Common Tourist Scams and How to Avoid Them

Posted on: Sep 26, 2023 | | Written by:

Common Tourist Scams and How to Avoid Them

Published on September 26, 2023. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

Travel is the best therapy and the joy of exploring a new country and understanding its culture is exhilarating. However, not everything is perfect in the world and most of the popular cities in the world are home to pickpockets, thieves and scammers. In cities buzzing with tourists, travel fraud and tourist scams are a big menace. Many people think that new and naïve customers are the target for such cons, but you will be surprised to know that even the most seasoned traveller can be duped by these fraudsters. Therefore, while planning your next adventure, it's not only essential to anticipate the wonders of your destination but also to prepare for potential pitfalls. This is where travel insurance plays a vital role.

There are many scams involving tourists all over the world. If you are aware of the most common tourist scams, there are chances you will be careful while travelling and not fall prey to these frauds. Let us talk about some of these so that you are careful on your next trip.

The most common tourist scams:

The most common tourist scams that one should be aware of are:

1. Bump and Steal

This is one of the most common scams that happen in many parts of the world. Here a person accidently bumps into you diverts your attention and then steals your belongings. This is usually done in a group so that one person bumps and the other takes away the stuff. Also, this usually happens in busy areas and most commonly in metros. Talking of the metro, always be careful when standing near the doors as many thieves grab the purse at the time of the door closing and run away. Always ensure you have travel insurance so that any loss is covered.

2. Fake officials

This is another popular scam. Here normal people pose to be police officials and demand to check your documents. Once you hand over your documents, they refuse to give them back unless you pay for it. Loss of passport etc. is covered in international travel insurance and thus, you should carry one with adequate coverage.

3. Loss of bags on buses

Buses are another place where a lot of luggage theft occurs. Either someone can try and help you with bags and then suddenly run away with them. Another issue is if you do off, someone can take your luggage away.

4. Counterfeit notes

This happens in many places. Here when you hand over the local currency to pay the bill, they without you noticing change the real currency with counterfeit ones. Then they ask you to make payment in some other form as your notes are not real. This way they take the payment twice.

5. Friendly locals

This happens very often with solo travellers or a boys group. You will bump into a friendly local at a pub or restaurant who will get talking and in due conversation offer to show you the city like a pro. They do this over drinks or meals and when the time to settle the bill comes, they vanish.

6. Phone charging at public places

This is a new scam but it does happen in many places. Here the criminals tamper with the charging port or the USB port that you use to charge your phone. They install malware or a bug that can either send the data, lock the device, and share passwords or they even can take a backup of the phone which can result in sharing card or banking details.

7. Taxi scams

In a new city or country, if you decide to use a taxi, always make sure you use the official one. There are many scams where unofficial taxis scam you and take you to your destination at higher prices or they take you to a different location and then can steal your belongings or demand a price to be taken back.

8. Insurance scams

Family travel insurance is a must when travelling abroad. Your international travel insurance will protect you against many things that can happen. However, there must be a variety of insurance scams where you are tempted to buy cheap insurance with your tickets or hotel and later at the time of a claim, you realise there is no coverage at all.

How to avoid scams?

There are some tips you can follow to avoid the tourist scams:

1. Always research about your destination and the best ways to travel around. While researching you can get information on common scams also.

2. Never keep all your belongings in one bag. Ensure everything is spread out so that in case of a theft you do not lose everything.

3. To avoid fake officials fleecing you, you should not hand over the document till you are sure. You should ask them to take you to the nearest police station where you will be happy to give all the details.

4. Always use ATMs of reputable banks and in case you lose your card in the ATM, immediately report the loss of the card to your bank.

5. One way is to always avoid eye contact with a person in a crowd and show you are well-travelled.

6. Always keep an eye on your belongings while talking to locals or any stranger.

7. Always look for official taxis or use the popular apps in the country to book one.

8. Take insurance from a reputed company and check the international travel insurance policy and its inclusions and exclusions carefully.

9. Always prefer using a credit card and not cash and of using ATMs ensure you use them in a reputed one that is well-lit.

10. Never share personal information with anyone especially someone on the street you do not know.

11. You should try and stay in a reputed hotel with a good security system.

12. Always buy souvenirs from a reputed store to avoid buying fake things.

What to do if you encounter a scam?

In spite of being careful, the chances are there that you might be a victim of a tourist scam. As soon as you realise, you should report to the authorities. In case you lose your credit and debit cards, report the loss to your bank immediately. Also, check your travel insurance and inform the insurance company so that they can help you as well.

Conclusion

Tourist scams are common all over the world. The easier targets for these are first-time anxious travellers, drunk tourists and confused ones. Always do your research before you travel so that you are confident about what needs to be done. Keep some basic tips in mind and always be attentive and vigilant especially when you are moving around with your luggage and valuables. Be confident and check everything carefully and that means being suspicious of anything, especially something that seems to be too good. By keeping some simple tips in mind you will be able to enjoy your holiday stress-free.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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