{"id":45929,"date":"2018-12-28T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2018-12-28T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=45929"},"modified":"2025-02-24T04:38:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T09:38:56","slug":"avoid-travel-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/avoid-travel-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Major Travel Scams to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

On my first big trip abroad I got scammed twice on the same day. <\/p>\n

My friend Scott and I had just arrived in Thailand<\/a>. We were in Bangkok<\/a> trying to find a boat cruise to take us up and down the Chao Phraya River. A taxi driver suggested this one company; we went there and found out that an hour-long tour was only $30 USD. <\/p>\n

Not even thinking about whether that was a deal or not, we agreed. To us \u2014 still thinking about prices back home \u2014 that offer seemed like a fair price. It was only as the boat tour ended early that we realized we might have been ripped off (later on, we found out that we paid double the price).<\/p>\n

Then, after lunch, we wandered over to the Grand Palace. When we got there, we didn\u2019t see any crowds. We looked down the left side of the palace, then over to the right. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is everyone?\u201d I asked. <\/p>\n

An enterprising tuk-tuk driver came over to us and told us the palace was closed for lunch. Scott and I looked at each other. Maybe that was right. After all, many museums sometimes do that, plus we didn\u2019t see anyone around. It seemed feasible. He offered to take us to a few that were open.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d we replied \u2014 and found ourselves visiting not only a few temples but also a suit shop, a gem shop, and a souvenir shop.<\/p>\n

Afterward, he took us to the palace (which was unsurprisingly open). It was then we realized that it had never been closed \u2014 we had just been on the wrong side of the building.<\/p>\n

We had been scammed. <\/p>\n

My life as a traveler was not off to a good start.<\/a><\/p>\n

Travel scams are real \u2014 and they vary from country to country. If you are carrying a travel guidebook<\/a>, it will list the most common scams in that specific country.<\/p>\n

To help you stay safe, today, I want to give you a list of common travel scams to avoid. <\/p>\n

Avoiding travel scams requires a lot of common sense and a healthy dose of suspicion. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! <\/p>\n

Here are some of the more universal scams you’ll want to avoid:<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

1. The taxi overcharge<\/h3>\n

This is one of the most common travel scams out there. Either the driver will tell you the meter is broken and try to charge you a huge rate or you\u2019ll see the meter go higher and faster than usual<\/p>\n

To avoid this scam, first, you need to know how much a ride should<\/em> cost. I always ask the hostel or hotel staff<\/a> what a ride should<\/em> be so I have a frame of reference. <\/p>\n

Next, if the cabbie tries to negotiate the rate with me, I offer him the correct rate. If he refuses, I find someone who will put the meter on. If the meter seems to be going up too quickly, I have them pull over and I get out. Many tourism boards let you report bad cab drivers so be sure to always make a mental note of their ID number when you get in the cab.<\/p>\n

When in doubt, ask your hostel\/hotel staff to call a cab for you. They will know which companies are reputable.<\/p>\n

And never get in an unlicensed cab \u2014 no matter how amazing the deal is!
\n <\/p>\n

2. Your accommodation is \u201cclosed\u201d<\/h3>\n

This is another cab-driver-related scam. In this scam, your driver will tell you your hotel or hostel is overbooked or even closed. It\u2019s not. I mean, you wouldn\u2019t have booked it if it was, right? Just ignore them and insist on going there. If they keep trying, continue to insist. They will usually shut up about it.<\/p>\n

And while this seems like a scam no one could possibly fall for, people do. I\u2019ve been in many cabs where they insist my hostel has been closed for months.<\/p>\n

A note on taxis: <\/strong>In this smartphone era, we have our power back. We\u2019re no longer helpless because we can look on a map and see the actual correct route. I like to look on Google Maps and see what the best route is. If it looks like they aren\u2019t taking it, I\u2019ll usually point to the map and insist they go that way. (I once left a taxicab in Bangkok because he tried to pull a fast one on me by taking a longer route.) <\/p>\n

These days, I always have data thanks to cheap eSIMs<\/a>, but if I won\u2019t have phone access for whatever reason, I download the map onto my phone. Your phone\u2019s GPS will work even if you don\u2019t have a connection. Additionally, ride services like Uber place accountability on drivers, which greatly reduces the likelihood of you being cheated.<\/em>
\n <\/p>\n

3. The shell game<\/h3>\n

I see this one all the time \u2014 how people fall for it I\u2019ll never know. It\u2019s such an old and obvious scam. It\u2019s in movies, for heaven\u2019s sake! You\u2019ll see people on the street playing a card game (sometimes known as three-card Monte) or hiding a ball in a cup and someone guessing where it is and winning money. Then you decide to play \u2014 and you win! Thinking this is great, you bet more money…and then you lose \u2014 and lose again and again.<\/p>\n

Here’s a short video on how the trick works:<\/p>\n