“Sir, you look hot, how about some deodorant?”. So began the only travel scam with which I have ever been caught. In this post I will walk you through 25 Commom Travel Scams that I have encountered on my travels and how I dealt with them, as well as various other Popular Travel Scams that I have managed to avoid, so that you can prevent yourself from being a victim of a scam on your next vacation.
I regard myself as a reasonably street-smart traveler, mostly able to spot a trick or someone trying to pull a ‘fast one’. Yet still I managed to get scammed in the street markets in Cairo and ended up with two cans of water. While writing this post I realized two things, just how extensively I have been able to travel and just how many scams have been attempted upon me.
I was nearly scammed in Bangkok on my way to the Grand Palace. Our tour group was nearly conned on our way to the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, China. We were scammed in the night market of Bangkok and ended up with pewter elephants. I was nearly scammed at the pyramids in Cairo but managed to avoid being stuck with a useless blue stone beetle. I was nearly scammed in Dubai by a family claiming to need cash for fuel. I was scammed coming out of my hotel in Cairo and ended up buying a very lovely hieroglyphics painting. I was nearly scammed by getting into a ‘VIP’ taxi in Beijing.
As you will read below, these are not the only times that I have been on the wrong side of an attempted scam. Fortunately, most times, I was able to come away unscathed.
By revealing my personal experiences of common scams, I hope that you can recognize some of them if they are ever tried on you. Where I have been fortunate to avoid other types of scams, I will still detail them so that you know what to look for on your own travels. So let’s get started with my Top 25 Travel Scams and how to avoid them.
Scams in which I have been involved
1 The ‘Fake Goods’ Scam
Water-filled cans of deodorant in Cairo
“Sir, you look hot, how about some deodorant?”. One of the few scams for which I have fallen, and to this day irritates me despite the immaterial amount involved, is when I was seconded to work in Cairo. One day I found myself in the street markets around the old part of the city. A street vendor approached and offered me two cans of deodorant, nicely packaged together in plastic wrapping. I thought “I can always use deodorant, the price seems reasonable, and the cans weigh about as much as you would expect for deodorant”.
Once I reached my hotel and unwrapped the ‘deodorant’, I was surprised to find that the cans were filled with water. Obviously, the vendor had found two empty cans of deodorant, somehow filled them with water and then sold them to me.
This is the only scam, in all my travels, for which I have fallen and still sits at the back of my mind as ‘the one that got away’. Sure, in other cases we have been given different goods than what we agreed on, but that was partly beyond our control in that the seller was truly crooked. For this case in Cairo the decision whether to accept or reject the items was in my hands, whereas the vendor in Bangkok went behind our backs, claiming to be doing us a favor, only for us to arrive home and unpack items that were not what we had purchased.
For all the other scams for which I have fallen, I have always felt that I ended up with something of value, such as the lovely hieroglyphics painting as you will read about later.
Switched goods from the night market in Bangkok
I cannot remember which night market in Bangkok it was. We decided on two lovely silver salt and pepper shakers in the shape of elephants. The vendor offered to wrap them while we counted the money to pay him. It was only upon arriving home to Dubai and unwrapping the items that we discovered that the vendor had switched the expensive silver shakers for cheaper ones made of pewter. We felt like such fools that we did not bother to watch him as he wrapped the items in the market, and this is a lesson that I will never forget about the ‘switcheroo scam’.
The only advice that I can give you when you believe there is even a chance of being scammed: make sure you watch the items as they are being packed so that you know what you are getting is what you paid for.
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2 The ‘Attraction is Closed’ Scam
On the streets of Bangkok, I requested a tuk-tuk to take us to the Grand Palace. “Sorry Sir”, the tuk-tuk driver said, “the Grand Palace is closed today for a cultural celebration”. “Oh really?”, I said, “that’s a shame, please take us there anyway and we will decide what we want to do from there”.
Amazingly, if by some miracle of planning, the ‘cultural celebration’ happened to be over just as we arrived. I could not help but smile at the audacity of the tuk-tuk driver who lied to our faces, yet I was pleased to have avoided his scam of trying to take us to a jewelry store on which he obviously earns a commission. He did not even seem embarrassed when we challenged him as to why the palace was open. I usually leave a generous tip but this time I paid the exact amount shown on the meter and just waived goodbye to the cheating scoundrel.
