ask for your personal identification, but they will never ask you to pay the fine on the spot.
If you are approached by someone who looks official, show your ID, but never give it to them. Ask for your ID as well.
If they give you a ticket, tell them you’ll go to the police station to deal with the matter. The fake ones usually leave them there.
13. A very friendly local person wanting to help you.
This happens in many ways.
You go to a bar and soon someone very interesting comes to talk to you, says that there is another bar that is much better, that you end up going and at the end of the night you have a very high bill and if you don’t pay it, there are terrible consequences.
You’re walking down the street and someone starts talking and ends up becoming a “friend” and wants to take you to a much better place than where tourists go. You will really experience what the place is like.
When you’re at the bar they offer to pay for drinks and you drink and end up being drugged, robbed and in some stories it ends up much worse.
I already fell into some when I was inexperienced.
One day I was in Calama, in the Atacama desert and I went for a few beers, I met a very talkative young man, “who was going in the same direction as me”.
To summarize, we stopped at a bar and he greeted people and I thought it was someone from the place, he told me how it worked and that he would get the drinks but he needed the money because he had to pay to withdraw.
Very silly I gave the money and after a while, without him coming back, I asked where the drink was and they informed me that I didn’t have any order and the guy disappeared.
My trip to San Pedro de Atacama.
How to avoid:
Don’t accept help from people you don’t know anything about.
In bars, mostly, he doesn’t accept anything from anyone.
Don’t get sidetracked by influences and strangers.
Only go to places where you already have information and know it’s safe.
Summary:
- It’s better to miss an opportunity than to get robbed.
- If you don’t know what’s going on, don’t go.
- As much as you think you’re smart, others are smarter.
- If you think you’re taking advantage, you’re actually losing.
See you around the world.
