8 Scams That Target Travellers

Part of every traveller’s suitcase is the story of either falling headfirst or skillfully avoiding a potential scam while away.  It’s something of a universal language, as others round the table nod sympathetically…or smugly think ‘well that wouldn’t happen to me!’  

Yes but…

I was thinking about this on a recent trip and the fine line between out-and-out scams, legal but dubious practices and things that are perfectly normal in a particular place but can easily by misinterpreted by an unknowing visitor…but all have potential to leave a nasty taste in your month.

Here’s my guide to the 8 scams that target travellers (or, more accurately, things that feel like scams) to be on the look out for.

1.     The Shopping Stops

Ah yes…The jade or tea factory in China.  The papyrus museum in Egypt.  The healing spice garden in Sri Lanka.  The Berber pharmacy in Morocco.  Different theme, same shtick.

You’ll see them pop up on the itinerary or announced casually on a bus tour – you’re dropped at an industrial size complex (giveaway – the only other ‘customers’ are other tour groups), you’re given a cursory ‘tour’ from disinterested guides who then unleash an army of attendants following your every move. 

If prices seem high, yep – that’s by design.  It’s very rare you can’t pick up the same goods at a fraction of the price back where you’re staying.

Where?  Think this one is global but I’ve encountered it most often in Asia.

Scam-o-meter score out of 10:  A solid 7.  You have the ability – which you should exercise early - to say no and walk out.  But is it almost always a rip-off?  Yes, absolutely.

Have I fallen for it?  Not yet – guides (who make commission from each sale) tend to hate me for being first out of the shop.

2.     The Fish/Meat Charged by the 100g

You’re in the mood for fish tonight and know where you’re staying scores highly on this front.  You peruse the menu and identify what looks like a remarkably good value local speciality.  You order and wait.

In due course, a whole – large – fish arrives, which is lip-smackingly delicious.  You finish your wine and request the bill.  Yikes!

Suddenly, the 12 Euro piece of fish has increased to 120 Euros.  It’s been charged by the 100g and boy, was it a big fish!  Cue spluttering and outrage.

A variant of this is markets offering meats/cheese by the 100g and then when you ask for a specific amount, they ignore you and cut a much bigger piece, figuring you’ll be too polite or embarrassed to argue.

Where? Mediterranean Europe

Scam-o-meter?  3/10 – generally speaking, this is common practice when offering fresh meat and fish in many countries PROVIDED it is clearly highlighted as such on the menu (it’s a legal requirement to do so in most countries). 

Waiting staff often point your attention to this before you order.  If you’re in any doubt or if the price seems too good to be true (plot spoiler – it likely is.  That or you’re about to eat meat or very dubious provenance), ask politely.

Have I fallen for it?  Yep, albeit the fault was mine for not understanding the menu.  Bloody nice fish though!

3.     The Unofficial Currency Conversion Shop

Black-market money changing is a rite of passage for most travellers.  Ironically, the guys you find at land borders shouting “EUROS, DOLLARS” tend to be legit – you may get the odd torn note but I’ve rarely had a problem.

Where you need to watch are unofficial change places (normally shop fronts) that you just get a bad feeling from.  The tell-tale signs – no rates displayed, no calculation done in front of you on how much you’re owed, no receipt, no money counted in front of you, everything done at breakneck pace.  You exit and find you’re 20% down on what you should be – too late, no paper trail!

Always ask for the exchange rate (and know what it should be, give or take a few dollars) and how much you’re owed and count your cash before leaving the premises.

Common in: South and South-East Asia

Scam-o-meter?  A bone fide 10/10.

Have I fallen for it?  Yes, in Sri Lanka last year, which I spent days fuming about. 

4.     The ‘$10 each’ trick or the ‘just $1 for you’

Common in any market/bazaar/souk where haggling is common, with two variants I’ve come across in the cries to attract your attention.

• ‘All items $1 for you my friend’ or equivalent – you pause and pick up a few items you like the look of.  At this stage you’re told each item actually costs 1 (mystical) Mayan dollar (or 1 old Egyptian dollar), which equates to $5 USD. Surprise!

  
  

• Something which comes in multiple pieces (think wooden monkeys, soapstone elephants, tea sets) and you think you’ve struck a bargain, only to be told that the price is per elephant/cup so you need to do some quick multiplication.

Most often, it's hardly breaking the bank and is often delivered with a cheeky grin that you find hard to resist. Plus you'd already worked out where those wooden monkeys would hang!

Where?  I’ve come across variations of this in Mexico, Egypt and Indonesia – basically anywhere where bargaining is the norm

Scam-o-meter?  6/10 – yes, you’re being misled but the values in question are often small-fry.  It’s easy enough to say no and walk away (or just haggle back with a smile, infinitely more fun).

Have I fallen for it?  Yes, but only to the extent I really wanted those hanging monkeys in question and the difference went from $1 to $3 so not exactly scam central.

5.     The No Prices Supermarket / Café

An annoyingly easy one to fall foul of – relatively low stakes but still one you kick yourself for.

You’re whizzing around a city, ticking off all the major sites (short on time? Have a read of my Flying Visits guides). 

You need both a snack and more water so quickly stop off at a small store, pick up what you need and pay without thinking.  You don’t get a receipt.

