Travel scams are everywhere. I love traveling with an open heart and assuming the best, but of course, there will always be people out to scam you, and there is always the risk you will be scammed, conned or taken advantage of – and the best defence is to be aware and prepared.
Of course I try to avoid being scammed, but I’m also resigned that I will be ripped off in some way – usually overcharging, at the least (which I think, if that person needs the
few dollars to feed their family they are welcome to it) and hopefully nothing worse. I’ve probably fallen for heaps and never even realised!
But, forewarned is forearmed so here are some of the scams to look out for when you’re traveling.
Remember:
- If it seems too good to be true it probably is.
- If it’s a lot cheaper than others it’s probably a scam/not authentic.
- If a stranger tries to befriend you to give you bargain/intel/discount from a friend etc be wary – this is not to say don’t make friends with locals, but you can tell when they’re genuine. Always trust your spidey senses.
Helpful stuff:
- Our travel safety guide – Holiday Safe: The Complete Guide is only $16AUD and is 80+ pages of tips amen strategies for planning the best holiday, limiting your risk and staying safe.
- Always travel with travel insurance – we use Cover-More.
- Use a VPN to protect your data. We use Express VPN and you can get yours here. It’s cheap, easy to use, you can use it on multiple devices and sign up for a month at a time. Read why you need a VPN here.
When you’re overseas you’re a little on the backfoot because you’re in a foreign place,
it can be confusing and overwhelming, and people may try and take advantage
of your vulnerability.
But, do try to not let fear and paranoia rule your interactions with locals – getting to know people and learning about their life will be an amazing part of
your trip. Just be wary, don’t take risks and be aware.
You WILL probably be ripped off. If it’s not too much money please just let it slide so it
doesn’t tarnish your experience. Mentally prepare yourself for this before you go, and
don’t let a shitty experience ruin your trip.
Here are six of the biggest travel scams – some I’ve fallen for – to look out for:
Fake hotel call scam
Never give your credit card details over the phone while on holidays, no matter who is calling.
A popular scam is to call a hotel room to confirm the guests credit card details. The scammer will pretend it’s the front desk, restaurant, or tourist desk and they need to check your credit card details, or there’s a problem with your credit card and a charge won’t go through.
It’s not them. It’s a scammer.
Don’t give out your details! And contact reception in person yourself.
The Pull Over
This is a really scary scam the police told us about after we were robbed in Spain. If you’re driving and stop to get fuel or food, someone will knife your tyre, and when you set off again a person on a motorbike will come up next to you and alert you. When you pull over they will offer to help you change it.
When you get out of the car their mates will pull up beside you and take all your gear from you. I am so glad we were not robbed this way. It is better to limp into a service station at 20km per hour than pull over on the side of the road and be robbed.
Don’t pull over for anyone except the police.
The artist scam
If a young person approaches you on the street, claims to be a struggling artist and
invites you to their gallery (just across the road) to buy some original art, don’t fall for it.
They’re not an artist, it’s mass produced and you’re about to be ripped off! Just decline and move on. And artist or not, don’t go with anyone to their shop. They might seem like a friendly local with an interesting and often sad backstory, but really, they’re just a scammer, on the lookout for trusting tourists like you.
Don’t fall for the struggling artist scam, no matter how nice they seem.
Swapping what you bought scam
Have you ever bought something overseas and then opened the package later and
found it was not what you paid for? It’s likely your shopkeeper ducked behind a counter or disappeared from sight to wrap the purchase – and while they did, they swapped it out.
Make sure you keep an eye on your purchase at all times so you get what you bought. Don’t let it out of your sight, and don’t let yourself be distracted by conversation or questions from other shop-workers while it is wrapped in front of you.
Always watch the shop keeper wrap your items.
Made in China scam
Similarly, check the bottom of the present you’re buying to see if it has a sticker on it from where it was made. I once received a present of Venitian glass from a friends trip to Venice and found a ‘Made in China’ sticker on the bottom of it.
I still loved it but felt so bad she’d been ripped off.
Check for stickers or indications of where your locally made goods might really be from.
The confusion scam
This happened to us in Myanmar. A bunch of local women surrounded us selling their
bracelets. I’m not even sure what happened (and neither are the other tourists they caught with it) and I intended to buy one bracelet but acquiesced and said I would buy a few from different girls and then the money got all confused and I’m sure I paid two or three times.
If this happens to you just make one purchase at a time with one individual, don’t try and work out multiples cause they will bamboozle you and run away with your cash.
Pay one at a time or you’ll pay a lot more than you planned.