Airport Terminal Switch

How the scam works:

You are starting your all-inclusive trip in, say, Cancun – Mexico. Your plane just landed, and you are happy the hotel you’re staying at has a shuttle available.

As you come out of Terminal 3, you find out from an airport employee that your shuttle is at Terminal 2, which, he says, is a long way away, about a 20-minute walk. Being a nice guy, he offers to call the shuttle for you, just to inform them that you might be late.

You give him the number, he calls, and it turns out that your shuttle is not going to be on time, either! The driver explains that there has been an accident on the way, and he is stuck in traffic, very far away. However, he informs you that – because of the inconvenience caused – you can get a taxi, and you will be refunded at the hotel.

It sounds good; you might think, and ask the helpful airport employee to get you a legitimate taxi. He makes another call and has a cab for you in no time. You tip him a dollar and off you go.

In reality, the airport employee is the scammer in this whole thing. He lied to you about Terminal 2 being 20 minutes away, asked for the shuttle phone number but called a different one, had a fake conversation about the highway accident and the shuttle being late – not to mention his suggestion of getting a taxi and getting a refund.

The shuttle was always at Terminal 2 while you are taking his partner’s taxi, which will overcharge you. And you’ll never see your refund.

How to avoid:

If you know the shuttle is at Terminal 2, go to Terminal 2 – it’s not 20 minutes away, Cancun airport (or any other exotic one) is not Heathrow.

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