The fear of getting scammed while you’re on vacation shouldn’t keep you from your dream travel destinations. Your vacation is the time for you to relax (but not too much) and unwind! Learn about how to recognize a travel scam so that you can have peace of mind while on your travels!
Beware of “Too Good To Be True” Deals
Have you ever received an email that claims you won an all-expense-paid trip even though you haven’t joined any sweepstakes? Or maybe you’ve come across a vacation rental smackdab in the middle of the city that’s readily available and way cheaper than you expected.
When a deal presents itself as “too good to be true”, it probably is. The free trip scam is a type of travel scam that could be from scammers who want you to click on a link so they can get into your computer, or worse. That vacation rental might ask you to pay upfront which you happily agree to because it’s so cheap, only to find that the property doesn’t exist or is already occupied by someone else. Before you know it, you can’t contact the property owner, you’re out of cash, and you still don’t have a place to stay!
What to do:
It’s best to book your trips on official websites whether it’s a tour, hotel, or transportation. Always be wary of emails, Instagram DMs, or even ads that offer “unbelievable deals”. There are a lot of bad people who profit off of someone who just wants to go on their dream vacation.
Pay Attention to Payment Methods
Whenever a vendor insists on you paying them with non-traceable or encrypted payment methods, this should raise some vacation fraud warning bells in your mind. These payment methods can include cryptocurrency, gift cards, and difficult-to-track wire transfers.
What to Do:
It’s best to use a credit card as your go-to payment method as it limits your liability whenever you make a fraudulent purchase as you can dispute it later on depending on your bank’s policies. As a bonus, you can get rewards or miles with a designated travel credit card!
Trust Your Instincts
Your brain is always on the lookout for red flags when you’re in an unfamiliar situation. If you start getting suspicious, feel uncomfortable in any way, or even just get a bad vibe, it could be your subconscious telling you that something is wrong.
For example, this could present itself to an overly friendly stranger who “wants to help” by recommending local restaurants or offering to take your picture for you.
What to do:
If your gut tells you not to trust this person, listen to it. Walk away at the first sign of a red flag and get to a safe location with plenty of other people. This might seem like an overreaction, but your safety should always be your top priority. No one’s ego or hurt feelings are more important than your life!
Do Your Research on Your Travel Destination
Check travel blogs, forums, or Reddit threads where other travelers discuss their experiences. Familiarize yourself with the most common tourist scams pulled in the area so you can have a heightened awareness of when it happens to you!
Types of Travel Scams
1. Overly-friendly Locals
Another thing to look out for is when a local seems a little too eager to be your friend. It might seem like a travel goal to befriend someone from the city and have them tour you around. However, not everyone has your best intentions in mind. There have been plenty of horror stories that start with someone just smiling politely at a stranger and then ending up without their wallet, passport, and pocket money.
These are a few examples of schemes that are usually pulled on unsuspecting tourists:
“What time is it?” travel scam
A stranger, usually attractive and speaks fluent English, walks up to you and asks you for the time. Before you know it, your watch, phone, and wallet have been snatched by their accomplice who was waiting for you to get distracted.
What to do:
Don’t let anyone come near your personal space and keep an eye on your things whenever someone you don’t know approaches you.
Free friendship bracelets travel scam
A charming local walks up to you and places a friendship bracelet on your wrist or a sprig of rosemary in your hands, insisting that it’s a gift. As soon as you accept, they’ll pull a 180 on you and tell you that it costs an exorbitant amount. They might resort to yelling and cursing to get you to cough up the money.
What to do:
Most people who aren’t aware of this tourist scam might pay up just to avoid the scene, but it’s best to firmly decline their gift and walk away when they start a fuss.
Spilled drink travel scam
This usually happens when you’re dining out, possibly in a dim and crowded location like a restaurant or a bar. A passerby will “accidentally” spill their drink on you, apologize profusely, and attempt to wipe off the mess. While you’re distracted, this person might then take off with your purse, phone, and any other valuables on the table.
Another iteration of this common tourist scam would be a helpful local telling you that you’ve stepped in dog poop and offering to take you to a shoe shiner that they know. They could also be working with an accomplice who will do the stealing while they distract you.
What to do:
Do not let anyone, especially strangers, near your person. Keep hold of your belongings and excuse yourself to a nearby restroom to get cleaned up.
“Can I take your photo?” travel scam
If you’re traveling alone and wish to take some Instagram-worthy photos then you might want someone else to hold the camera for you. Be wary of friendly strangers who offer to take your photo for you. They might take off with your expensive camera or phone before you get a chance to strike a pose.
What to do:
Ask people such as staff members or other tourists to take your photo for you. Avoid walking around with your camera out. Never let a suspicious stranger touch your belongings.
2. Accommodations
There have been instances where tourists and travelers have fallen victim to hostel and vacation home scams. As mentioned earlier, a rental that’s marked way below the market value should raise some concerns.
A scammer might list an accommodation that isn’t their own so that by the time you get there, they would have pocketed the cash and some other traveler would be staying at your suite. Even worse, they might list a vacation home that never existed in the first place!
Avoid these vacation scams by only booking your stay on the official website or page of your desired accommodation.
3. Transportation
So you’re in a foreign city, you don’t speak the language, and you just want to get to your hotel in time for check-in. But then, the cab driver tells you that the hotel you mentioned has been closed down and he can recommend a different one for you to stay at.
When you get there, it’s rundown, and suspicious-looking, and their rates are criminally high. It’s unfortunate, but this type of scam and other iterations of it have happened before.
The hotel owner might be in cahoots with the cab driver to scam travelers and “drive” unsuspecting customers to their location. Chances are the first hotel you booked isn’t closed down and is patiently holding on to your reservation.
Another thing to look out for is when your driver tells you that the meter is broken and tries to broker a deal with you instead. Avoid these situations by insisting that they use the meter or negotiate a fair price beforehand.
You can also ask the staff of your hotel what the average price would be to get from your location to your desired tourist spot. If the driver insists, step outside of the vehicle and find another cab. Not all cab drivers are scammers, so it’s better to be discerning when it comes to these types of situations.
Now, if you’re a more adventurous traveler and want to act more like a local, then you might opt for public transportation. There are some dangers in this as well such as pickpockets, gropers, and ticket scalpers. Make sure to book your train, bus, or boat tickets in advance whenever possible and familiarize yourself with the route in order to avoid any sticky situations.
4. Cyber Scams
On top of free vacation scam emails, there are plenty of online travel scams that you can fall victim to. Although these scams are less likely to happen, there’s still a non-zero chance that they might. The most common types of cybercrimes that can happen to travelers include:
- Phishing and vishing
- Card and ATM skimming
- Fake WiFi hubs
Pay attention before inserting your card into an ATM. Inspect it for signs of tampering or haphazardly placed hardware. Avoid connecting to public wifi whenever you’re traveling.
If you have to, make sure you have a trusted VPN that can protect and secure your data from breaches.
In conclusion, getting scammed can be a huge bummer, especially during a trip you were looking forward to.
However, the fear of falling for a travel scam shouldn’t give you anxiety or keep you from your dream destinations.
This guide is meant to give you peace of mind, keep you well-prepared, and help you understand what you need to do when the situation arises.
Don’t let fear get in the way of your next big adventure!
Good Vibes and Happy Travels!
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