5 Major Travel Scams That You Must Know And Avoid

5 Major Travel Scams That You Must Know And Avoid

Tourism scams are disrupting the industry globally with most tourists getting scammed one way or another. Scammers are becoming more manipulative, misleading travelers to different traps to pay higher prices for different services.

Be it public transport, local ride-sharing, accommodation, or even restaurants, there are very high chances of encountering a scam. These might sound discouraging for your travel plans, but knowing all the possible scams and rip-offs ahead of your travel can help you avoid them.

Here are some of the most common yet disturbing scams that you must know and avoid while traveling.

Transportation Scams

Travel scams mostly start with transportation, since travelers need some sort of commute to reach their destination. From flights to airport transfers, they are mostly riddled with some sort of scams.

It may come as a surprise to you but scammers are becoming highly active in running their campaigns for flight bookings. They design exactly mirrored websites of famous flight and transportation companies to lure travelers. Plus, the prices set on these fake websites are extremely cheap with a twist of sales copy, that can easily convince someone traveling on budget.

If the prices are looking too good to meet your travel expectations, then you should steer clear from these at all costs because these are most likely scam schemes.

That is why you should always pay close attention to the websites and applications where you are making a booking and reservation. Experts recommend avoiding any cheap service recommendation that is suggested from social media, emails, or messages. Falling prey to these clever fraud tactics will not only cost you money but can also put the overall safety and experience of your family and group travel at risk.

Always ensure booking from trusted and double-checked travel websites to avoid any direct fraud. It is easy to avoid flight scams, but public transportation scams can get a little tricky. You may also encounter scams like overpriced taxis, rides, or public transport.

These scammers can easily do fraud by pasting a hidden fee to the invoice, but in reality, those are never intended to be taxes or hidden fees but straight scams.

One of the best ways to steer clear of all the transportation scams is by planning and booking ahead of your travel. Find reliable transport that comes with safety, amenities, and personalized costs for your travel.

For instance, you can opt for a luxury minibus or a private coach hire that will cater to all kinds of group travel. These private hiring services will save you from dangerous scams and aid in hassle-free travel.

Cash Change Scams

Cash change scams are also famous among tourist-focused locations and can get out of hand if you have a large banknote but a small transaction. Usually, these scammers would return you a wrong change, or torn banknotes. Meanwhile, they also try another way around by switching the change and making some banknotes disappear in the process.

In this case, you must pay close attention to your cash paid and the change received. One of the best tips is to always have the change in hand, so you can pay the required amount and avoid any change in return. Most bank ATMs offer smaller denominations of banknotes that can help you with your transactional needs while traveling.

Avoid Free Items Or Gifts

The word “free” often grabs our attention and that is the first step completed for the scams and frauds out there. Free items are a major tourist trap that often leads to paying excessive money for useless items.

You may encounter sellers of bracelets, flowers, or exotic stones. Someone will approach you out of nowhere and will offer gemstones, flowers, or bracelets for free. In this case, it is not a good idea to even touch those items as these scammers will force you to purchase them.

These scammers study your body language and will force you to make some sort of transaction when in fact it does not bring you any value but a risk of losing your belongings.

Closed Attractions or Accommodation

Closed attractions or accommodations are another famous trick that scammers use to lure tourists. They intend to rip you off your money, but it often leads to a dangerous road. In short, these scammers notify travelers if a specific hotel or attraction is closed for a national holiday, undergoing maintenance, or is no longer in business.

Considering if you are traveling to a destination for the first time, it might sound convincing to a local who speaks your language. But in reality, there are higher chances of it being a scam. If you have already booked your accommodation or transportation, then you do not need to listen to these scammers. Instead, you can call the hotels to confirm your reservation.

Spilled Drinks Or Mud

Scammers would often cross the limits and would intentionally spill a drink on your clothes or mud on your shoes. Sometimes they also work in a group with one scammer spilling drinks on your clothes while another helps you clean the stain.

Since this trick will catch you by surprise, these scammers will divert your attention from your belongings and can easily steal or pickpocket. This is not the only way they will scam tourists. Once they have spilled on your clothes, sometimes these scammers will offer cleaning jobs to rip off a huge amount later.

Be mindful of your surroundings and simply walk away from the scene if you encounter a spilled drink or any other disgusting tactic of scammers.

Final Thoughts

With the ever-changing landscape of the travel sector, avoiding scam situations is not possible. But protecting yourself by learning about these properly is entirely possible. You will always encounter these fraud schemes ready to drain your wallet. But focusing on the right practices of planning your travel, booking the accommodation ahead of time and mindful spending can help you to steer clear of these scams.