Here’s a fun post recalling travel scams and tourist traps I’ve heard of, witnessed or fell victim too. If you have any feedback or other scams to report please comment.

Taxi Scams
Before you reach your destination do some research on its taxi system. Many countries have a regulated system whereby rates are fixed and rides are charged by the taxi meter rate. However still, there are other marked taxis that look legitimate but are a circus ride driven by crooks. Inflated rates and threats will leave you broke by the end of the ride. Drivers have been known to renegotiate rates half way to your destination giving to the ultimatum to pay more or get out and be left stranded. Other drivers will agree on a reasonable fixed rate for the ride then surprise you with hidden fees like luggage handling or tour guide services whereby they charge for answers given to you along the ride. If you’re thinking that refusing to pay is an option, remember you’re in a foreign country and the driver has more friends than you- and your bags are likely locked in the trunk.

Authority Bribes

Currency Exchange Scams
The currency exchange vendors might be the most crooked scammers around and hiding in plain sight. They prey on tourists that simply don’t know any better and aren’t aware of daily rate changes. Don’t ever exchange currency at the first wicket you find, especially if it’s in the heart of a touristy area – which most are. Take your time and shop a few places. You’ll find drastic ranges in exchange rates and fees. Your best bet is to exchange currency at a bank wherever possible – or even a post office – both of which rarely charge extra fees for the transaction. Some countries like Nicaragua have currency exchange services right at the border. These are often locals on foot with handfuls of cash taking a small commission to exchange your currency for you. Before you exchange money, know exactly what you have and what you’re getting in return. It’s easy to over-trust locals but before you know it a little slight-of-hand works its way into your exchange and when you’re counting your money (10 minutes later) you’ll realize you got taken – and the thief is long gone.

The Friendly Lone-Traveller Scams

The Safe and Secure Hostel Scams
Don’t trust hostels, period. If you have anything of value keep it on you at all times. Hostels are full of nomads and bandits and everyone has a story to tell of what went missing in a hostel. Even storage rooms, lock boxes and locked rooms shouldn’t be trusted.

The Pyramid Tour Scams

Fake Front Desk Scams
While I haven’t experienced this personally, I have heard of this scam from many travelers. Imagine you’ve just checked in late to your hotel and hopped into bed. Then the phone rings – and the voice on the other end of the line claims to be a hotel staff member having problems processing your credit card , making a per-authorization or applying a hotel room deposit. The unsuspecting tourist is more likely to confirm their credit card information over the phone than they are willing to walk back down to reception. By the time they wake up, a crook has just enjoyed a shopping spree at their expense.

Everest Medi-Helicopter Scam
While in Kathmandu we met a tour operator who arranged a guide for us on a hike to Namche. He urged us to hike all the way to Everest base camp but we simply didn’t have enough time. He then proceeded to push us into going anyway, and call in a medi-helicopter to air lift us out and back to Kathmandu when our hike was finished. While a helicopter would have solved our time issues, his whole plan was shady. He claimed to have pulled this move with many tourists in the past. Essentially the tourists were told to fake altitude sickness at base camp and have their medical or travel insurance cover the cost of the flight, which is in the thousands. This scamster claimed to have a series of pay-offs in place, including the pilot (who could give the scamster a cut of the insurance money) and physician (who would file the medial paperwork for the insurance claim). To summarize: hike to Everest base camp and get a free helicopter ride back. Sounds like a great idea, unfortunately it’s illegal and here in Canada considered insurance fraud – in which case you could face heavy fines and/or jail time. Pulling a stint like this in a foreign country is bad news, and common-sense would dictate you don’t even consider it. However, some find the concept foolproof and give it a shot.

Free WiFi Scams
Only use free WiFi at credible locations, and never use a free WiFi connection for online banking. The problem is that any “host” can setup a WiFi hotspot just about anywhere. Then, tourists who love free internet quickly latch on to the network and go about their online business. What you don’t know, is that the unsecured connection can easily transmit the information you’re typing back to the host. This makes it easy for crooks to intercept usernames and passwords for email and/or online banking, and obtain hoards of personal information from you. This information could be used for identity theft or fraud. Many providers like Boingo have WiFi access points all over the map, especially in hotels and airports. Using a provider like Boingo ensures a trusted and secure connection for your online sessions and the cost is minimal.

Internet Cafe Scams
Scammers and hackers love internet cafes. It’s easy as pie to install spyware or keyboard sniffers that log each and every keystroke you make on a shared computer. Quite easily, your usernames and passwords for online banking, facebook, email, etc can be intercepted and used in an identity-theft scenario. My advice: bring a MacBook Air, iPad, or iPod Touch with you on your travels. Some of these devices can be purchased cheaply and since you’re the only operator on that device, your information is more secure.

Hijacked ATM Scams
If you’ve ever traveled abroad and used your debit card at an ATM, you might have received a call from your bank shortly thereafter. And it’s for good cause. As a tourist it’s tough to identify which ATM machines carry the brand of a trusted bank. Fake ATM machines are simply lemons that work but do not dispense any money – they simply let you swipe your ATM card, punch in your PIN number, then return an error message. Similar to ATM card-swiping scams, once your card is swiped and your PIN number is disclosed, crooks can use that information to withdrawl cash from your account via other means. A good rule of thumb is to only use ATM machines in or adjacent to a bank.

Train Robbery
Many crooks make their living pulling heists on trains. Careful who you share your cabin with and make sure you’re on guard even when you sleep. Keep your belongings secured and assume that someone wants to steal your bag, pack or wallet. Critical items like credit cards, passports and cash should be kept in a pouch under your shirt.

Fake Police