Throw a stone into a crowd of Singaporeans and chances are, you’ll hit someone who’s had an encounter with a travel scam.
While some are lucky to get out of the ordeal with their wallets intact, many don’t. Below are 18 common travel scams that many have fallen prey to while overseas, with tips on how to avoid being the next victim in line:
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Of course, even the most vigilant of travellers are susceptible to falling prey to travel scams, which is why it helps to know what to do if you’ve been had by scammers on vacation yourself. Once you realise you’ve been scammed, get yourself away from the situation to ensure your safety. Afterwards, try to gather as much evidence as you can in the form of photos, videos, and receipts so you can report the crime to the local police.
Do keep a copy of the police report, as you might need it to file an insurance claim. Speaking of insurance claims, you’ll want to sign up for a solid travel insurance plan well before your trip, as they can reimburse you for stolen items and cash. Plus, it serves as a great safety net in case of other travel-related emergencies. Other lesser-known travel insurance coverages include lost passports and damage to your home back in Singapore
If you’re a victim of credit card fraud, be sure to call up your bank or card issuer to block any further transactions. They’ll also be able to help provide services such as emergency cash advances or temporary replacement cards to tide you through the rest of your vacation.
Do also check in with your credit card company if they’ve got partnerships with the local banks in the country you’re holidaying in, as they might be able to coordinate cash withdrawals at these local banks.
Alternatively, use a travel e-wallet to store your travel funds, which can be stored on your smartphone. Even if your phone is stolen, it’s unlikely that thieves would be able to use them since transactions require a face or fingerprint ID to authorise.
When it comes to verifying the legitimacy of travel agencies, hotels, and money changers, Google’s your best friend. Search up the name of establishments on Google and have a look at some of the reviews left by previous customers. Other sites to consult customer reviews before jumping the gun include Tripadvisor and Booking.com.
We had a close call with a money changer attempting to scam our money during a trip to Bali.
As for money changers, your safest bet is to transact with money changers within the airports you’re landing at as those are most likely to be honest businesses. You probably won’t get the best rates, but we’d rather be safe than sorry. If you must deal with a local money changer outside the airport, try locating one that is officially licensed by looking out for any form of certification given out by the local government or police.
A general rule of thumb to go by is if a deal’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t. For example, if a stranger approaches you on the streets and beckons to you to follow him for cheap drinks in a nearby bar, think twice before following them, as they might be looking for a quick payday at your expense.
We’re absolutely spoiled by Singapore’s level of security and safety, which is why we’ve definitely heard holiday horror stories about friends and relatives getting pickpocketed during their vacations. If you don’t want to part ways with your money unwillingly, being more aware of where you stash your cash is a good start.
Avoid using your pants’ pockets to store your wallets, as those give pickpockets easy access to your money. You’ll want to secure your bags close to your body, perhaps by using sturdy metal carabiners to tether them to your belt loops. You can also opt for slash-proof backpacks to deter knife-wielding thieves, or money belts concealed under your clothes to safeguard your valuables.
Travelling by motorbikes is one of the most affordable ways to get around Indonesia, and many tourists rent them as an easy and affordable way to explore. Most also don’t check if you’ve got a drivers licence, making it an attractive option for even those who haven’t passed BTT.
Image credit: @yvonnemarianna.travels via Instagram
Although most rental companies are fine, watch out for a few black sheep with sneaky tricks up their sleeves. There have been cases of bike shops leasing out damaged bikes. Even if you’re lucky enough to avoid an accident, you might find yourself faced with a hefty repair fee upon your return.
How to avoid: Do your research beforehand to see if the rental company is reliable. Always do a test drive and take photos of any existing visible damages before heading off.
Thailand is “‘known as the land of smiles” because of its friendly locals. However, unlucky tourists might come across scammers who pull the “this place is closed” scam. This usually happens in touristy areas such as the airport and popular attractions.
Image credit: @_alicia_drt via Instagram
Common ones include:
How to avoid: Before you head to your destination, check online or ask the staff at your current accommodation to see if your destination is still open. Try to drop a call to the alleged closed hotel if possible. Also, take note of the Thai national holidays when attractions might truly be closed.
If you’re a budget traveller headed to Surabaya, take note that some of the hostels and hotels tend to say that their regular rooms – such as twin rooms – are fully booked and try to bump you up to the premium rooms instead for walk-in bookings.
How to avoid: Try saying that you booked your room through the phone weeks ago (even if you haven’t) and you might get a cheaper room.
In Bali, one common way to efficiently cover the attractions around the island is to book a day tour with a local driver. If you’re doing so, make sure to come up with a plan beforehand, instead of letting the diver pick the destinations, thinking you can get the “local experience”.