You may also encounter taxi drivers who claim that your ‘accommodation is closed’. “Sorry Sir, they closed down last month, but let me show you somewhere that’s equally as nice” (“and I will come back later and collect a nice commission from the owners”).
When taking a taxi or tuk-tuk to your hotel or destination, and you are told that it is closed, it is best to go there in person and check that what you are being told is correct.
3 The ‘I Need Cash for Petrol’ Scam
Many years ago, at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, I was stopped by a man driving a Mercedes. He had his whole family in the car. He claimed that he had lost his wallet and that he needed money to buy fuel so that he could return to Saudi Arabia across the border. I am skeptical of just giving cash to strangers and declined to assist. It was only later that I checked online and found that this is a common travel scam, and the person uses the sympathy of his family being present to scam people into giving him money.
While it cannot be said that all such cases are scams, it is always worth being skeptical in such situations and only helping people when you are 100% certain that assistance is required.
4 The ‘I Give You Something for Free’ Scam
While at the pyramids in Egypt many years ago I was accosted by a vendor who gave me a small blue stone in the shape of a beetle. Having traveled extensively, I suspected something was awry. I immediately returned the beetle and he acted as if he was offended.
It was then that I stumbled across a most effective way of dealing with vendors and other people who harass you. Fortunately, being South African, I speak Afrikaans, so I just spoke to him in Afrikaans and pretended that I could not understand what he was saying. He eventually left to harass someone else.
It was then that I learned two things from our tour guide. One, that this is a common scam in Cairo, and at the pyramids in particular, by which you are given something for ‘free’ on the expectation that you will return the favor in the form of cash. Two, a very useful word in Arabic, ‘imshee’, meaning ‘Go Away’. While this may be considered offensive, if the person is becoming overbearing it is a useful word to know so that you will no longer be pushed into parting with your hard-earned cash.
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5 The ‘Tour Deviation’ Scam
We booked a group tour to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, China. As soon as we got into the mini-van the driver offered us a ‘special detour’ to see a pottery factory where they make replicas statues of the warriors. The other people on the tour were keen to make that extra stop. However, given how tight the schedule was for the day and all the other stops that were planned, I was the only one who objected to the extra stop and insisted that we stick with the plan for which we paid. I had my suspicion that this was a way for the tour guide to earn extra cash by bringing in more customers for the pottery shop. As it turns out, towards the end of the day, we had to cut short our visit to one of the stops on the tour as we had run out of time and had to make our way back to the hotel in Xi’an.
6 The ‘Taxi Overcharge’ Scam
Upon arrival the airport in Shanghai, we found a taxi and asked to be dropped at our hotel in the city. Almost immediately I could see that he was taking a very long route, and not according to the maps that I had downloaded to my ‘phone using the maps.me app.
Fortunately, these days, more so than in the past, the traveler has greater control. By downloading maps before you travel, whether by using maps.me or offline Google Maps, you can see approximately which route the driver should be taking and you can challenge the driver if required.
In Shanghai, despite the driver speaking almost no English, I was able to very directly tell him that he should stop playing games and get back onto the most direct route to our hotel.
7 The ‘VIP Taxi’ Scam
While on the topic of scams in China, we were at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing. We wanted to go to the Summer Palace, about 16km away. We hailed a taxi and jumped in. Upon arriving at the Summer Palace, we were informed that this was a ‘VIP taxi’ and that the rate shown on the meter should be 50% higher.
I argued with the taxi driver and said that this was not made clear to us when we got into the car. He refused to negotiate and insisted that we pay the higher price, so much so that he even locked the central locking of the taxi and refused to let us leave. Fortunately, thinking quickly, I was able to open the electric window which he overlooked to lock, and then open the door from the outside. We then made our way into the Summer Palace without paying the extra ‘VIP’ charge, much to the consternation of the taxi driver.
As soon as you hail a taxi, make sure that you understand what the charge will be, or make sure that the driver uses the meter, otherwise you could be in for a nasty shock and a heated discussion once you reach your destination.
