Russell Hannon - April 22, 2017
Have you ever been scammed while traveling? It's happened to me more than once. After a trip to London, I returned home to a credit card statement showing someone, somehow, charged $1,400 for a flight from Singapore to Kuala Lampur in Australian currency. I have no idea how the culprits got my credit card information (although I suspect it might have happened when I bought a few trinkets in a gift shop), and the credit card company never did tell me if they caught the thieves.
The good thing about using credit cards while traveling is you aren't personally on the hook for fraudulent transactions charged to your card. In my case, the credit card company had me sign an affidavit attesting that I didn't make that purchase, the charge was waived from my credit card, and that was the last I heard of it.
It isn't a stretch to say that millions of travelers will be scammed this year. The sorts of scams you should look out for vary depending on where you go, but there is one thing all travel scams have in common - they are designed to get your money.
As a traveler, you are easy prey to scammers for a number of reasons:
- You tend to be more liberal with your wallet. If you get overcharged, you are more likely to go along with it than you would at home in the name of "Not letting this ruin my vacation."
- You tend to let your guard down when traveling. Let's face it, you aren't thinking about scammers as your feet are settling in the sand.
- In many underdeveloped countries, the average tourist is rich by local standards.
- Tourist traps are treasure troves for scammers. They offer a pipeline of unsuspecting travelers who, once scammed, forever leave, with more to come the next day.
As you plan your next trip, here is a list of travel scams to look out for, where to look for travel scams prevalent at your travel destination, and how to protect yourself. You can also CLICK HERE to hear me discuss this on Calgary 770 News Talk Radio:
Demanding Money After the Fact
Scammers are increasingly clever at masking their pressure tactics as generosity until you accept their offer of a lame trinket or to take a picture with you. During a stroll along the beach in Boracay, I came across an impressive sand castle with lit candles built into it, and the moment I snapped a picture, a kid came from out of nowhere aggressively demanding money on the grounds that I took a picture of his castle. I refused to give him anything but my friend gave him some money.
Overcharging Taxis
During that same trip to the Philippines, I almost fell for another scam where my taxi drivers almost routinely suggested we turn the meter off and set a flat rate. I might have gone along had my local friend not been with me. Apparently they do this so they can overcharge you, and my friend insisted they drive with the meter on or we would be getting out of the taxi.
I wasn't so lucky in the French Riviera where my taxi driver took me from the Nice airport along the Promenade des Anglais (my hotel was the other way). He went to such great length to show me the strip and was such a good speaker I almost didn't mind when pretended he misunderstood which hotel I asked him to take me to. I knew he was playing me, but he was so nice that I caved and paid him the full fare. I now refer to him as the 'Nice Nice Scammer.'
*On the subject of getting around, I never use pedi cab drivers (bicycles pulled by a runner) as they are overpriced, and friends of mine encountered a situation where they were told after the fact the price they were quoted was "per person".
Bike Rental Scams
The following scenario is unlikely to happen to you, but it is known that some bike rental vendors in touristy areas have sent someone to follow the cyclist who knows the combination of the lock provided with the bike, and when it is unattended, they steal the bike back, leaving you to have to forfeit your deposit for not returning it.
The following scenario is unlikely to happen to you, but it is known that some bike rental vendors in touristy areas have sent someone to follow the cyclist who knows the combination of the lock provided with the bike, and when it is unattended, they steal the bike back, leaving you to have to forfeit your deposit for not returning it.
Credit Card Scams
Don't let vendors handle your credit card beyond your line of sight. (Same applies with cash, once they take the bills you give them beyond your line of sight, do not allow them to return that same bill to you on the grounds that it is counterfeit. In this scenario, the chances are they switched your legitimate note with a counterfeit bill.
Don't let vendors copy your credit card with old school carbon copiers as that gives them a permanent written record of your credit card information.
As tempting as it may be, resist the temptation to run a tab, and pay for food and drinks as you order them. This way you can keep your billing straight and save yourself from having your bill padded with extra charges.
Don't let vendors handle your credit card beyond your line of sight. (Same applies with cash, once they take the bills you give them beyond your line of sight, do not allow them to return that same bill to you on the grounds that it is counterfeit. In this scenario, the chances are they switched your legitimate note with a counterfeit bill.
Don't let vendors copy your credit card with old school carbon copiers as that gives them a permanent written record of your credit card information.
As tempting as it may be, resist the temptation to run a tab, and pay for food and drinks as you order them. This way you can keep your billing straight and save yourself from having your bill padded with extra charges.
Pickpockets
For years I underestimated how skilled and sophisticated pickpocketers are. In Barcelona for example, pickpocketing is like a completive sport amongst scammers who can empty your pockets without you noticing anything is missing. In many underdeveloped countries, kids will brazenly grab your phone or other valuables right out of your hand on the bet they can outrun you.