While I was backpacking there a few months ago, I was brought to expensive tourist traps – twice! One was to a hot spring with a pricey entrance fee of SGD$30 , while there were other hot springs in the area with better reviews online and entry fees a third of the one we went. The other was a fancy restaurant with really mediocre food; Both of which the drivers seemed to have commissions to.
How to avoid: To give the local drivers the benefit of the doubt, they might genuinely think that tourists enjoy fancier spots, but if you’re on a tight budget it’s best to let your drivers know exactly what you want in your itinerary to avoid any confusion.
Read more about Bali travel scams.
Drinking tea in a Chinese tea house is supposed to be a quaint and peaceful affair; unless you’re the target of a tea house scam.
Be on the lookout for over-friendly locals who invite you to sit down and have a pot of tea with them – a friendship that blossoms too fast, too soon. There are swindlers that team up with tea houses to draw tourists in for a tea session and then disappear, never to be found again, leaving you with an exorbitant pot of tea and a receipt with multiple digits in your hands.
How to avoid: Stay alert if a suspiciously-friendly person approaches you, and never walk into a tea house or restaurant that doesn’t have prices on the menu.
Gem smuggling might seem like a criminal heist straight out of a movie scene, but if you are headed to India, make sure to pay attention to this – lest you become an unknowing accomplice to a fake gem smuggle, and real fool to a prevalent gem scam!
The diddle is an intricate one targeting solo travellers, and usually flows like this: You’re approached by affluent-looking businessmen. They seem genuine, chatty and are fluent in English. Over the next few days, they invite you to hang out with their relatives and friends, all of whom are welcoming and friendly.
During meal-time conversations, they casually bring up their “work” surrounding gem exporting and offer to pay you thousands of euros to help them export their goods using your duty-free allowance, to avoid heavy government taxation.
You’re brought to a post office – as fake as the gems are – and once the deed is done, you get a call from the “Customs Department” (also fake) accusing you of avoiding taxation or stealing jewellery and you’ll be slapped with a (again, fake) fine in thousands of dollars.
It might seem like a scam no one could possibly fall for, but far too many tourists have gotten trapped in this sneaky attack.
How to avoid: Tell-tale signs of the gem scam include loopholes in the con men’s stories such as old-looking cars that don’t match their affluent appearances and ugly gems that no one in the right mind would pay thousands for. If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t!
This one is a trick that has swindled even the savviest of travellers. Prevalent in Delhi, but also present in other cities around India, fake government tourist centres are a neat trick that many tourists have unknowingly walked straight into.
With the appearance of a prim and proper office, these fake tourist centres are staffed with English-speaking employees from the government or India Tourism Board, or so they claim. They offer help in booking accommodation, transportation and attraction tickets, but charge a heavy processing fee.
How to avoid: Only refer to official websites and go to the only official tourist information centre aside from those in the airport – India Tourism Delhi.
You might be able to jump into any cab in Singapore, but in Vietnam, you should be careful of the fake taxi ploy.
Mai Linh Taxi is one of the legit companies in Vietnam.
Image credit: @vanquish9215 via Instagram
In major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are fake taxis that look like the real deal. Except, instead of charging you by the distance, the taxi meter will jump at the speed of light. By the time you arrive at your destination, you’ll be charged 8 times the standard fare.
How to avoid: Only hail taxis from reliable companies such as Mai Linh Taxi, Taxi Group, or Vinasun Taxi. Better yet, phone them up to book a car that’ll come pick you up at your doorstep. Grab is also available in Vietnam if you have Internet access. To be extra safe, you might want to have Google Maps on to make sure the drivers aren’t taking the scenic route.
Outside Bali temples like Gunung Kawi, some vendors may try to pressure you into buying or renting a sarong. Don’t fall for it.
In case you don’t already know, you’re required to cover your shoulders and knees before entering any holy sites in Bali as a sign of respect. That said, the majority of the temples includes sarong rental in your entrance ticket or lets you borrow one for free inside. So, unless you want to, don’t go splashing cash at the sarong kiosks outside.
How to avoid: Do your research prior to heading out. Search for keyword “sarong” and scan the reviews. You can also dress modestly and bring your own cover-ups. That way, you won’t need to rent a sarong at all.
If you and your mates are looking to indulge in the bustling nightlife on your next trip to Japan, listen up.
Called bar barkers, nightlife establishments such as izakayas or host clubs will employ staff to single out potential customers on the streets, oftentimes individuals who are already clearly drunk, to come in and have a drink. They’ll entice you with the prospect of being served cheap drinks, but once you’ve downed a couple, that’s when the scam happens.
This unfortunate Reddit user was slapped with a 15% midnight surcharge, 15% service charge, and a 10% credit card fee.