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8 The ‘Private Taxi’ Scam
“Hello Sir, taxi to Abu Dhabi?” I was asked as I headed to the taxi rank at Dubai International Airport. “How does he know that I am heading to Abu Dhabi?”, I wondered, and then I remembered the big #InAbuDhabi sticker on the side of my suitcase. “No Thank You”, I said, “I will take an official taxi that is regulated by the Government of Dubai”.
This scam is different from the VIP Taxi scam detailed above. Drivers will often congregate around the exits of airports and offer their personal vehicles to drive you to your location. Not only will they overcharge you compared to what a licensed metered taxi would charge, but you have no recourse in the event of an accident or dispute with the driver, or some other drama.
Make sure you always use a licensed taxi. It is always a good idea to take a photo of the taxi license inside the car, just in case you need to lodge a complaint or contact the driver again if you should be unlucky enough to leave something behind.
9 The ‘Taxi Meter is Broken’ Scam
“I would like to go to the Sheraton Hotel please, downtown Amman”. “Sure Sir, but Sir, the meter is broken, the price will be 25 dinars”. It seems that taxi scams are the most common around the world, and, unfortunately, I have just encountered another taxi driver whose sole mission in life seems to be to scam tourists.
“Wow, that’s a lot”, I say, “it’s only 10 minutes down the road and you want to charge me 35 dollars?”. “But Sir, that’s a fair price in Amman today, and tomorrow they will fix the meter”. “Please use the meter or I will choose another taxi”, I say. “OK Sir, let me just tap it here and see if it fixes the problem”.
“There you go Sir, just a little bit of a tap and it’s fixed”.
Ten minutes later we arrive at the hotel and the meter shows 14 dinars. “I thought you said the price should be 25 dinars?”, I say to the driver. “Sorry Sir, the traffic was less than I expected”.
“Oh really”, I think. I have just managed to avoid the ‘taxi meter is broken’ scam. Whenever you get into a taxi and the driver claims that the meter is broken, it is best to insist that the meter be used, or threaten to leave the taxi and find someone else. Better still, take a photo of the driver’s taxi license with which you can then report to the local taxi operator, if you can be bothered to do.
10 The ‘Fake Recognition’ Scam
I am calling this scam ‘Fake Recognition’ as I have been unable to slot it into any of the other scams that I have seen online. While heading from my hotel to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, I was approached by someone saying “Hello Sir, how are you? Do you remember me from your hotel?” Unfortunately, this person did look familiar so I engaged him in conversation, thinking that he may have been one of the porters who was on a day off.
I mentioned that I was interested in Egyptian history and hieroglyphic paintings. This short conversation led to me agreeing to go with him to ‘his shop’. What followed was 30 minutes of my life that I will never get back, by which I was engaged in discussions about the merits of different types of Egyptian hieroglyphic paintings, real versus fake, old versus new, cheap versus expensive. Suffice to say that I ended up with a lovely gold and black papyrus hieroglyphic painting of the Egyptian sphinx with the pyramids in the background, for which I most certainly overpaid.
In this case, given that I liked the painting so much, I ‘chose’ to be ‘scammed’ despite paying over the odds. Every time that I look at the painting I am reminded of my visit to the back alleys of Cairo and how I was sweet talked into buying something that I probably could have purchased cheaper elsewhere. But if you are not interested in being pressured into buying souvenirs then do not fall for this scam in Cairo.
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11 The ‘Reciprocity’ Scam
Let’s call this the ‘Reciprocity Scam’, i.e. I do something nice for you and then you do something nice for me. I was wandering through the fascinating Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and was particularly interested in having a look at the Persian carpets to compare against the ones that I bought when I lived in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and that are commonly available in the United Arab Emirates.
“Sir, come in, have a look at these amazing carpets. Would you like some tea?”. Having succumbed to the charm of the gifted salesperson, and, making my first mistake by accepting the offer of tea, I was ushered into this small room filled wall to wall with carpets of all sizes and qualities.
