How to Spot and Avoid the Latest Travel Scams?

Posted on: Jun 17, 2022 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

How to Spot and Avoid the Latest Travel Scams?

The global pandemic has brought about a lot of changes over the last couple of years. There have been massive shifts in the travel industry and there are even more people now waiting to scam travellers. Whether you are travelling to a new international destination or even some local places, travel scams are almost everywhere. And travel scammers are only getting smarter with access to better technology. Being vigilant and opting for an international travel insurance cover are two of the best steps that you can take in this regard.

Travel scams work in a slightly different manner than the traditional scams, where a caller asks you for your card details to help you out with income tax refunds. Or scammers calling people to help them with their expired software or software-related updates. Travel scams depend on on different psychology. Travellers usually aim at saving money when they travel and look for the best deals online. And this is where travel scammers come into the picture.

Travel scammers have access to the same software and tools that genuine companies have, and make use of those. Tools such as websites, search data, and online ads are some of the most commonly used tools for scamming travellers.

A scammer would want to get access to your financial or personal information so that they can use it in any way they want to. There can be both long-term and short-term impacts of you being scammed. In the short term, there are chances you will lose money to the scammers. In long term, your data might be given for money to thieves who make use of it for causing a lot of financial harm later.

Here are some of the most common travel scams and how you can avoid them

1. Rental Cars

One of the first things that travel scammers do is to follow what travellers are doing. They are also aware of what is going on in the industry and then make the most of it. Right now, there is a shortage of rental cars and the scammers have been betting on this. Scammers set up customer service numbers online that look exactly like those of major car rental companies and operate them. This is how the scam works. Travellers look for car rental deals online and once they spot a good deal; they proceed with it. After they enter their personal details and card details, they might or might not receive any confirmation for their booking. And the rental company leaves them stuck with no car, stranded.. One of the best ways to avoid such scams is to rely on popular rental companies and only book from their official website with HTTPS as the starting URL.

2. Airline Tickets

There were a lot of reports of scammers creating fake online airline ticket booking websites. Fortunately, if you have booked a ticket using your credit card, the fraudulent charges can be reversed by complaining to your credit card company. Thus, there is a good chance of you receiving back the money that you have lost. However, you cannot retrieve the information that is already stolen.

This is how the scam works. Travellers usually search for deals on airline tickets. And they usually come across some great deals with major airlines. After they complete the booking and payment, they usually find out that the airline has no record of their booking.

To avoid such scams, visit only the official website of airlines or reputed aggregators for booking your tickets. And always look for websites that have HTTPS in their URL.

3. Money Changing

Note switching is a common occurrence across the globe. It is not uncommon for taxi drivers or shopkeepers to give you less change than you expect. Or there might be instances where they might switch to a smaller denomination and claim that you never paid them enough in the first place. Similarly, some local foreign exchange cashiers might perform a similar trick.

It is essential that you count and check your currency properly before you hand them over to someone. Also, keep your eyes and focus on the transaction, as many currencies have similar colours for different denominations

4. Fake Cops

Being scammed by fake cops is another common occurrence that travellers face across the globe. These faux authorities crop up almost everywhere with the intent to make a few quick bucks. In most cases, they will ask you for your Personal ID and issue a fine for no apparent good reason. You must either pay the fine or pay a bribe to get your Personal ID back. Since travellers usually don’t want to get into any kind of trouble, they end up paying the fine.

Though the real police may ask you for your Personal ID, they usually do not ask you to pay a fine on the spot. Also, when asked for your Personal ID by any official, ensure that you do not hand it over to them. Also, ask them for their ID and in the case of a fine, discuss visiting the police station to deal with the matter. The fake ones would usually tail off at this.

5. Bar Scam

When you arrive in a new country, it is common for travellers to visit a local pub or bar to experience the nightlife. A friendly local might approach you and strike a good conversation. As the night progresses, you might find that the local disappears after some drinks, leaving you with a heftier bill than you anticipated. Or in some cases, you might end up with your wallet stolen.

Always make it a habit to keep an eye on your valuables and drinks. Keeping a track of your drinks and not opening a tab is the best way to avoid such situations.

6. Taxi or TukTuk Scam

Drivers of taxis and tuk-tuks charge exorbitant fares to travellers, claim that the meter is broken, take the longest or most uncommon route possible and so on. These are some of the most common ways by which drivers scam travellers. It is essential that you opt for licensed taxis or ask for recommendations from the place where you are staying.

Most of these scams happen when you are in an unknown place and do not know what exactly to do in such situations. Though having a travel insurance cover will not prevent such occurrences, it can be more than helpful. In the case of financial loss or loss of documents, the travel insurance cover has your back. Also, a travel insurance cover gives you complete peace of mind during the entire trip. Keep the above points in mind and purchase a travel insurance cover before your next trip.

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

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