Travel Scams

Henna Tattoo Scam: How It Works You are enjoying the friendly Moroccan markets and decide to get a henna tattoo. Be very careful with that, especially if you are in Djemma El Fna, in Marrakech. The ladies usually hurry to make the tattoo three times as big as expected and they will demand to be […]

Henna Tattoos Read More

How the scam works: It’s night and you are driving out of town. While you are thinking of getting to the hotel and getting some rest, a baby stroller in the middle of the road catches your attention. You stop the car to check the stroller, but you won’t even get to it. A few […]

Highway Robbery Trap Read More

How the scam works: You are enjoying your Hong Kong trip immensely, and consider buying some souvenirs for back home. And there is your chance – a tiny 200-year old Buddha statue, on sale for only $47 dollars! That’s a steal, isn’t it? You exchange your dollars in Yens in seconds and purchase the hot […]

Hong Kong Antiques Read More

How The Scam Works: This scam could happen to you at any hotel you stay at, whether is for work or vacation. It's been hitting all continents, as criminals are restless in finding travelers and victimize them on a regular basis. Don't fall for it. How does the scam work? Watch the video below […]

Hotel Receptionist Call Read More

Hotel Room Switcheroo Scam: How It Works This scam occurs predominantly in South East Asia. As travelers find amazing deals online nowadays, shady owners post great pictures and descriptions of their rooms, but when the tourists get there they find that they booked and paid for a room that is either not available anymore or […]

Hotel Room Switcheroo Read More

How the scam works: In India, some locals (especially taxi drivers in Delhi) approach new tourists/backpackers with all kinds of offers, usually making up stories about the danger of staying on land at that specific moment (either because of a deadly virus going around or because of a local war between two religious groups). They […]

Houseboats in Kashmir Read More

How the scam works: If you travel to India or any other South Asian country, you need to stay hydrated due to the hot climate. Let's say that while you're walking around town, you get thristy and want to buy a bottle of cola from the street vendors, called “dhabas”. The drink will be bottled […]

Indian Cola Surrogate Read More

How the scam works: You are eager to see the Great Wall and your flight has landed safely in China. As you come out of the airport, a sea of buses fills the scenery. You don’t see many things written in English and you don’t speak Mandarin. Being extremely tired after the flight and carrying […]

Bus Helpers in China Read More

How the scam works: The first thing that you need to do when you are ready to travel by bus in Thailand is to purchase padlocks for your suitcases. Don’t be fooled by the good-looking buses (sometimes even double-deckers) they use to transport travelers across the country. More than in any other country, it's reported that […]

Bus Rides in Thailand Read More

How the scam works: This is a scam which mostly occurs in developing countries, where the local buses and trams use a hole-punch system for passengers to validate their tickets. Especially if you are taking the bus or tram from the airport (or the main train station) to downtown, a lot of ticket controllers use […]

Bus Ticket Controllers Read More

How the scam works: The most reputable line of transport in Vietnam is Sinh Tourist. Since many tourists travel between Ho Chi Minh City and the capital Hanoi, there are hundreds of scammers (individuals, corner shops) who call themselves Sinh Tourist representatives. They charge three times as much for a ticket and are really hard […]

Bus Tickets in Vietnam Read More

How the scam works: This scam could certainly happen anywhere in the world.  As you are admiring the shops along the most popular streets in town, a well-dressed person posing as another tourist comes to you and asks for help.  She will inform you about a great deal at the store next door – a Gucci jacket […]

Buy This for Me, Please Read More

How the scam works: If you are visiting countries such as Turkey, Egypt, or India, you might come across unique experiences of being taken for a ride on a camel, horse-drawn carriage, or in a rickshaw – which are all awesome adventures! Let’s say you are in Turkey and really want to take that 15-minute camel […]

Camel/Rickshaw Rides Read More

Cancelled Flight Compensation Scam: How It Works If you happen to be a tourist traveling during or right after a disaster (coronavirus crisis, tsunami, hurricane, earthquake, or even a terrorist attack) you might face the unfortunate experience of having all possible flights cancelled. It is the case again this week, as the heartbreaking COVID-19 pandemic […]

Cancelled Flight Compensation Read More

Hotel Discount Scam: How It Works This could happen anywhere, so beware. While traveling, someone you just met has a great recommendation for a hotel. "I stayed there last week – it's amazing. Take this card, they told me I will have a discount whenever I go back there. Unfortunately I won't be able to, […]

Hotel Discount Card Read More

How the scam works: Countries like Egypt, Morocco, or Turkey have very aggressive vendors when it comes to their carpets. These are not really scams but tricks they use to get you into their shops to buy their merchandise. The most common scenarios are the “write a postcard for me in English” and the “broken […]

Carpet Sales/Letter in English Read More

New York Scams: Don't Take Any Handouts While In Times Square (with video below) There are a plethora of New York scams out there to avoid if you travel to the Big Apple, but today we focus on the CD Bully Scam. Let's imagine a scenario. You are admiring the energy that Times Square has […]

CD Bullies in New York Read More