30 People Warn Tourists About Common Scams In Their Countries

For tourists, there are a lot of subtle ways to be tricked. They are often seen as gullible and naive, basically an easy target for crooks, pickpockets, and con artists. But it also makes regular folk determined they can help boost their cash flow. So it leads to thieves stealing card details with ATM skimmers, cab drivers increasing their fares, shop clerks suddenly changing prices, or restaurant waiters offering specials that end up costing travelers an arm and a leg.

Tourist scams seem to be a global issue, almost like an integral part of our traveling experience. It begins to feel that wherever we go, we need to be on the lookout for crooked opportunists trying to lure out our hard-earned money. So we have to remain cautious and not overly trusting to protect ourselves and be sure we know what we’re paying for before handing over cash. And always, always count your change. Because if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

To learn more about travel traps and how to avoid our trusting vacationing selves from being taken advantage of, we reached out to the founders of a travel blog called Megan & Aram that’s all about visiting Scandinavia, the Eastern bloc, and beyond. The two friends, Megan Starr coming from Virginia, US, and Aram Vardanyan from Armenia, have a specific goal in mind — to share their passion for traveling through lesser-known destinations with like-minded enthusiasts.

"We do think that tourist traps are a problem and they vary depending on where you go in the world," the duo told Bored Panda. "But, we also think there is a big difference between what is truly a 'tourist' trap and what is a place youʻre 'more likely to be scammed'."

Megan and Aram explained that we have become conditioned to think that any place that attracts people from all over the world is a 'tourist trap.' "That is definitely not true! There is a reason that many people are visiting the Acropolis or Colosseum... but many refer to them as a 'tourist trap' simply because they are always crowded and have lines," they added.

While tourist swindles occur all over the world, in any country, to every kind of traveler, some places are more notorious for con artists to get their hands on our valuables. When asked about the vacation destinations where travelers should really try to have eyes in the back of their heads, the duo could name a few straight away.

"You will always find a lot of scams around popular tourist attractions (not necessarily tourist traps)," Megan said, adding that The Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, and Milan Cathedral were a few where she was bombarded with what felt like scams. "I also had a man try to pickpocket me around the metro at the Eiffel Tower — so it is not only scams to beware of, but these types of things too!"

Scammers and pickpockets may be watching your every move while you’re strolling around an unknown city. Larceny-theft cases are soaring in many different parts of the world, so it could seem that for the crooks, lifting phones and wallets with their sleight of hand movements is only getting easier. That’s why we need to stay on alert to prevent finding ourselves in situations that would leave a dark bruise on our holiday and our confidence.

When it comes to pickpocketing, Megan revealed a few precautions she takes when traveling. "I just swing my bag around front and am super diligent," she said. "And if someone comes up for a chat randomly, I just remain skeptical (which sucks but this seems to be how it often happens)!"

"I experienced the most forward of scams in India and Southeast Asia, to be honest," she revealed. "It was the typical tuk-tuk driver taking me around to shops to buy stuff without my consent. I was prepared for this as it is quite common and it didnʻt bother me. I knew people were just trying to make an extra buck." However, Megan stressed how important it is to be on guard when traveling, although she has actually experienced more hoaxes at home than on the road. You never know when you can fall prey to dishonest types, so try to be polite but stay careful.

Megan and Aram agreed that sharing information about tourist hoaxes online helps people protect themselves and their cherished treasures, and it allows travelers to prepare for their upcoming trips. "But we also need to ensure it does not scare people away or discriminate against the local people and traditions," they added.

"We think there is a large difference between someone trying a widely accepted scam (like the tuk-tuk drivers throwing in a souvenir shop for commission) to make a little extra money versus someone pickpocketing or screwing people out of thousands of dollars," the bloggers noted.

"Donʻt let the threat of scams scare you away from traveling! We have scams every day in our own societies... we just accept them as the norm!"