A friend shared a story with me where his father went to the beach in Barcelona after a business meeting as he had a few hours to kill prior to his flight, and when a stranger started a conversation with him, an accomplice snuck up from behind, grabbing his suitcase and running with it.
A scarier common scenario in Africa is the 'smash and grab' where thieves smash your car window while at a red light and grab anything they can. Advisories warn you should avoid getting boxed into areas where you are stopped and cannot drive, and to gradually slow down long before arriving at a red light, so that the light turns green before you come to a standstill.
For years I underestimated how skilled and sophisticated pickpocketers are. In Barcelona for example, pickpocketing is like a completive sport amongst scammers who can empty your pockets without you noticing anything is missing. In many underdeveloped countries, kids will brazenly grab your phone or other valuables right out of your hand on the bet they can outrun you.
A friend shared a story with me where his father went to the beach in Barcelona after a business meeting as he had a few hours to kill prior to his flight, and when a stranger started a conversation with him, an accomplice snuck up from behind, grabbing his suitcase and running with it.
A scarier common scenario in Africa is the 'smash and grab' where thieves smash your car window while at a red light and grab anything they can. Advisories warn you should avoid getting boxed into areas where you are stopped and cannot drive, and to gradually slow down long before arriving at a red light, so that the light turns green before you come to a standstill.
Street Games: Don't play them for money - ever.
Hi-Tech Scams: As technology advances, so do the means scammers use to steal our money:
Hi-Tech Scams: As technology advances, so do the means scammers use to steal our money:
- Tap technology (officially known as Radio Frequency Identification or RFID) gave rise to credit card skimming devices that can steal your credit card information without coming into contact with it. If you are in a crowded subway or in the standing room pit area of a concert, your credit card information can unknowingly get stolen unless your cards are protected with RFID blocking technology. Wallets are increasingly sold with RFID blocking material in them, andSCOTTeVESTsells a range of jackets and vests with RFID blocking technology built into them.
- The last few years have seen an alarming increase in high profile hacks. As a traveler, hackers can monitor your online activity when you connect to unsecure Wi-Fi connections. Hackers also create legitimate looking Wi-Fi network names baiting you into thinking they are legitimate. To secure your online activity on unsecure networks, get VPN or Easysurf installed on your mobile device, and activate it when connecting to Wi-Fi. Any time you connect to a companies Wi-Fi network, for example at a café or hotel, ask an employee to confirm their Wi-Fi network name so that you know the network you are logging onto is legitimate.
While you are away...
Burglars at home may be as happy about your trip as you are. If you park at the airport, thieves can access your home by breaking into your car at the airport, and stealing your garage door opener and your registration - which has your address. This happened to me and words cannot convey the unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach as I drove home not knowing what I was going to arrive to. Lucky for me, I live in a condo, and although the thieves had access to the parking garage, they could not access my condo. But had I lived in a single family dwelling, the ending would have been much worse.
9 Ways to Protect Yourself from Common Travel Scams
1. Before your trip, go to the website of your Embassy in the country you will be visiting. It provides city specific information about things to look out for that fall under the radar of national travel advisories.
2. Talk to locals about places to avoid and things to watch out for. While in Chicago, my Uber driver was a retired police officer, and he told me more about what happens in the parts of the city I was visiting than any other source could ever provide.
3. Don't tempt opportunists. In underdeveloped countries, keep valuables and your phone home or out of sight in either your front, inside, or hidden pockets. Wear back packs on your front side so you can see it and defend it.
4. Travel with two credit cards and keep them separate in case you lose one.
5. Keep copies of your passport and drivers license online.
6. When sleeping in hostels, trains, buses or campgrounds, secure your luggage so strangers cannot make off with it. You can buy locks that work like bicycle locks for your luggage.
7. Buy slash proof luggage and purses thieves cannot cut their way into.
8. When taking taxis, stick to licensed cabs, official taxi lines and insist on using the meter. When embarking, give the impression you know the area. Keep your luggage in hand so that if things go awry, you can toss the driver notes for payment and exit with luggage in hand.
9. Use your own locks to secure devices with a combination code you set yourself.
5. Keep copies of your passport and drivers license online.
6. When sleeping in hostels, trains, buses or campgrounds, secure your luggage so strangers cannot make off with it. You can buy locks that work like bicycle locks for your luggage.
7. Buy slash proof luggage and purses thieves cannot cut their way into.
8. When taking taxis, stick to licensed cabs, official taxi lines and insist on using the meter. When embarking, give the impression you know the area. Keep your luggage in hand so that if things go awry, you can toss the driver notes for payment and exit with luggage in hand.
9. Use your own locks to secure devices with a combination code you set yourself.