Your passport is fresh and waiting for new stamps. Your bags are packed. You have delayed your mail, arranged for someone to water your plants and take care of the cat. You are definitely ready to travel. Maybe you are looking forward to exotic cuisine, adventures abroad, visiting historical monuments.
However, you probably do not expect to fall victim to a travel scam.
A vacation trip should not be scary or cause paranoia. So let’s introduce you to some of the most common scams.
5: Fake cops
In any country, police officers must be on your side. However, it is also easy for fraudsters to impersonate police officers and use these powers to take your money. Here’s how they do it.
Most scams happen in any popular tourist destination. If you’re a tourist, you’re probably unfamiliar with the typical form of law enforcement, so it’s easy for anyone to wear something that looks formal. In this scam, you are approached by a person who pretends to be a police officer. He will tell you that there is a problem with counterfeit notes in this area, and will ask you to check your wallet for any inappropriate currency – all under the pretext of “protecting” you.
After that, the fake policeman will check your wallet, returning it to you with the statement “everything is clear”. It will be long gone when you realize that some of your money is gone. Variations of this scam include fake authorities at stations, checkpoints and other official websites. Sometimes they just grab your wallet or passport and run.
How not to become a victim? Never voluntarily give your wallet or passport to anyone. Find out what the uniform of law enforcement agencies of the region looks like. Ask for ID numbers and names if you have any doubts about someone’s identity.
4: Distract and steal your wallet
There are so many variations of this scam that we can’t even list them all! But here’s the thing: someone is distracting, and someone is stealing your wallet.
Pocket thieves often work in teams. Here is a popular scam in Europe: while you are walking down the street doing your own thing, a beautiful woman arguing with a street vendor catches your eye. Her argument with the salesman, who accuses her of stealing, escalates until the crowd gathers. Sometimes a woman even starts taking off her clothes to prove her innocence! As you and everyone else stand there, yawning, her accomplice makes her way through the crowd, freeing people from their wallets and valuables.
Or someone “accidentally” spills something on you. Or a group of children will surround you, begging for money or food. An elderly woman will fall in front of you.
How not to become a victim? It is unfortunate that many thieves and swindlers rely on your sense of humanity to steal your money. Wherever there is a crowd or a scene, you are a potential victim. So be smart – do not go with an open bag and do not keep a wallet in your back pocket. Keep the bag around so you can’t snatch it.
3: “Mistakes” in the exchange of money
Many scammers like to take advantage of your unfamiliarity with the currency of the country you are visiting. One common scam is called “slow counting.” In busy tourist areas, some cashiers will count your delivery very slowly, with incomprehensible pauses, in the hope that you will just take what they give you and leave. Usually the amount on their hands is much less than you should have received.
When you receive a change, inspect it before leaving the room. In Italy, for example, old 500 lire coins are very similar to their 2 euro coins. The difference is that 500 lire coins are worthless. Also, try not to pay a big bill for anything. Some taxis or cashiers will insist that you mistakenly gave them one when you actually gave them much more.
When you arrive at your destination, you will want to change your money to local currency. You may notice that people on the street or at the airport offer excellent conversion rates, better than at a hotel or local office. But now is not the time to bargain. Often, these black market exchanges leave you with a pile of counterfeit money or a pile of rubbish wedged between two real bills.
How not to become a victim? Find out what the currency of the city you are visiting looks like. Carefully count your exchange. Exchange money only in authorized centers. Pay in small bills.
2: Unscrupulous taxi drivers
It is quite easy for taxi drivers to extort money from an unsuspecting tourist. They abuse the fact that you are a stranger in a foreign land.
Again, it is important to know the local currency. If you hand the taxi driver a large bill, the driver may drop it and then pick up the hidden smaller one, insisting that you have not paid enough. Some of them charge higher rates per night or weekend at the meter during the working day. Some may offer you one fare and charge you double the price when you arrive at your destination.
Some taxis work in tandem with local hotels, offering you a “package deal” right at the airport. However, once you arrive at the hotel, you will find that the discount rooms are mysteriously filled. The hotel will then charge you an exorbitant amount for the stay, and the taxi driver will receive an additional fee.
You also need to know where you are going. If you know that the route to your hotel should only take 15 minutes, make sure the taxi knows you know it. Do not allow yourself to be persuaded about alternative routes or “shortcuts” that may take 45 minutes or more.
How not to become a victim? Plan your trips and accommodation in advance. If you need a taxi, use the hotel or restaurant to call. If you call a taxi on the street, choose only those that have prominent logos and phone numbers. Never agree to a car ride without marks – you can lose more than just your wallet.
1: “Good Samaritans”
A good Samaritan is a person who makes every effort to help his neighbor. When you travel to an unfamiliar country, you can hope that a good Samaritan will help you find your way. But, unfortunately, some “good Samaritans” are actually disguised swindlers.
Some people will offer to “help” you use an ATM. Be careful – they are just trying to get your PIN. Or some thieves set a “trap” in the ATM that will make the ATM eat your card. Before using the ATM, make sure that nothing looks out of the card slot.
Others will hang out at stations and ask if you need help buying a ticket, and then take the money and run away. You should also beware of people at train stations who offer to take you to your place. When you get there, they will demand payment for services.
While driving, a car can drive next to you, and the driver will helpfully indicate that you have a flat tire. While one person helps you change the tire, the partner will bring your pocket book or any other valuables. Often the people who help you are the ones who punctured your tire.
In Spain, there is a popular scam when an elderly woman offers you a sprig of rosemary as a sign of friendship. Then she will grab your hand, read your destiny and demand payment.
How not to become a victim? Do not make eye contact or accept anything that is passed on to you. Buy any tickets yourself. If you need assistance, use the hotel’s concierge service. Never allow anyone to help you at an ATM or give your wallet to anyone.