Common Scams When Traveling and How to Avoid Them
There are people whose goal in life is to make easy money. Even if they have to deceive other people in the process, they won’t mind. If you are a tourist, and you don’t speak the local language, it is easy to get scammed. Therefore, you need to be careful when doing any transaction. Make arrangements in advance or research on what the best options are. Here are some of the most common scams when traveling, and how you can avoid them.
Broken taxi meters
While riding the taxi, you might be surprised that the cost all of a sudden shoots up. This is common across the world. Even in developed nations, there are taxi drivers who operate using this scam. The best way to solve this is to use taxi companies that are authorized by the airport. There is a desk where you can get the taxi that is considered safe. You are also given a phone number to call when something wrong happens. Another way is to negotiate the cost before going inside. If the driver refuses to negotiate and tells you it is cheaper to not use the meter, get out of the cab and look for another option.
Your chosen hotel is closed
Some taxi drivers earn money when they bring certain customers to a recommended hotel. They will deceive their passengers and make them believe that their chosen hotel has already closed and they need to look for another one. To avoid this problem, call your hotel in advance to confirm your reservation. You should also make reservations using reliable hotel reservation apps since there is a guarantee that only verified hotels can be reserved.
Free bracelets
While walking on parks and other public places, someone might approach you and suddenly give you a free bracelet. They are very friendly, so you will smile back and allow them to put the bracelet on. When you are about to leave after thanking them, they will force you to pay. If you don’t, they will threaten you to cause a scene or call the police. Since you are not a local, you will have no choice but to pay. To avoid this from happening, don’t speak with anyone whom you don’t know, let alone allow them to put anything on your body. As soon as you notice someone approaching you, pretend to be busy by taking phone calls, or turning your back around until they have found a new target.
Fake police
This is a very common scam all over the world. A stranger approaches you and tries to sell you illegal drugs. You don’t intend to buy one, but they insist. Suddenly, fake police officers will come to arrest you. Of course, this will frighten you. They will then ask for your passport and tell you to go with them to the station. Before you do any of that, ask for their identification. If they can’t show anything, it is a sign that they are not real. If they do, call a local police station to confirm their identification. Another strategy is to make an excuse that you have left your passport in your hotel, so you need to go back to pick it up and they have to go with you. If they don’t want, it means they are scammers.
There are a lot of good things and experiences you will get when travelling. Sadly, there are bad people out there who will deceive you especially if they know that there are lots of tourists in the area. Stay protected against them and be smart.
Photo Attribution:
Featured and 1st image from https://www.slideshare.net/lotusecoresortkonark/common-travel-scams-and-tips-to-avoid-them
2nd image from https://www.covermore.com.au/blog/travel-tips/avoid-travel-scams
