Being on holiday should be life at its most enjoyable, but it’s also when you’re at your most vulnerable – even if you don’t realize it.
Think about it – you don’t understand the customs of the country you’re in, your dress sense immediately singles you out as a tourist, as does your inability to speak the language. All of these elements combined make you easy prey for scammers, crooks and shysters.
None of this means you have to wander every foreign country a cowering mess, quivering as you stumble past every back alley or market square. With a bit of preparation, you’ll be able to fend off the scammers that inhabit every city.
To help you stay safe on your holiday, we’re giving you the lowdown on three scams to avoid on your travels – read on to see what we’ve come up with.
Beware of Travel Sites Without SSL Certification
The internet is a grand cornucopia of choice – and yet many of the options you’ll find could be part of a big con, even if the travel site in question doesn’t realize it.
Take SSL certification. Effectively, a site with SSL certification runs on an encrypted connection that ensures nefarious hackers can’t intercept your payment details. You can tell a website has SSL certification by the closed padlock in the top-left corner of your browser.
And yet many sites, even ones dealing with retail transactions, don’t have this feature on their site, leaving your details open to scammers everywhere.
But then there are travel options like airport parking site SkyParkSecure.com, which provides valet parking for many UK airports, from small fries like Southampton to big hitters like Heathrow. There you’ll find a secure connection. This site, and other sites like it, are the example that all others should follow.
Know the Scammers Before You Go
Most big cities have very distinct kinds of scammers. Barcelona, for instance, is known for the pickpockets that prowl Las Ramblas, while the scammers on the streets of Paris try to talk tourists into handing over money using conversation starters like a lost wedding ring or a stolen wallet.
These are known shysters, and they’ve been profiled on numerous travel sites in the past. Do your research and you won’t be taken in by the dirty tricks of the criminal element. Type into the Search tab on our website the name of the city you’re going to visit next – see what happens!
Don’t Hop in Any Old Taxi
Although now it’s easier to avoid charlatans as there are services like Uber (which also has its scammers, but fewer), Grab or Lyft, there are still questionable taxi drivers who would rip you off before you know it, especially if you are in a foreign city. Either your driver will claim that their meter is broken or they’ll take you on a route that’s more complicated than the theory of relativity and overcharge you.
That’s even more likely to happen if you jump into a taxi from a provider you don’t know. To avoid this common problem, ask the airport, hotel or hostel staff about the companies you should trust before you head out to explore the city – they’ll steer you in the right direction.
That’s our list! Are there any scams we’ve missed that you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below.
Travel Scams: How To Report Them
Let your family and friends know about this article by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:
How To Protect Yourself More
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You’ll receive periodic emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
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