Forewarned is forearmed: 40 of popular ways of cheating tourists
'16.07.2017'
Source: Geektimes
There are countries and cities in which tourists should always be on their guard as there is a high probability of becoming a victim of fraudsters. Moreover, resourceful criminals each time invent new and more unexpected ways of cheating travelers.
In the company's blog airbnb on Geektimes presented the most common types of fraud.
As you know, forewarned is forearmed. Read them and be careful on the street. If suddenly a stranger came up to you, take a closer look at him, perhaps he is a fraudster.
Even in “civilized” countries, you risk becoming the focus of attention to unscrupulous people.
Friendship Bracelet
Someone approaches you and offers a friendship bracelet. Regardless of your answer, they will try to take you by the wrist and try to wear a bracelet, asking for payment. It can also serve to divert your attention while an accomplice fumbles through your pockets.
Distributed: in Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Cairo.
Rose for your woman
At that moment, when you are with your girlfriend / wife / mistress, a man comes up to you and offers her a rose. Then he will ask for an incredible amount, and if you refuse, he will make you laugh at both greedy and poor.
Distributed: in Paris, Rome, Barcelona.
Ring found
Right in front of you, a woman “finds” a ring and asks if you have lost it. When you say no, she will examine him and report that it is of pure gold. And after that will offer you to buy it. And rest assured, the price will be much, much higher than the real value.
Distributed: in Paris.
Thrown into your arms baby
A woman comes up to you and throws her baby (usually a doll) right into your hands. When you pick it up in shock and try to figure out what is happening, accomplices fumble around your pockets or bag.
Distributed: in Rome.
Street Games
Eternal classics. A commonly used game is “thimbles”. Three or more glasses are used, which the “presenter” quickly moves across the table, seemingly in a chaotic sequence. You need to guess under which of them is the ball. Typically, this view is used to divert your attention while clearing your pockets or bag.
Distributed: in Paris, London.
Lost wallet
You see on the ground / floor wallet, as if stolen and thrown out. Passing by, you instinctively check whether your own wallet is in place. Thus, you show the observer where your money lies, to try to steal it later.
Distributed: in Rome, Ukraine.
The stain on your jacket
Someone quietly spills some kind of liquid (anything from ketchup to fake bird droppings) onto your jacket or jacket. Then you point to the spot and offer to help clean it up. When you give them clothes in their hands, their pockets are unnoticed.
Distributed: in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro.
Shoe Cleaner
A man drops his shoe brush right in front of you. When you pick it up for him, he offers to thank you for cleaning your shoes. At first it looks like a gesture of goodwill in gratitude, but at the end of the work you will be asked for money.
Distributed: in Istanbul.
Rosemary trader
An elderly woman offers you a sprig of rosemary, which is a symbol of friendship. She will grab you by the hand and will probably ask you to tell fortunes. After that, it will require money for services. And if you don’t pay, it will start cursing you and your family, very loudly and convincingly.
Distributed: in Madrid, New Delhi.
Photographer
When you are photographing, especially when you are portraying each other, a friendly-looking local offers to take a picture of you together. At best, he will then ask for money for help, at worst, he will run away with your gadget.
Common: throughout Europe.
Музыкант
A friendly and energetic person attracts your attention when you pass by, and asks you to rate his music by giving a seemingly free CD. He will tell you that you would do him a great service if you would let your friends and acquaintances in your homeland listen to his music. When you take a disk, he will ask for payment, and if you refuse, he and his accomplices will start bullying you until they pay.
Distributed: in New York.
Drug dealer
A taxi driver or a motor rickshaw offers you some kind of drug if you are going to a party or an evening walk. When you make a deal, a fake policeman appears, grabs you and starts to extort a bribe to get rid of the prison.
Distributed: Koh Phangan Island, Thailand.
Expensive taxi
Some taxi drivers will try to take advantage of your ignorance of the city or locality. They will choose a longer route, get stuck in traffic so that a larger amount will be accumulated on the meter.
Distributed: worldwide.
Night bus
You will be offered an incredibly cheap long-distance trip on a night bus. As a result, you will pay more than expected, since you will be charged a baggage allowance, and they will even steal something.
Distributed: in Bangkok.
Dropped and replaced
Taxi drivers, waiters, vendors, etc. “accidentally” drop your change and raise the amount that looks the same. But at the same time they substitute coins and bills for others of lesser value.
Distributed: in Asia.
Wheel
Rented cars often catch the eye of the locals. They pierce your tires in one way or another, and then offer to help replace the wheel. While your attention is distracted, an accomplice abducts your belongings from the salon.
Distributed: in San Jose.
Railway pickpockets
Crowded trains are one of the most popular places for “work” of pickpockets.
Distributed: in Europe.
Runaway taxi driver
When you arrive from the airport to the hotel, the taxi driver kindly pulls your luggage out of the trunk. He hurries, quickly gets into the car and drives away. And all because he did not take out one of your smallest and inconspicuous bags or suitcases.
Distributed: in Las Vegas.
Cashier with telephone
The cashier in the store pretends to be on the phone, serving you. But in fact, quietly photographs your bank card, then to make a copy of it.
