Once traveling gets into the blood, it's hard to stay put. Taking off for weeks or months at a time to foreign places isn't unusual anymore. Despite the joys of travel, it's a risky business. Less than decent people are watching and waiting for the right time to make a few bucks any way they can. Scammers are smart, persistent, and charming when necessary. Somebody is trying to pull a fast one when any of these scams appear.
The Taxi Scam
This is one of the most opportunistic crimes being perpetrated because taxi drivers assume, often correctly, that tourists won't notice they are being driven in the wrong direction. When people get hassled left, right and center after arriving in an unfamiliar country with too many bags and bad cases of jet lag, it's too simple to accept the first offer for a ride. After being driven around in circles, they get to where they're supposed to be (or not), and charged a horrendous amount of money.
How to avoid this scam: The first tip-off that something isn't right will be excessive friendliness from a cab driver. Why would this person be so enthusiastic to drive people to a hotel? Is it because tourists are loaded? An old favorite is to claim the meter is broken. Don't buy that explanation. This would allow a driver to make up any price he wants when the ride is over. Book taxis from inside airports or hotels, and make sure the driver's registration is inside the vehicle.
The Eating Out Scam
This is more prevalent in European countries. Restaurants have to make money, but few of them are upfront about how they do it. Diners can have a 'cover charge' tacked on to the bill before they order anything. Some of the sneakier places will bring olives, cheese, and breadsticks to a table, leading to the impression that these items are free. They aren't. A bottle of wine recommended by a waiter might be very costly, because it can be marked up by more than 300%. The best defense is to order something cheaper from the menu, and be sure the bottle ordered is the same one that's received.
How to avoid being scammed: Beware of servers who push food and beverages but hesitate to quote prices. If something is brought to the table and it wasn't ordered, be firm and send it back. Read the bills carefully because they could have items on them that never arrived. Double tipping is a devious practice many restaurants use to trick customers into leaving more money behind. An 'optional' service charge of 10% is automatically included, and even after this is paid some places leave an empty space on the bill — or give the option on the chip-and-pin machine — to leave another charge. Watch out for this.
The Border Crossing Scam
When crossing borders by land in poor regions of the world, fake cops and touts prey on the inexperience and confusion of tourists. Thieves work together and try to do everything they can to convince people there aren't any onward buses available to the nearest town/city, and pressure them into accepting a taxi instead. Drivers pick up extra passengers along the way, and they exert enormous pressure on tourists to pay for fuel. Another ploy is to stop in a deserted area and while the first car goes back to the border, new scammers appear and demand high fees to complete the journey. When stranded in the middle of nowhere there is little choice but to pay.
How to avoid being scammed: A good rule of thumb is not to respond to anyone offering free visa assistance, transportation, currency exchange, etc. Nothing is free. Even somebody wanting to strike up a casual conversation should be viewed with skepticism. As soon as a scammer's help is accepted, others will be waiting to pick up where the last ones left off.
Fortunately, international scammers often use misinformation to deceive tourists rather than physical violence. Find out what the latest scams are, because con artists will always come up with new ones. Remember not to get distracted, stopped or isolated.
Reference:
scambusters.org/travelscams3.html
Scott Hayden - Since joining Suite101 in early 2007, I've contributed articles about travel, history and health. My speciality is writing about workplace ...
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