“Sir, take a seat, how’s the tea?”, he enquired as I was offered a chair in the corner so that I could admire the many rugs now yanked from the walls and spread in multiple layers over the floor. I have a particular fondness for purple. However, with purple not being a common color in Persian rugs, I did not find a carpet that agreed with my tastes. But now how to extract myself from the carpet shop in such a way that would avoid me having to spend cash on a carpet that I did not really like?
I always find that when stuck in such a situation it is best to ask for something that you know the seller would not have. “Do you have that lovely carpet in a dark purple color?”, I asked. “No? Oh dear, that’s such a shame because your carpets are all so lovely”.
With a compliment having been paid to the seller, and he being unable to offer me the color for which I was looking, I was able to make a hasty retreat back into the Grand Bazaar and into the anonymity of the hoards of other tourists fascinated by this amazing spectacle of Turkish commerce.
12 The ‘Let Me Practice My English’ Scam
“Sir, no charge to be your tour guide, I just want to practice my English”. Or so the claim went as I entered the gates of the magnificent ancient World Heritage Site of Ephesus in Turkey. I encountered a similar scam in Petra in Jordan and, as to be expected perhaps, the pyramids in Cairo.
I generally prefer to wander around sites by myself. I prefer to discover what I can from exploring sites alone and reading the information provided. I realized that this was probably going to be a form of the ‘reciprocity scam’ mentioned earlier, even though he claimed that there would be no charge for his services as a tour guide.
This is where my popular trick of speaking Afrikaans came in handy once again. “Sorry, I cannot understand you”, I said to the guide in Afrikaans, and with that he moved on to the next tourist and I was left to wander at leisure.
Be on the lookout for people offering you a service for free, only to turn around at the end and ask for some form of compensation, despite what they promised at the start.
13 The ‘Donation for Sick Children’ Scam
I had just finished a nice quiet stroll at one of the less busy temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia, home to the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat, when I was accosted by a young lady who thrust a donation sheet into my hand and asked me for a donation for sick children. I was presented with a clipboard that had names written in Khmer, and the amounts that other people had apparently donated.
Before my trip, using my Travel Checklist (link coming soon), I had read that this is a common scam in Cambodia, and despite the young lady looking quite genuine in her needs, I declined the offer to support the ‘sick children’.
While it is always heart-breaking to decline what may be a legitimate request for assistance, one can never be sure of whether the funds will go to where they are claimed to be going and whether the people in need will receive those funds. All I can suggest is to make your donation at a place properly authorized to accept donations, or just buy some souvenirs for friends back home and support the local vendors instead.
And finally, for the last trick or scam in which I have personally been involved …
14 The ‘Helpful Annoyance’
I am not calling this a scam since there is some value to, shall we call him, Mr Helpful Annoyance. We were wandering around the backstreets of Fes in Morocco, trying to make our way from the riad in which we were staying to the Chouara Tannery that is one of the popular tourist spots in Fes. Suddenly, if by magic out of nowhere appears Mr Helpful Annoyance, imposing himself on our plans but also providing useful assistance in guiding us to the tanneries.
Mr HA then hangs around as we select beautiful leather items from the markets surrounding the tannery and stand to admire the strange yet serene view over the centuries-old tannery. He is even kind enough to offer branches of rosemary, or perhaps it was peppermint, to mask the smell from the hides being tanned.
As if he has not imposed himself enough on our plans, we head back to our riad. Mr HA is still around, this time to guide us back to Riad Fes through the alleyways. I have to admit, he did provide a useful service in terms of guiding us through the hidden passages and tight corridors of Fes, so I was happy to offer him a small tip for the convenience. But I do find it rather annoying when people hang around on the expectation that they will receive something in return.
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Other Scams which you may encounter on your travels (scenarios and conversations below are imagined as I have no personal experience of these ones):
15 The ‘Damaged Jetski’ Scam
“Hang On Sir, you owe me 10,000 baht for the damage that you caused to my new jetski”. “What?!”, I exclaim, “no way, the jetski was like that when I rented it”. And with that begins an argument that could quite easily have been about a rented motorbike, a rental car or anything else that may be rented.
This scam is apparently quite common in Asian countries and is a particularly common scam in Thailand. You rent a jetski, motorbike or something else and upon it being returned the owner claims that you caused damage for which you will need to pay. This is a difficult situation from which to escape, and the owner may be in cahoots with the local ‘police’ who will force you to pay.
