Saying they don’t have change or giving the wrong change
Carry small bills, because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a taxi driver agree to a price, take me to my destination, they when I hand over bills, they claim that they don’t have change. Also, ALWAYS count your change. If they do give you change, they will likely short you.
Not using their meter
Some taxi drivers don’t use their meter, especially in tourist spots or traffic jams. They HAVE a meter, but they don’t turn it on when you get in the car. This is illegal in most countries, but they do it and you get way overcharged because they can make up whatever number they want.
Tricking you into going to their friends and families stores or restaurants
I enjoy shopping local and supporting family businesses when I travel, but not when I’m lured into it. “Friendly” taxi drivers who try to give you ideas for stops like cheap tours, shops, or restaurants are likely doing this. They’ll take you to their cousin’s crappy restaurant or shop where they get a commission. You’ll be overcharged or sold worthless goods.
To avoid taxi scams, try the following:
Just like the overcharging with taxi drivers, other merchants (like restaurants, bars, and shops) will pull this same trick. Honestly, expect it and haggle EVERYWHERE you go or you’ll get massively ripped off. And again, merchants may also try to give you the wrong change — for example, giving you change for $10 when you paid with a $100 note. They count on you not recognizing the local currency notes until it’s too late.
With bars and restaurants, staff may push you to order without a menu or avoid questions about price— then you’ll get an expensive bill. A restaurant in Turkey (on a menu without prices) tried to charge 60 USD for 2 drinks and a plate of fruit last year. 1 USD is ~19 Turkish lira, so the cost for this should have been around 15USD max. Be sure to:
In crowded tourist areas, scammers may pickpocket you creatively by creating some kind of distraction. Someone may engage you in conversation in any number of ways (Do you need directions? is one that gets people all the time) while their teammate “accidentally” bumps into you from behind (lifting your wallet or phone). To avoid pickpocketing scams, try the following:
Card skimming is the illegal copying of information from the magnetic strip of a card. Skimming happens often when you’re buy something and somebody takes your credit card out of your sight. Don’t forget to:
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Visa scams involve travelers buying visas that are not needed, illegal or overpriced. I’ve had this happen to me using third-party websites that charge a fee to submit a visa application on your behalf, then the visa never comes.
I’ve also had a friend get scammed at the airport trying to get a visa, so be sure to do all your visa research ahead of time and have these in line before you travel and get stuck in a high pressure situation. Be sure to:
Vehicle rental scams happen a lot in tourist towns, including vehicles like jet skis, bikes, boats, etc. The rental operator will accuse you of returning “damaged” vehicles and demand more money. This scam is especially dangerous because when you rent a vehicle in a tourist destination, they usually take your passport as collateral, which means that they have the power of keeping your passport until you pay for the damage. Always:
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