Avoiding Tourist Scams: 23 Real-World Tactics That Work

Almost every tourist scam follows the same pattern: a stranger approaches you, creates urgency or distraction, and asks for something — money, your wallet, your attention. Knowing the playbook is the only defense. Here are 23 specific schemes our editors have encountered across 60+ countries, and exactly how to avoid each.

Transport scams

1. The "broken meter" taxi

Driver claims the meter is broken and quotes a flat rate 2–4x the real fare. Counter: use ride-share apps wherever they exist (Uber, Bolt, Grab, Cabify, Didi). For non-app taxis, agree the price before getting in or insist on the meter.

2. The "long route"

Driver takes a deliberately roundabout path to inflate the meter. Counter: open Google Maps on your phone in the back seat. Drivers see the screen and stop.

3. The fake airport taxi

Touts inside the terminal offer "official" taxi service at 3–5x real airport rates. Counter: only use the marked official taxi counter or pre-book via the airport's website.

4. The bait-and-switch tuk-tuk

Common in Bangkok, Delhi, Marrakech: cheap fare quoted, then driver insists on a 20-minute stop at a "friend's" gem/silk/carpet shop. You're not obligated. Get out.

Money scams

5. ATM skimmers

Cards copied at compromised ATMs, PINs filmed. Counter: use ATMs inside banks during business hours; cover the keypad; check for loose card slots; prefer tap-to-pay on cards.

6. Dynamic currency conversion

Card machines abroad ask "pay in EUR or USD?" — choose the local currency. The "convenience" conversion rate is typically 3–7% worse than your card's own conversion.

7. Fake currency exchange

"No commission" booths in tourist areas use rates 8–15% worse than market. Use ATMs for local cash, not currency-exchange windows.

8. The pickpocket distraction

One person spills something on you, drops something, or asks for directions; an accomplice lifts your wallet. Counter: keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket or secure cross-body bag. Stay aware in crowds.

9. The ATM "helper"

Stranger offers to help with the ATM, observes your PIN, then watches where you go. Decline politely; don't let anyone get behind you at any ATM.

Authority scams

10. Fake police

Plainclothes "officers" demand to see passport/wallet "to check for counterfeit currency." Real police never do this in the street. Demand ID, refuse to hand over documents, walk to a marked station.

11. The "tourist information" tout

Outside major sights, men in lanyards approach selling overpriced tours. Real tourist info is inside buildings, marked, and free. Ignore the lanyard guys.

Street & market scams

12. Friendship bracelet

Tied on your wrist "as a gift", then payment demanded. Don't engage; don't allow anyone to touch you in tourist squares.

13. The petition

Group asks you to sign a petition (often for "deaf school"); accomplices pickpocket you while you read. Decline, walk away.

14. The rosemary sprig

Particularly Seville and Granada — women press rosemary into your hand "for luck", then demand money. Don't take anything offered.

15. The fake monk

Robed figures hand you a bracelet or card, then demand a donation. Real monks don't beg from tourists.

16. Three-card monte / shell games

Always rigged; the "winning" tourists are accomplices. Walk past.

17. The "free" gift / sample

Vendor presses a "sample" into your hand and then demands payment. Don't accept anything from street vendors.

Hotel & restaurant scams

18. The fake hotel call

Late-night "front desk" calls your room asking to re-confirm credit card details. Hotels never do this. Hang up and walk to the front desk in person.

19. The restaurant "fish of the day"

Server brings the fish unweighed, then charges by weight at 3x menu prices. Always ask for the price before agreeing.

20. The cover-charge surprise

Italian restaurants in tourist zones apply a coperto and "service" charge that wasn't on the menu. Read the menu's small print before sitting down.

21. The closed/relocated hotel

Taxi driver claims your hotel is closed/full and "knows a better one" (kickback). Counter: insist on going to your booked hotel, call the front desk to confirm if needed.

Booking scams

22. Fake "official site" hotel bookings

Google ads sometimes lead to lookalike domains that take your card and never book. Always check the URL matches the chain (marriott.com, hilton.com) — not marriottreservation-helpdesk.com. Book through your trusted comparison platform instead — when you book hotels worldwide through a reputable site you sidestep the fake-site risk entirely.

23. Vacation rental upfront payment

Anyone asking for full payment via wire transfer outside the platform is running a scam. Use only Airbnb/Vrbo's in-platform payment.

The general rules

1. If a stranger creates urgency, walk away.
2. If something is "free" or "a gift", it isn't.
3. Trust local apps (Uber/Bolt/Grab) over street-hail anything.
4. Keep a backup credit card and ID separate from your wallet.
5. Photograph your passport and travel documents to cloud storage before you fly.