As you walk away, you do the currency conversion in your head and suddenly realise that bottle of water and Kitkat cost you the equivalent of $10.  Your opinion of a place suddenly drops two notches.

An equivalent ruse happens in cafes around tourist hotspots – no menus or prices displayed.  That jug of sangria on Las Ramblas? Wave goodbye to that 50 Euro note.  Best ask for the menu.

Where?  Larger cities around tourist hotspots in Central/South America and occasionally in large European cities (Barcelona, Rome, London, Paris).  Ask, ask, ask before handing anything over.

The larger cities part here is important – travelling through Latin America, you’ll come across many tiny stores, which rarely display pricee (ditto small brasseries in France or tapas bars in Spain).

Scam-o-meter? 8/10 – easy to fall prey to

Have I fallen for it?  Yes, earlier this year in Antigua, Guatemala – the most expensive granola bar I’ve ever bought.

6.     The Unwanted Guide

Walking to the city’s main square/attraction during daytime, a local (always male) attempts to befriend you and tells you the square/attraction is closed and you need to follow him along a shortcut route.  Occasionally a religious angle will be thrown in. In Marrakech, I was told Jemaa El-Fna was closed to non-Muslims and I’d be offending the entire country if I didn’t take his advice. Nice twist on being told I'll bring down western civilisation (different story!)

If you do follow him, cue carpet shops/high pressure sales tactic that’ll take you a while to extricate yourself. 

A night-time alternative is aforementioned male asking where you’re staying and proceeding to ‘guide’ you back to your hotel – even when you’re walking that way – and demanding money.

In both cases, avoiding any communication is best, followed by a confident (and likely persistent) no.

Where? Morocco (worst by a mile) but also encountered in Egypt and South Africa

Scam-o-meter: 9/10 – and high stress to boot.

Have I fallen for it?  No but it’s probably the singularly most unpleasant experience to go through.  I’d rather not be an Enemy of the State.

7.     The Taxi Scam Compendium

To misquote Monty Python, what have ride-share apps ever done for us?

Well, let’s start by observing reducing the number of cautionary taxi tales about the non-working metre/no change/longest route imaginable/sudden extra charges that are part of every traveller’s storybook.

So game over, let’s declare victory?  Not quite.

Ride share apps aren’t universally available or reliable so the tried and truste advice of always agreeing fare before getting in – or demanding the taxi meter is switched on - and having smaller notes to pay still apply.  This particularly applies when getting taxis from airports or railway/bus stations, which remain notorious rip-off spots.

I’ve also occasionally – normally when I’m going to an airport and there’s a scarcity of vehicles – receiving a private Uber message advising a ‘supplement’ in cash is required because of some vague fee.  

Where? The less prevalent ride-share apps, the more likely you’ll run into difficulty.  It’s always worth downloading the dominant app before leaving home (don’t assume it’ll be Uber, Bolt or Lyft).

Scam-o-meter:  Far rarer than 10 years ago but still an 8/10.

Have I fallen for it?  Sure but thankfully far less recently.

8.     The Car Rental Shenanigans

Don’t fancy a taxi?  Think renting a car is the easier option?

For the most part you’re right.  But there are some decidedly sharp practices that, in most reasonable eyes, fall squarely into scam territory.

This isn’t a rant about the ridiculous insurance policies (buy a comprehensive excess policy to deal with those) but rather the sharp practices loved by car rental companies to squeeze those extra few dollars out of you.

Case study time - Ireland…oh boy!  One of the finest countries in Europe on nearly every front but the worst place to hire a car by some distance.   Book through a third party (Expedia, Kayak etc.) and you run the risk of being told there’s literally no insurance included, meaning ANY accident could run into the thousands – and they’ll take a pre-auth of equivalent value on your credit card. 

Second, check your car like a hawk because they will gladly screw you for any existing damage. 

The best option of a bad bunch is Newway which includes all insurance up front but – plot spoiler – it does not come cheap.

Finally, the cleaning fee.  This one isn’t just Ireland, the Americans lovbe it too.  I stopped using Avis after over a decade after a one-week rental in the southern US resulted in a $250 fee.  No deserts, no mess, just what you’d expect when you’re in a car that doesn’t have mats!  Lesson learnt, bring plastic bags or newspaper.

Where? See above.  Other dodgy places include Italy and South Africa.

Scam-o-meter:  Oh I’m giving this a 9/10 – it’s legalised theft.

Have I fallen for it?  I’d imagine you can tell from my tone above!

Bonus entry…just for its annoyance factor…

9.     The Adding Tax After a Purchase

Stop it FFS, what’s wrong with a $19.99 dinner special, costing $19.99?!

Where? US and Japan do this as standard.  Also an occasional sharp tactic used by tour agencies which you only see at the very last minute when they casually add tax as though it’s the most normal thing in the world.

Scam-o-meter:  1/10.  Annoyance factor?  At least an 8.

Have I fallen for it?  Not much choice stateside.

8 Scams That Target Travellers - The Last Word

So there you have it – my 8 (plus bonus entry) most annoying travel scams for tourists to keep an eye on.  Not all serious, not all costly but anytime you walk away from a transaction thinking 'hmmmm' to the extent it detracts from your holiday, it's worth thinking about.

I’m sure I’ve missed some so drop a comment with your least favourite examples, whether you dodged it or fell for it and then spent the next day kicking yourself.