Comments on: 18 Major Travel Scams to Avoid https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/ Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:38:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 By: Vida https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1770459 Fri, 22 Oct 2021 17:32:16 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1770459 We were scammed in Puerto Rico in October 2021 by a Taxi Driver,
In the taxi for two minutes going to New shopping Mall from Amadoris
to Puerto Rico. We were told by Jet2 it would be about 3 Euros but we
we’re charged 15 Euros. After this happened we went on foot several
times. I have now read on the internet some of these taxi drivers are like
the Mafia.

]]> By: Jim Thompson https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1765791 Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:10:55 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1765791 The #10 Found Ring scam is not as common anymore as it once was because it was used so much it got a reputation. However, the reputation didn’t come from it being reported as much as a randomly found ring as described here. The scam as was adapted and put into circulation in NYC in the mid-1080’s basically was a scam involving two persons upon the intended buyer, a convenience store employee or store owner/operator/cashier. How it went was that the first scammer would enter the store, casually drop a ring onto the floor, and reach down to pick it up as if they had just found a lost ring, then ask the cashier if they knew anything about the ring. While explaining the found ring, the store would receive a phone call from the second scammer pretending to be a “previous customer” from a half hour earlier in the day etc etc The “previous customer” on the phone would explain to the store owner/employee that they had just bought the ring earlier that day as a wedding ring for their wedding very soon and because the ring was so new that the ring was not yet insured and it had cost them two or three thousand dollars etc etc… The “previous customer” would further explain to them that if they could locate the ring and hang on to it until the “previous customer” came to pick it up that they would pay them $500-$1000 cash, rather than file a police report and get the store they bought it at to verify the purchase etc etc.. The store owner/employee would agree and then offer the “ring finder” an initial offer of $$$ and possibly haggle up to as high as $300-$350 to “buy” the ring outright from the “ring finder” with the intention of recovering that $$$amount from the $500-$1000 they expected to receive from the “previous customer” who by then had hung up and was “on the way” back to the store… This scam was notorious in the U.S. northeastern region and spread like wildfire during the early-to-mid 1980’s then was virally carried down south, especially into south florida where it was reported to have been hustled targeted at new/inexperienced first time convenience store owner/operators many/most of whom were immigrant or naturalized citizens not born or raised since birth in the U.S. and were easy prey for this sting operation favorite of seasoned con artists.

]]> By: Rik McDonald https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1763166 Tue, 31 Aug 2021 08:53:50 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1763166 In reply to Julie.

Sometimes Thais will switch 1000 baht bills and give you a fake.
Take a photo of your good bill with your cell phone or copy the serial number.

]]> By: Andrew https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1725332 Thu, 10 Jun 2021 13:18:28 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1725332 A restaurant owner tried to scam me in Malta in 2004. Can’t remember all the details, but basically I paid in € and I was given like 10 Maltese liras short (more than 20 €).
When I realized, I immediately got back into the restaurant and started to argue. He was like “Our rate is different from that of banks”, to which I replied: “I thought this was a restaurant not a currency exchange.” I then added: “Anyway, arguing is pointless, let’s call the police and see what they think of your personal exchange rate.”
Exactly three seconds later, his wife came up to me and rudely gave me a 10-lira note.
Case closed and an epic fail in front of their customers.

]]> By: Brenden https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1659807 Thu, 18 Mar 2021 00:18:33 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1659807 In reply to Ellen.

DR is likely Dominican Republic and I think B.A. might be Barcelona but I’m not sure.

]]> By: Ellen https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1633176 Fri, 22 Jan 2021 13:08:24 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1633176 In reply to Andrew DC.

What are B.A. and DR?

]]> By: Mark Wood https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1600515 Sat, 07 Nov 2020 15:50:09 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1600515 In reply to Jacqueline.

Thanks for the tips. I am planning to go to Singapore this year. Hope these tips will help me.

]]> By: Christopher Downs https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1542582 Tue, 02 Jun 2020 21:42:26 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1542582 I got hit by the petition girls near the Eifel Tower. Two young and pleasant girls had a conversation with my wife and me and we each signed one of the petitions. One of the girls demanded money. It was a decent scam so I gave one girls a euro coin and then we started to leave. The other girl cried out “what about me!”. I told her to split the euro with her friend. An interesting experience that cost only one euro.

]]> By: Steph https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1457160 Sun, 05 Jan 2020 05:49:37 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1457160 In reply to Marilynn.

Yes, the service stations in Mexico are one to watch out for. My Mexican friends warned me that this even happens to Mexican nationals. So when I stopped to fill up and realized I was being overcharged, I firmly insisted on the correct amount. I pulled out my phone to use the calculator, thinking I would prove it, but when the attendant saw the phone, I can only assume he thought I was going to call the authorities. He immediately conceded, I paid what was actually owed and left without any further issue.

]]> By: CK https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/avoid-travel-scams/#comment-1449442 Sat, 21 Dec 2019 05:39:27 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=45929#comment-1449442 In reply to Francis.

3 weeks ago in Managua, Nicaragua, a guy approached me and ask for money to travel to his home town on Corn Island. He told me in perfect US English that he just had been deported from the US because of a fellony and been dropped at a petol station close bye without money. I just told him to ask local people to help him and walked off without looking back. This happened 30 meters away from 2 police officers!

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