Before taking possession of anything rented, make sure that you take photo’s all around the item, and let the vendor see you taking photo’s, so that you can prove the condition of the item at the time of rental. Also, by no means should you leave your original passport as security for any rented item, as you really will have difficulty escaping this scam if you have given them your passport.
16 The ‘Attractive Local’ Scam
“Good evening Sir, mind if I join you?”, she said as she sided up to me in my Bangkok hotel. “You look so handsome this evening, where are you from? Would you like to buy me a drink?”
Perhaps you imagine that being on vacation has suddenly increased your attractiveness. Otherwise, how could such an attractive lady be interested in you? Perhaps she is attracted to your wallet, suddenly increased in value by the local exchange rate?
There are two ways that this scam could play out. One, you end up enjoying this attractive lady’s company for the evening, only to end up with a rather unattractive bill for overpriced drinks, and then being ‘coerced’ into paying by some rather large and unattractive local gentlemen. Two, the lady slips something into your drink and makes off with that expensive wallet that you tried so hard to protect.
Always be cautious of attractive locals who just happen to start a conversation with you, especially when it is obvious that you are a tourist.
17 The ‘Valuable Trinket’ Scam
“Hello Sir, did you lose this expensive watch by any chance?”. “No, that’s not mine, but thanks for asking”, I reply. “Sir, do you see that mark on the back of the watch? That means this is genuine, not a fake Sir. Would you be interested in buying the watch from me for a very reasonable price?”.
Being someone with expensive tastes, you agree, after some bargaining, to what seems like a great price for an original timepiece. But later during your vacation you begin to wonder, “was I scammed? Is this a real watch?” You then show the watch to your friend who happens to be an expert. “Yes, you were scammed, you are such a fool, but you are still my friend”, my friend says as I can only lament my stupidity at falling for such an obvious scam.
At the risk of stating the obvious, do not buy anything from strangers who claim to have found something expensive. Why, in the first place, if that item is so valuable, would they be interested in selling it to you for a fraction of the price, no matter what excuse they may offer to you?
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18 The ‘Shortchanged’ Scam
“Here you go Sir, your change is 422 baht”. You walk away, quite happy with your purchase, but at the end of the day as you are reconciling your cash balance, like every good accountant traveler should do, you suddenly wonder what happened to that missing 500 baht.
You have been caught in the ‘shortchanged’ scam. Most tourists will take some time to adjust to the colors and denominations of a new currency, and this can be exploited by unscrupulous vendors. Whenever you make a purchase in cash in an unfamiliar country, make sure that you count your change and challenge the vendor immediately if you are not happy that what you received is correct.
19 The ‘I have a Brother in the Same Country as You’re From’ Scam
“Hello Sir, welcome, where are you from?”. “I am from South Africa”, I reply. “Oh wow, I have a brother who lives in Johannesburg. Would you mind helping me write a postcard to him? Come in, have some coffee, let me find a pen and paper”.
“That’s amazing”, I am thinking, “what are the odds that a random vendor would have a brother who just happens to live in the same country where I am from?” Then I think, “Hang on, that sounds fishy, and too much of a coincidence”.
“Please excuse me, I need to go, I have an appointment for a haircut”, I say as I leave the vendor’s shop. “But Sir, your coffee just arrived, and you have not had the chance to look at all these amazing items”.
“That’s OK, I will be back, after my haircut”, I say, realizing suddenly that I have just avoided being a victim of a scam by which I am coerced into the vendor’s shop, made to feel welcome and then feeling pressured into buying something that I did not really need.
20 The ‘Find the Lucky Ball’ Scam
“Good afternoon Sir, how are you today, are you feeling lucky?”. “Well actually, yes, I am feeling lucky, I am always lucky”, I say falling right into the trap of engaging with a stranger in the first place.
“Well that’s great Sir, today is your lucky day. Try to guess under which cup the magic ball is hidden. Watch as I place the ball under one cup and then shuffle all three”.
