Be careful of travel scams when booking that next vacation or that ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Cuba trip. Many people have been duped into a scheme and have had thousands of dollars stolen from them in some instances.
What gets so many people in trouble is the prospect of saving substantial sums of money by booking plane travel, lodging or other aspects of vacationing through third parties promising them.
The most dangerous fraud when it comes to travel are the bogus travel sites. Luckily, here is how to detect a fake travel website and avoid traps.
Be careful when booking your next vacation. Keep your eyes open, and learn about what travel scams are out there. Whether your plan is to travel to Argentina or do a Maldives vlog, see below:
How the scam works: This is a scam that is particularly pulled in poor countries like India or Cuba. Let’s say you are in Mumbai, in the vicinity of the Gateway of India monument (photo above). A young person will start a conversation with you and advise you in a friendly way on what to […]
How the scam works: This scam was reported to be occurring in Moscow (Russia) or Kyiv (Ukraine), but chances are you could face it in any other country. As you are walking through the famous Red Square, amongst many other tourists, somebody (usually a well-built guy) is running between you and another person and “accidentally” […]
How the scam works: If you are traveling to Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar) you might be approached by a monk. After he has introduced himself and you have enjoyed a pleasant chat, he will tell you about his temple. He will then ask you for a small contribution towards his studies or the building […]
How the scam works: Monkey trainers will entertain you with their animals and let you take pictures with them. However, as funny as this might sound, some monkeys are trained to pick your wallet from a pocket or purse. The scam is not in getting the monkey to do it, as you will probably catch […]
How the scam works: Moroccan snake charmers and water sellers try their best to catch tourists’ attention. They are dressed in very colorful clothes and many travelers have their pictures taken standing beside them. Most of them are willing to have the pictures taken, only to make a scene a few seconds later, when they […]
How the scam works: Most of the scams that are being pulled by locals in the Philippines, Vietnam, or Thailand start with a phony friendship. Wherever you meet people (temples, store clerks, vendors, hotel employees) they might ask you where you are from, only to reply: “Oh, that’s so interesting, because my cousin moves there […]
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. What he will recommend as the perfect souvenir place is […]
Fake Travel Agency alert! Beware of scam travel agencies - read their reviews before you make your next booking.
How the scam works: If you are in a different country, never ask anybody how to use an ATM machine. Why? In South Africa for instance, most of the ATM machines have a feature that facilitates the transfer of cash from the user to people you want to send money to. The button is called “CashSend”. […]
How the scam works: If you happen to receive two free plane tickets out of the blue or you are offered a free ride to your hotel from the the airport, don’t be surprised. There is no such thing as a free lunch. The tickets and the free ride come with a hook. You can […]
How the scam works: If you rent a car in Mexico or other Central American country, be really careful when you stop at the gas stations and three or four attendants come to help you. This happens especially in Tulum on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico City, Tijuana, Guadalajara, Puebla, Mazatlan, Ciudad Juarez, Toluca or Ecatepec […]
How the scam works: Sexual orientation is an extremely sensitive topic in Egypt, along with other countries in the Middle East. If you are gay, it can be dangerous. You might be approached by men pretending to be gay, only to be lead into a hotel and then threatened with blackmail. Watch the video below to […]
How the scam works: The scammers approach you when you are traveling abroad with this business proposal after they befriend you and, oftentimes, after you get know each other over at least a few days – so you trust them. Smooth talkers, they “secretly” reveal to you that their gemstones are worth a lot of […]
How the scam works: The victims of this scam are backpackers who go to countries like India or China with an open ticket for a few months. What happens very often when they are trying to secure their seats at the end of the journey is that they find the soonest they can leave (for […]
How the scam works: (with video below) You are visiting a famous location; let’s say, the Vatican or Eiffel Tower. As you are feeling very humble and overwhelmed, a woman holding a baby approaches you. She apologizes for interrupting and says that she found a gold ring. She shows it to you and says she […]
How the scam works: Your exotic vacation has been great. You have a few days left on the beach, and one day decide to do something different: get hair braids. The lady offering the service is friendly, and the deal is on, as she might say “it will cost you around $50”. She gets to […]
How the scam works: This has been reported to happen more in Cuba. There are girls standing near the beach offering cheap hair cuts to tourists. When they get potential customers, they invite them to their house, also telling a story about how the government will tax them. Needless to say, most of the victims […]
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