How the scam works:
You are trying to buy some nice souvenirs in beautiful Mexico and find yourself in small talk with somebody who also seems to be a tourist. He will advise you about several fakes around, such as cheap quality Mayan statues made in China.
Scam Detectors Most Trusted Websites in Online Security
- Guard.io (100): Surf the web safely. Clean up your browser, remove malicious extensions and check for privacy violations.
- Incogni.com (100): Delete your personal data from the internet and protect against scams and identity theft.
- ExpressVPN (100) Stay secure and anonymous online - Best VPN Out There
What he will recommend as the perfect souvenir place is the shop located two doors down. “It’s a non-profit shop. They donate half of the proceeds to Red Cross Mexico, and the other half they use to keep the shop going. I bought a few items already for my family – my mom will love it. Go check it out, they are only open Mondays and Thursdays”.
In reality, the shop he talks about is just another overpriced store, whose owner will give him a few Pesos for his referral, as he is a friend bringing in tourists to buy.
How to avoid:
This scam is not going to leave you without your lifetime savings, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind. If somebody approaches you with this “non-profit” speech, keep in mind smaller items wouldn’t necessarily be more expensive in other places. keep your eyes on the bigger purchases, especially if they come with “Only Today” or “Half-Price for You” offers.
Make your friends and family aware of this scam by sharing it, using the buttons provided.
TOP 4 MUST-WATCH FRAUD PREVENTION VIDEOS
1. Top 5 Amazon Scams in 2024 2. Top 5 PayPal Scams in 2024 3. How To Spot a Scam Email in 2024- Latest Posts by Selma Hrynchuk
-
Compromised Credit Card Scam
- -
Fake Google Chrome Update
- -
Facebook Privacy Notice Hoax
- All Posts
Hi, dear travelers! This piece of information comes a bit late, should you have already suffered damages from a scam. But it helps you to avoid such problems in the future! If your rights as a touristic consumer have been infringed while you were traveling through Latin America and you had to face the problem being completely on your own (you were made to pay a price which was higher than had been agreed, you were sold faked goods, you were a victim of fraud etc.), you might like to know what [website] can do for you next time – go and check our website! However, you can take a few appropriate precautions yourself: we recommend you to make an on-line research before making any payment to book flights, hotel rooms etc. to check, whether the travel agency, which offers the product, has a good reputation. And if you are still not sure, try to buy products, which are offered by travel agencies with a quality award or another quality assurance. DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS EVER! It is your money after all, and there is no reason why you should give it to people, who have absolutely no right to get it! Thanks.