Suddenly there was an increased interest in the game from bystanders that left me wondering, “what’s going on here?”. “You know what”, I say, “suddenly I feel as if my luck has deserted me and I doubt I will be able to guess, despite the apparent 33% chance of getting it right, under which cup the ball is hidden. So good luck to anyone else who wants to play, but today is not my lucky day”.
I have just avoided the ‘find the lucky ball’ scam. The idea of the scam is to let the victim correctly guess the location of the ball for the first few attempts for small stakes. As the victim gets more comfortable, he ups the stakes and suddenly the ball disappears and the victim loses the money that he bet.
It’s always best to avoid interacting with random strangers, especially when cash is on the line.
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21 The ‘Spilled Coffee’ Scam
There I was, minding my own business, when someone walks past, and I now have coffee on my lovely white shirt. “I am really sorry Sir, let me help you clean it up”.
In all the chaos and confusion, I suddenly feel my back pocket being unzipped and my wallet about to disappear. “Leave it”, I say, “I will clean up the coffee. Oh and by the way, I hope you see those security cameras up there, so best you return my wallet, otherwise I will be reporting you to the police”.
This scam has one of two objectives. One, to try and pickpocket you while you are cleaning your clothes. Or two, they help you clean your clothes and demand a payment in exchange. Be wary of anyone that ‘accidently on purpose’ spills coffee on you or otherwise causes a commotion as it may be an attempt to distract you for some not-so-good reason.
22 The ‘Bad Drug Deal’ Scam
Whenever you are in a foreign country, let alone being at home, it is always best to stay away from anything illegal. Especially things like drugs, and especially in Asian countries where penalties for drug possession and trafficking can lead to many years in jail, if not losing your life in the form of capital punishment.
How does the scam work? You are in a foreign country, and you are offered drugs, which you accept. Suddenly a policeman, whether real or fake, arrives on the scene and you are in big trouble. Whether he is in cahoots with the person who offered you the drugs is anyone’s guess, but you are looking at serious trouble. The policeman suggests that you can go if you pay a fine on the spot.
Rather than face a great deal of inconvenience and possibly a stint in jail, you pay the fine and walk away, admonishing yourself for being so foolish, yet pleased to have avoided a much harsher penalty than the lost dollars it cost you to escape your stupid decision.
23 The ATM Scam
Any time that you use an ATM, whether at home or abroad, it is best to use an ATM that is in a secure location, such as inside a bank. Otherwise, what you may find is someone getting too close to you, perhaps suggesting that the ATM is broken or offering to help you read the machine in a foreign language. What they could also be trying to do is ‘skim’ your card’s information either through a hand-held device or a device attached to the ATM.
It is always best when using an ATM to never let people get too close, and always keep the keypad covered when you enter your PIN. If there are people around who are acting suspiciously then it is best to go to a different ATM in a more secure location.
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24 The Free Wi-Fi Scam
You have just found the perfect spot to relax and you pull out your ‘phone. How lucky you are, you have found an open and free Wi-Fi network. But little do you realize that whatever you now type on your ‘phone may be captured by the scammers, and your personal data is compromised.
Whenever you are traveling, always use a VPN when you need to connect to the Internet. That way you can be assured of the integrity of your data and surf the Internet in peace.
25 The ‘Payment in Foreign Currency’ Scam
“Thank you for shopping at ABC Superstore, would you like to pay in local currency or your home currency?”
Not so much a scam warning as a piece of travel advice. You have just been shopping at the local grocery store and arrive at the counter to pay. You are now given the option to pay in local currency or in the currency of your account. So, which one do you choose? I know it may sound intuitive to pay in the currency of your account. But you should always choose to pay in local currency. “Why, Mr Accountant?”, you may ask. Good question.
The reason is that the vendor will select the exchange rate applied to the transaction, and the rate will be much worse than what would be applied by your bank. So always select ‘Local Currency’ and let your bank convert the transaction into the currency in which your account is held. You are always going to lose when you convert between currencies – around 3% I have found – but that is much better than letting the vendor choose the exchange rate and you being ‘scammed’ in the process.
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I hope that you found these tips useful to avoid scams while traveling, or at least found some useful hints to escape them if you start seeing where a particular interaction is heading. Rather save your hard-earned cash for souvenirs than let it fall into the hands of annoying scammers.