Distributed: in Barcelona.
Slow counting
The cashier is very slow in counting your change and often pauses, in the hope that you lose patience and either leave or are relieved to take at least the change that is being counted for you much less than you need.
Distributed: in Europe.
Incredibly profitable decorations
A friendly taxi driver or a motor rickshaw says that the place where you are going is already closed and recommends you go somewhere else. When you arrive, you meet “by chance” another good-natured person who tells how he buys diamonds or other precious stones at a local jewelry store, and then sells much more expensive at home. His task is to convince you to buy jewelry, jewelry or even carpets, promising that you will sell them with a good profit at home.
Distributed: in Bangkok, New Delhi.
Sly doctor
During off-hours, the “doctor” offers you to buy a fake doctor’s license, asserting that with their help you can save good money on travel insurance. But all the insurance companies know about it and are not kept.
Distributed: in New Delhi.
Fake cop
A “policeman” comes up to you and says that a lot of counterfeit money has now appeared, so he needs to check your wallet. When he returns it, part of the money is stolen. Also, a “police officer” can ask for your passport or visa and pretend that there is some problem with your documents, asking for a fee for solving it.
Distributed: in Mexico City, Bogota, Bucharest, Bangkok.
Fake ticket
While you are standing in line at the cashier, one of the staff members (fake) comes up to you and offers more expensive tickets, but no queue. Tickets are later also fake.
Distributed: in Paris, London.
Local resident, eager to help
You are approached by a pleasant person who speaks Russian, and offers to help with an incomprehensible ATM or ticket machine. It looks like a disinterested help, but in fact it remembers your pin-code in order to steal a wallet with a bank card. Can run away with cash.
Distributed: in Europe.
Card Seller
For you fit and offer to buy a card. It is deployed in front of your face to show the goods face, but this is done to divert attention while stealing from your pockets.
Distributed: in Europe.
Beggar
Usually this is an old man / old woman or a pregnant woman, asking for your change from a store, shop or other establishment. Usually it looks harmless, but often their accomplices watch where you put your wallet. For the future.
Distributed: worldwide.
Free massage
When you lie relaxed on the beach, a man comes up to you and offers to have a massage. Even if you refuse, he will try to make a small massage as a “probe”, free of charge. But starting, he will try to do as long as possible, so that later he can charge you for a full session.
Distributed: in Barbados, in the Bahamas.
Flirtation
Attractive woman approaches a lonely male traveler and starts flirting. She will offer to go with her to a bar or club, and at the end they will bring you an utter bill.
Distributed: in Athens.
Pickpocket Warning
Pickpockets pretend to be benevolent locals and tell you that they have just seen someone steal a wallet or phone, and advise you to be careful. They are closely watching where you check a reclining phone and wallet. Later trying to steal them.
Distributed: in Europe.
Broken camera
Someone asks to take a picture of him or a group of his friends. This camera in your hands does not work, and when you return it, it is thrown so that it breaks. After that, they begin to demand compensation from you, and they can also rob you during a dispute.
Distributed: worldwide.
English Learners
Innocent looking girls hear you speak English and ask to help them practice their language. Their story soon turns into a tearful story, and they ask you for money. The same approach is used to invite you to a cafe and thereby thank you. The bill will bring insane, and the girls disappear somewhere.
Distributed: in Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an.
Free Peanuts
When you sit at a table in a cafe, a person approaches and offers peanuts, placing a vase with these nuts next to you. As soon as you touch them, he will ask for payment.
Distributed: in Rio de Janeiro.
Card
A poor-looking child gives you a pen and a postcard and asks for help writing a letter home. He talks about his poverty and provokes a feeling of pity in you to play on it and shake off some money from you.
Distributed: in Rome.
Petition for charity
A group of children, often pretending to be deaf, ask you to sign a petition for charity and make a donation. While you are reading the petition, their hands, hidden by folders, climb in your pockets.
Distributed: in Paris.
Gypsy
A large group of Roma children and teenagers surround you on the street and loudly and randomly ask you for money or other handouts. They can sell newspapers, opening in front of you and showing while others climb into your pockets and bags.
Distributed: in Rome, Milan, Florence.
Closed hotel
The taxi driver (in collusion with the scammers) says that your hotel is closed for renovation, but he knows another place where you can stay. This hotel is located in a disgusting area and much more expensive. Such places are often called very similar to popular hotels, in order to confuse tourists when they come to decide that the hotel is correct, and the photos of the rooms on the website were wrong.
Distributed: in Europe.
Fake call from reception
Captors of personalities call your hotel room and pretend that this is a call from the reception. Ask to confirm the details of your bank card. They can call in the middle of the night so that you are too lazy to go downstairs and find out everything.
Distributed: worldwide.
Check the numbers
Two “employees”, dressed in the shape of a hotel, knock on your room for a routine check of the premises. One distracts you by talking, the second steals what is in sight.
Distributed: in Barcelona, Madrid.
Fake menu
Under the door of the room they slip a fake menu, in the hope that you will call by phone in it and order something. You will not get anything, instead they will make a duplicate of your bank card.
Distributed: in the USA.