Image credit: u/Devodudududu via Reddit
When you decide to leave, you’ll find that your bill’s ridiculously high; that’s because the bar will charge you with hidden service fees, and the dirt cheap drink prices you were promised were nothing but a sham. You’ll then have to cough up the money, or the staff might resort to intimidation by bringing you to a nearby ATM if you can’t pay up right then and there.
How to avoid: Never follow a bar barker into any establishment. Instead, search up the more popular bars in the area on Google Maps that have good reviews. Those are the ones that will most likely be more honest with their prices. If you really want to play it safe, avoid partying in areas that’re known to be rife with bar scams, such as Kabukicho and Roppongi.
Along the streets in Paris, a common con man’s trick lies in a simple bracelet.
Reportedly a trick done mostly by gypsies, the scam is done as such: A bracelet is tried around your wrist when you aren’t paying attention. It’s often tied in a dead knot, making it almost impossible to remove and before you realise it, you’ll have to fork out 10 euros (~S$15) for this unwanted accessory.
How to avoid: Steer clear away from salesmen along the street holding colourful bracelets. If you see them approaching, put your hands in your pockets, and do not shake their hands.
Fake ticketing officers are pervasive in Paris and Barcelona. They are often spotted wearing lanyards with fake IDs and lurking around the ticketing machines.
There are 2 common ways they carry out their scams:
How to avoid: Always ask for help from the staff at the counter.
If a passerby bumps into you, spilling a drink onto your clothes, chances are it’s not an accident – and the person you bumped into? Not an actual passerby, but a pickpocket reaching for your wallet in the commotion. This is a popular trick, done all around Europe and parts of South America.
How to avoid: When the spiller offers to wipe off the mess for you, decline the offer and head to a private area like a restroom cubicle to clean up.
Image credit: @thepotatophil via Instagram
While exploring Austria, be wary of bogus policemen, declaring to be the “Polizei”. Common police scams include false accusations of minor crimes such as speeding, where you’ll be asked to show your passport and pay up.
How to avoid: Do not hand over your real passport. Always have a photocopied version on hand and threaten to call the police hotline by dialling 133.
There are a variety of scams that take place in John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), but a lesser-known one involves fake airport staff that look really official with formal wear, lanyards and all that jazz. They tend to offer tourists a hand in getting around the airport, seemingly out of goodwill but charge an atrocious fee for the service after.
Image credit: @the_hury via Instagram
My friend was scammed of USD$40 for simply getting directions to the SIM card store!
Other common scams at JFK include “broken” taxi meters and fake Uber rides with exorbitant prices.
How to avoid: Only get help from the information counter.
Times Square is a must-visit if you’re in NYC, however, first-timers might be in for a ride when faced with scammers along its busy streets.
Image credit: @love.laugh.lizunga via Instagram
While exploring the core of the Big Apple, look out for character mascots like Captain America, Spiderman, the Statue of Liberty and more. Some will invite you over for a photo-taking session, but what many won’t mention beforehand is that they charge a tip of USD$5-$10 for their service. Avoid taking photos of them as well as they’ll likely demand payment for that too.
How to avoid: Do not take photos with the costumed characters unless you’re willing to tip them.
Image credit: @wilson___chiu via Instagram
Throughout New York, one common trick that many tourists fall for is the mixtape scam where an “artiste” hands you a CD saying that he’s trying to promote his music, claiming it’s complimentary and gives you a customised autograph on it.
Once it’s signed, the deal turns sour and he’ll demand that you make a donation. Oftentimes, these CDs are also blanks.
How to avoid: Do not take or even touch the CD no matter what. If you’ve somehow taken it, put it on the floor and walk away. Head into a store with security if you’re being chased.
Wi-Fi is always a blessing…Or is it?
It’s tempting to connect to any available unlimited source of internet, however, keep a lookout for sketchy-looking WiFi providers that are miraculously:
There are hackers out there that lure you in with the prospect of free internet, and access your personal information when you’re connected.
How to avoid: Only connect to Wi-Fi from trusted sources, e.g. the internet service provider, cafe Wi-Fi with an official sign, password-protected Wi-Fi – or just rent your own portable Wi-Fi router.
There certainly are lots of travel scams out there to be aware of and it certainly pays to be equipped with the knowledge about them.
However, travel generally makes for an amazing experience. Not everyone is out to get you and you don’t need to be suspicious of every single person that comes along. Keep the possibility of scams in mind, but don’t let scammers stop you from chatting with genuinely nice locals whom you could even form lasting friendships with!
For more articles on scams, check out:
Cover image adapted from:
Originally published on 14th August 2019. Last updated by Khoo Yong Hao on 13th December 2024.
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