Master List of Scams

There are a lot of individual threads about scams in specific places - but not one for all. (EMH pointed this out in his post about getting scammed in Istanbul). And I'd hate to think I'd fall for a scam in Poland that I could've known about if only I'd read the Asia forum about a similar scam in Cambodia.

SO. Scams. What do you know?

"I'm Lost" Distraction Scam

This happened in Buenos Aires to some folks at my hostel...

A group of people (3 or 4) got away from the crowds and sat down on the sidewalk to eat their lunch. The girl sat her purse down next to her.
Two older Argentinian women appear out of nowhere, asking for directions in broken English. The group found this very odd, but they were thrown off and tried to help. Meanwhile - a kid snuck into the girl's purse and yanked her wallet.

Bird Poop Scam
Also popular in South America (and maybe other places) is the "bird poop" scam. Someone squirts your bag with mayonnaise, someone else runs up to help you because a "bird pooped on you". They help you out of your bag to "clean it up", and then they run off with it.

The Bracelet Scam

I've only ever seen this one in Paris, but I have a feeling it might be found elsewhere too. A man comes up to you and starts chattering away at you while tying a bracelet on your wrist. He then demands payment for it. The base of the steps to the Sacre Coeur in Paris is a particular popular spot for this one.

Well, I wouldn't call this a scam, but I was walking down the Champs I;esee and this guy starts chatting me up and asking me several times where I am staying. We walk for a few hundred yards, and then he reaches over and firmly grips my left bottom cheek. I jump and say"hey" and he quickly walks away.

Afterwards i said to myself, "well you still got it for an old man, just the wrong sex"

We can call this the "grab ass" scam.

The onward ticket SCAM being perpetuated by US based airlines.

Ran into this one in full flame yesterday when the American Airlines ticket agent in Miami was going to refuse me boarding a flight MIA-SAL on a one-way ticket. This twit had the nerve to stand there & lie, saying that the Salvadorian government tells TSA that all passengers must have onward tickets so American Airlines is powerless to do anything but sell me an onward/return ticket.

I know this is a bald faced lie as I have flown into El Salvador twice in the past year (last time in March 2012) on one-way tickets, not to mention the numerous entries into C-4 countries by land with no onward travel.

The twit kind of did a double take when I handed her my residency card.

So beware US citizens of another abuse/money grab with your governments aid.

Needless to say I shall resume my boycott of all US airports/airlines but will now include all visits to the US!

Not necessarily a scam but NEVER EVER get into a taxi with someone you just met. No matter how friendly they might seem. I heard of someone who ended up getting kidnapped for several days. He chatted with a local on a bus and when they got off the bus the local suggested they take a cab together. Of course, the local steered them to a particular cab and the rest is history. If you decide to share a cab with someone, make sure YOU pick out the cab.

busman7 wrote:The onward ticket SCAM being perpetuated by US based airlines.

Yeah that one sucks but it's not limited to US airlines. I had to show proof on onward travel flying into the philippines on an Asian airline (which I fortunately had). The worst though was flying one way from Istanbul to Ukraine on a Ukranian airline. They checked me in no problem but minutes before boarding began I was told they couldn't let me board because I didn't have proof of onward passage. So I frantically bought a fully refundable ticket that cost me $3,000 (!!!). Well I got my money back since the ticket was fully refundable but it was still a pain in the ass.

On my RTW, when flying from Bangkok to Brunei, they accepted my Singapore to Oz leg as proof of onward travel as I was leaving the country by bus.

Go figure?

Most countries that have an onward ticket requirement don't often enforce it, particularly for people arriving by air. Airlines err on the side of caution because if one of their passengers doesn't meet requirements for entry to the destination country (e.g., no onward ticket, no visa), the airline must transport the passenger away at the airline's own expense. El Salvador legally requires an onward ticket for non-resident visitors who were not born in El Salvador, although I don't remember them asking me for my onward ticket the last time I arrived at a land border.

Taxi Scam

DO NOT GET IN AN UNMETERED TAXI, or one where the meter's off or "broken" (or agree on the fare beforehand if you know what it should be).

I've gotten scammed by this at home, for goodness' sake. A normal $15 ride from the airport to my house cost me $20 because the dude just pocketed the cash and there was no proof of what the fare should've been. I would've stood my ground and argued but it was after returning from an overseas jaunt and I was exhausted and beyond caring at that point.

Also, take a look at a map ahead of time. Some cabbies will run up your fare by "taking the long way".

Tea Ceremony Scam (in Shanghai)

Foreigners get approached by Chinese college-aged students, maybe for a photo at first, or harmless chitchat. Then they ask, "We've heard of a nice tea ceremony, want to check it out?"

After the tea ceremony, all agree to split the bill, and the bill is outrageous - the Chinese students complain as well, but oblige. You're then pressured into paying the amount, as well - which can be upwards of $100 or more.

In reality, the Chinese students work for the tea shop.

Read more about the Tea Ceremony Scam here.

In Phuket (and probably a large number of touristy beaches around a the world) there is a common scam of renting jet-skis to tourists, supposedly with insurance.
When the jet-ski is returned, they find a ding or scratch on it (and the hirer probably has no idea how it got there because it was there before they hired it).
Suddenly the insurance (which they’re probably paid extra for) does not cover this damage and the unwitting tourist is stung for large amounts of money, under threat of having the police called.
This also works for car and motorbike rentals too.

My own personal experience of Phuket was something slightly different but no less a scam. I wrote it up here.