Avoid Scams While Traveling: Exploring Safely

Avoiding Scams

There are scams all across the world, most of which are painfully blunt and common.  Simply knowing about a scam can render it toothless.  Learn how to recognize and avoid scams while traveling.

For additional tools to stay safe, check out the Leftfade Trails Security Resource Page.

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Social Engineering Scams:

Social Engineering Scams specifically focus on leveraging a person’s reflexive behavior to rob them.  Guilt, politeness, compliance with authority, distracting commotions and rapid accusations are the hallmarks of these scams.

Tea Scam (Drink Scams)

This is a popular scam in China, but it can be done with any restaurant or bar.  An attractive young person speaking exceptional English walks up to a tourist.  They strike up a conversation in a charming manner, which eventually leads to an invite to a nearby café, restaurant or bar.  Once there, they ask what you’d like and order for you.  But when the bill comes out, the target’s order has resulted in an enormous bill.  The owner establishment demands you pay, and the tourist has little choice.  This is a two-man con with the establishment owner and the person who offers the invitation.

Avoidance:

The best way to avoid this scam is by never let someone else order for you.  Never order off a menu where prices aren’t clearly listed.  Don’t offer to buy people drinks or food off a menu you haven’t personally seen.  If you feel like this scam is happening to you, try to suggest a different venue you’re familiar with.

Taxi Scams

Taxis are the vehicle for more scams than almost anything else in the world.  Because taxi drivers work frequently with tourists, they are more accustomed to scamming tourists than any other job demographic.  Scams include luggage theft, using counterfeit money, not returning change after payments, driving to the wrong location to rack up a larger fare, taking alternate routes for a larger fare and many more.  

Avoidance

Avoid scams by avoiding taxis whenever possible, instead utilizing ride shares, trains, buses, companions in the area or traveling on foot.  If you are using a taxi, make sure it is officially recognized by the city, agree on a fare before getting in the vehicle and pay in exact change.

The Friendship Scam

One of the silliest scams in the world, this happens a lot in popular tourist zones.  A person asks where someone is from and ties a bracelet around their wrist, cleverly knotted so it cannot be easily removed.  They then ask or demand payment for your new string jewelry, usually at an exorbitant rate.

Avoidance:

This is a social engineering scam.  You can avoid it simply by being a little rude and refusing to have the string put around your wrist.  If it is put on, simply take the string off and hand it back.  If you cannot get the string off, retreat and cut it off.  The scam relies on the person being too polite to refuse demands.  

Bump and Grab

The most common scam in the world, the bump and grab is simply when a person bumps into you while a partner takes your wallet, phone or luggage.  

Avoidance:

Keep your valuables in a secure location, such as a safety-pocket beneath your shirt.  To protect your luggage, always stand with your backpack or suitcase between your legs.  If you are seated, never keep your phone openly on the table, keep your back against a wall when possible and “anchor” your bag by looping straps into a chair leg.  This can help a traveler avoid scams even while not paying attention.

Vehicle Inspection Holding Passport

This is a rental scam usually associated with vehicle rentals, such as golf carts, ATVs, motorbikes or boats.  A rental agency agrees to rent out a vehicle and holds your passport as collateral against damages.  This is a common and legitimate practice.  But when you return, the rental agency claims you have damaged their vehicle, and refuses to return your passport until you pay a hefty repair fee.

Avoidance:

Before taking the rental vehicle away, do a thorough inspection.  Use your phone to take a video, paying special attention to miles, scratches, previous damage and functionality features, such as headlight.  Be obvious about it so the rental agency knows you have video proof to assert your case later on.  If you reach an impasse, show them the video to support your word (but don’t let them hold your device).  

Shoe Shine

A shoe shiner or other street-side vendor drops something in front of you.  When you pick it up and hand it back, you’re offered a free shine.  Naturally, this gives the scammer time to illustrate their many woes and then ask for a large sum of money at the end of the service, which wasn’t free at all.

Avoidance:

Never accept “free” services after helping another person, particularly if the dropped item is audible.  It’s fine to hand back a dropped item like any person would, but don’t allow it to be a gateway into a scam.

Foreigner Discount

A foreigner enters a store where prices aren’t clearly labeled.  The man in front of them buys a water bottle for a small amount of change, but when the foreigner attempts a purchase, the price is tripled.  Jokingly called the “foreigner discount” this is a technique shopkeepers use to pad their profits.

