Common Travel Scams

Watch out for some of those Common scams While youa??re often safer overseas than you are in your hometown, a few scams seem to pop up all over the world. Repeat the mantra: if it looks too good to be true, it must be too good to be truea??

Most points below we spotted on Lonely Planet web page – Some are relevant (for a change;-)

1. Fake police

Delivery erexin-v Sometimes also the real police, theya??ll demand to see your passport and find something wrong with your visa, but then suggest your troubles will all be over if you pay a fine. To them. In cash. Right now. Standing your ground and offering to accompany them to the station will usually see the error a??excuseda??.

2. Gem or carpet deals

On entry into a store, often prompted by an enthusiastic taxi or rickshaw driver, you will be offered a deal so preposterously lucrative that refusing it seems unthinkable. Think again a?? those gems are going to be worthless and the carpet you buy may not make it home at all. There are legitimate traders selling both jewels and rugs, and they dona??t act like this.

3. Airport taxis

Drivers taking you into town might try every trick in the book, from asking you for an inflated fare to driving around the streets to raise the price higher. This is usually harmless, but you should only travel with licensed taxis and, if you cana??t pay in advance, agree on a fee before starting out and dona??t pay until you get where you want to be.

4. a??This is closeda??

In some countries everyone from touts to taxi drivers will try to tell you that your chosen hotel, restaurant or shop is closeda??but therea??s another, even better one you should visit, where they can pick up a commission. This is more annoying than harmful, but always insist on having a look for yourself.

5. Surf Board rental scam

You shop around for the ‘best’ deal. The cheapest shop often turns out to be the most expensive. This how the scam works: A tourist breaks his board. The local mini mafia buys it. To make a ‘sign’ or so. Instead they patch it up again, gloss the joint over so that the repair can’t be spotted. First wave you catch snaps the board in half. Again. The rental guys come on heavy and demand huge sums for the previously ‘perfect” board. Rent from reputable shops only. And inspect the board carefully before accepting it. Look for lumps , chips, loose fins or other damage.

6. Motorbike scam #1

Living out your dream of riding a scooter for a day around the countryside quickly turns into a nightmare when the bike youa??re riding breaks down or you have an accident. The owner of the motorbike is quick to escort you and your damaged bike (which doesna??t look in that bad a state) to the repair joint of their choice, where the mechanic makes a grossly overinflated estimate of the damage costs. The owner of the motorbike insists you cover the costs, otherwise no customers will want to rent his bike. You shell out hundreds of dollars to cover the costs of the damage you possibly made, plus cosmetic improvements to the bike that you have now also covered for the owner. More than likely, youa??ve just lined their pockets with more cash than the locals would earn in a month. Take photographs of the bike before you start riding, preferably with the renter in them, so they cana??t blame you for imaginary damage costs to the vehicle. And dona??t rent from companies that are attached to hotels or guest houses.

7. Motorbike scam #2

The motorbike you have hired comes with a lock and two keys: you have one, and your rental company has the other. When you park the scooter and wander off, an enterprising person from the rental company arrives and a??stealsa?? your scooter, thus later requesting you pay a large sum of money to replace the a??stolena?? scooter. As you handed them your passport and you signed a contract, youa??re obligated to pay for it. Carry your own lock and key and an old passport to avoid getting sucked into this scam.

8. Bird shit

The surprising splat of bird shit landing on you from a great height is followed by the swift appearance of a stranger who towels you down. In the confusion, valuables are removed from your person, never to be seen again. Another variation on the same scam has someone a??accidentallya?? spilling mustard or other condiments on you.

9. Bar/tea shop scam

Notoriously aimed at male travellers, young local girls approach a tourist and, after gaining trust with some idle chit-chat, you agree to accompany them to a local bar/tea shop. Thrilled at the opportunity to converse with a couple of local lasses, you offer to buy them a drink. On receipt of the bill, the girls are gone, and all you are left with is a massive shock when you glimpse the sum total, which can amount to hundreds of dollars.

10. Hotel scams

As you hop off the train or bus into a strange town and into a waiting taxi, you ask them to take you to a specific hotel. Youa??re dropped off, hand over the money for several nighta??s worth of accommodation, youa??re persuaded to sign up for a number of day tours then escorted to your hotel room. The hotela??s unusually quiet and it doesna??t seem like the advertised atmosphere. Alarm bells ring: youa??ve been duped by the friendly local who talked to you on the bus, and the quick phone call he had to make was to the awaiting taxi, whose driver was very quick to escort you to the hotel of their choice. Like a well-oiled machine, they worked

together to ensure you handed over all your cash immediately, and fleeced you for a couple of tours while they were at it. Many hotels trade on the names of popular hotels and are rarely of the same standard, so make sure you check the name and address of the place before youa??re shuffled in to sign your life away. source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/themes/big-trips/ten-common-travel-scams/?intaffil=lpemail