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Nobody plans to get scammed. It happens in the ninety seconds you spend arguing with a driver at midnight, or the moment you relax because a stranger smiled at you first. The tricks are old, well rehearsed, and they work because they target ordinary human behaviour: politeness, jet lag, and the fear of looking rude in a country where you don’t speak the language.
These are the travel scams every tourist should know before they book anything, with the specific details that give each one away.
The Meter That Isn’t Running
You land at 11pm. A man in a pressed shirt explains that the meter is broken, or that there’s a special airport surcharge, or simply quotes a number roughly four times the going rate. In Bangkok, an honest metered ride from Suvarnabhumi into the Khao San area runs about 350–450 baht with tolls. The “flat rate” offered at the kerb is frequently double that.
There’s a second layer to this one. A driver agrees to a suspiciously cheap fare, then announces that his cousin’s gem shop is on the way, or that the palace is closed and he’ll take you somewhere better. The ride was never the product. You were.
Practical defences: use a ride-hailing app so the price is fixed before you get in, insist on the meter in cities where meters are standard, and walk away from any quote you don’t like. There is always another car. Getting a feel for local transport prices before you fly is half the battle, and a proper trip-planning routine will have you checking airport transfer costs alongside your hotel booking. If you want a sense of how wildly transport norms vary between two cities in the same country, our breakdown of getting around Bangkok and Phuket is a useful reality check.
“The Temple Is Closed Today”
A friendly local strikes up a conversation outside a major sight. He’s delighted to meet you. Then comes the news: the attraction is closed for a holiday, or the monks are praying, or there’s a ceremony. But he knows a place, and a friend with a rickshaw, and wouldn’t you like to see the real city?
Ninety minutes later you’re in a tailor’s shop being measured for a suit you didn’t want, or a jewellery showroom where the “tax-free export price” is the scam itself.
This one runs in Delhi, Cairo, Istanbul, Bangkok, and half of southern Europe. The tell is simple: genuine locals do not approach tourists on the street with unsolicited itineraries. Anyone who opens with “where are you from?” near a landmark is working. Check opening hours yourself, and if a site really is shut, go and look at the gate before believing anyone. Our budget guide to navigating Old and New Delhi covers the specific hustles that cluster around Connaught Place and the Red Fort.
The Uniform That Isn’t Real
A man flashes an ID, tells you the area is dangerous, and offers to check your wallet for counterfeit notes. Or he claims you’ve broken a rule and demands an on-the-spot fine. In some versions, he counts your cash and hands back a thinner stack.
Real police do not inspect tourists’ money on the pavement, and they do not collect fines in cash on the street. If someone in uniform demands your wallet, keep it closed and offer to walk to the nearest station with them. That offer alone usually ends the conversation. Solo travellers and older tourists get targeted for this more often, purely because they look easier to intimidate. Our piece on travelling solo after retirement covers the confidence tricks that work on people travelling alone. In Egypt specifically, where this scam has a long history around the pyramids, our realistic guide to safety in Egypt sets out what’s genuine risk and what’s theatre.
Card Skimmers and the Currency Question
Skimming is quieter than the street hustles. A card reader at a small shop or a standalone ATM has been fitted with a false front that copies your details. Before you use any machine, wiggle the card slot, cover the keypad with your hand, and prefer ATMs attached to bank branches during daylight.
The 5% question you’ll be asked
At the payment terminal, you’ll be offered a choice: pay in the local currency, or in your home currency. Always choose local. Dynamic currency conversion adds a markup that typically runs 3–7% and it’s dressed up as a helpful service.
Rental Deposits and Damage You Didn’t Cause
A scooter in Thailand, a jet ski in Greece, a hire car in Portugal. The vehicle comes back and the owner finds a scratch that was already there, or a “broken” part, and your passport or deposit is suddenly the leverage.
- Film a slow, continuous walkaround before you take the keys, including the underside and the fuel gauge
- Photograph existing damage close up, with a timestamp
- Never leave your passport as a deposit, only a cash amount or card hold you can afford to lose
- Get the rental agreement in writing, even if it’s a handwritten note
Pre-existing damage is the single most common dispute, and your phone is the only evidence that will settle it.
Free Bracelets and Engineered Crowds
A bracelet is tied to your wrist before you can object, and then the price appears. Bird seed is pressed into your palm outside a cathedral, then the pigeon feeder wants paying. A group of children crowds you with postcards while someone else works your back pocket.
The pattern is a manufactured moment of obligation or confusion. Your move is to keep walking, keep your hands out of your pockets, and never let anyone put anything on your body. On packed metro carriages and in night markets, wear your bag in front of you and skip the back pocket entirely.
Booking Scams That Happen Before You Leave
Not every scam requires eye contact. Fake listings on rental platforms, “owners” who ask you to move the payment off-platform, and properties that are already fully booked on arrival are all common. So are cloned hotel websites that take a deposit for a room that doesn’t exist.
Pay by credit card, never by bank transfer, and keep every message inside the platform’s system. A little structure in how you research and reserve goes a long way here, and this step-by-step approach to planning a trip like a pro covers how to verify accommodation before money changes hands.
The First Hour After It Happens
If your card is compromised, freeze it from your banking app before you do anything else, then call the number on the back. Report the loss to local police and get a written report, because your travel insurer will ask for one, and insurers are strict about the paperwork. If a passport disappears, head to your embassy or consulate with a photo and a police report.
Don’t chase anyone. Nothing in your bag is worth a physical confrontation in a city you don’t know. Change your passwords from a different device, cancel the standing bookings, and give yourself an evening to be annoyed about it.
The most useful thing to carry is a little deliberate rudeness: the willingness to say no, walk away, and be the awkward tourist for ten seconds. Every scam listed here depends on you being too polite to do exactly that.