Avoidance

This is at such a small cost, it hardly counts as a scam.  But to avoid the Foreigner Discount, purchase goods from stores with clearly labeled prices.  If you cannot, ask another customer, not the employee, what the price of an item is.  The employee of the shop likely won’t lie to a local, making the purchase fair.  It’s usually okay if you can’t avoid scams like this, as the monetary loss is very small.

Spilled Drink

This scam is very straightforward.  A person spills a drink on a tourist, and while drying you off and apologizing, your pockets are picked.  

Avoidance:

Control your knee jerk reaction to flinch away and accept help.  You’re already wet and a flurry of paper towels isn’t going to lessen the damage.  Always assume commotions are designed to be distractions for pickpockets.  Reclaim your personal space, keep your valuable in non-obvious spots and clear yourself up in a private area, such as a restroom. 

Fake Police

A thief in a fake uniform demands a tourist provide their identification and valuables on a fake infraction, such as counterfeit bills circulating the area.  They make a frontal, confident demand and leave with your goods.  Tourists are unable to recognize the uniform as fake and not confident when confronted.

Avoidance:

Never give anyone your valuables.  Ask for proper identification and insist that the situation be handled at a local police station.  

Social Tech Scams

Social Tech Scams are scams which use some form of technology to better steal resources from tourists.  They may be purely tech-oriented or use some form of social engineering.  

Juice Jacking

Juice jacking uses a public USB port for charging a person’s phone.  But while the device is charging, the USB port is downloading information or uploading spyware.  

Avoidance:

Carry an external battery for your device and a port-to-USB adapter for regular use.  Never plug your device into a loose cable for any reason.  It’s better to let your device die for awhile to avoid scams than risk getting hacked.

Fake Hotspot and Open WIFI

Open WIFI sources which connect automatically are unsecured and easily used by hackers as middlemen to track data.  Be cautious of locations which have WIFI services and a copy of the exact WIFI name nearby.  One is likely a fake network designed to mine data. Once a WIFI source has access to your device, the following attacks are possible.

• Man-In-the-Middle Attacks – A hacker intercepts transmissions between your device and a service, saving the information used.
• Evil Twin Attack – Usinga fake WIFI hotspot, a hacker manages a false internet connection through their own device to collect data.
• Malware Injection – A device connected to an unsecure network has malicious code or viruses uploaded
• Snooping and Sniffing – Using special software, this program tracks future data usage, such as browsing history, login details and account information.

Avoidance:

Only use wifi through protected sources that require passwords.  Keep your wifi connection off in areas where your phone or laptop might try to automatically connect.  Keep your firewalls, anti-spyware and protection software on at all times.

ATM Skimmers

An ATM Skimmer is a physical device put on an ATM or payment machine.  When your card is inserted, a skimmer collects your data and steals money from your account later on.

Avoidance:

Run your fingers over the base of a port on machines before using your card.  Always use ATMs inside banks with security.  Never use an ATM that openly faces a street or road.  Use cash whenever possible and keep an eye on your online banking account for suspicious activity.  

Ticket Scalpers

Generally an online scam, this involves tours or ferry tickets heading to different destinations.  In this scam, tickets are sold for ridiculous prices.

Avoidance

Only purchase tickets from official sites.  If you cannot navigate the official site due to language barriers, have a native friend help you out.  Alternatively, head to the physical office location and purchase your ticket from the front desk in person. Check out verified and safe booking recommendations by clicking here.

QR Code Scams

A QR Code is a code to be photographed which takes a person to a website or link.  A scammer may place random QR Codes in an area, expecting curious people to scan them.

Avoidance:

Never scan a QR Code in a public space.  The only exception to this might be a restaurant’s QR Code menu. 

Knowledge is the Bane of Scams

Though there are many scams out there, they’re primarily designed to prey on the untested and gullible.  Younger people are generally the target, as are overly touristy-looking individuals.  One way to handle these scams, especially those in the social engineering category, is to practice the appropriate distancing behavior.  Have a friend pretend to be a scammer and follow the actions listed in the avoidance sections to better resist scams.

Overall, an informed traveler is a much harder target.  Simply being aware can help a person recognize avoid scams while traveling. Stay informed and safe while on the road. 

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

The author of this page has fallen for an embarrassing number of scams and thwarted… well, two at least. Read about it online at Leftfade Trails Blog Posts

Reflective Sunglasses 

Reflective-lens sunglasses that shroud the eyes can help avoid unwanted eye contact.  They are brilliant for deterring hawkers and deflecting scam artists. Many travelers, myself included, prefer cheap sunglasses that can be lost and replaced easily. When in the US, I buy from SUNGAIT, since they’re ultralight, polarized and affordable. But while abroad, any shop which sells reflective sunglasses is fine.