Mark Orwell is no stranger to scams. This veteran traveler has lost money in a currency exchange in a Canadian coffee shop, been mugged by a “friendly” local in New York City, and tricked into attending a “student” art show in Beijing that turned out to be a bunch of peddlers with overpriced cheaply made souvenirs.
Although an international trip is always exciting, make sure you’re taking the necessary precautions to avoid getting scammed. Scams are as old as tourism itself, and scammers are constantly tweaking their strategies to trick foreigners. Before you pack your bag and head off for yet another adventure, check out these popular scams and scam-avoiding tips.
Free Show
Rick Steves reports that a scam called “The Stripper” is now happening in Europe. The scene starts with a vendor accusing a woman of shoplifting. As their argument becomes heated, the woman begins removing her clothes to prove her innocence. By the time she has finished slowly disrobing and the shopkeeper has apologized, you and many of the tourists around you will discover that your wallets are gone.
There are multiple variations of this scam. If there is a ruckus around you, be aware— it could be a planned distraction so hold tight to your valuables. Better yet, grab a secure neck pouch. LL Bean’s secure neck pouch has an adjustable neck strap and pockets with zippers to hold all of your valuables. Priced at $9.95, these pouches are a bargain and nearly impossible for pickpockets to grab.
Internet Cafes
If possible, bring your own smartphone or tablet while traveling so that you don’t have to use Internet cafes. Many hostels offer free Wi-Fi now and many mobile providers have eliminated roaming charges in 100 countries, making it more affordable to call home, according to Independent Traveler. Check with your service provider to see if they offer similar deals, or just buy a pay-as-you-go phone when you arrive in your destination country.
If you have to write home from an Internet cafe, try to avoid accessing sensitive banking data. If you do, try to block the screen with your body. According to Scam Detector, some of these establishments have a video camera trained on the screen in an attempt to get your usernames and passwords.
Some disreputable Internet cafes even have spyware or other software installed to harvest your info. Unfortunately, it is hard to detect whether or not this type of threat is on the computer so you’ll need to protect yourself proactively. An identity protection service like Lifelock can notify you immediately if there has been any strange activity on your accounts or your credit report. You can also get details on emerging scams when you follow the company on Facebook.
Motorbike
You’ve may have always wanted to drive around the Greek islands or the outback of Australia on a motorbike, but shortly after leaving the office the bike breaks down. Now, the shop owner is demanding hundreds of dollars to pay for repairs and he’s threatening to keep your passport if you don’t pay up. You can avoid this scam by taking pictures of the bike before you rent it and by only renting from trusted establishments.
Tread carefully as there are several versions of the motorbike scam, according to Lonely Planet. A second scam involves the bike being stolen (by a rep from the rental office with a second key). The owner of the rental office then tries to charge you for the stolen bike. Avoid this scam by downloading the TripAdvisor app so that you can read reviews from fellow travelers before renting a bike. Logistically, you should also bring your own lock to thwart theft and refuse to give your passport to the rental office— that way they’ll have less leverage over you.
This post was provided by Tim Wilcox, who calls himself an adventurous person who loves to travel the world.
