How to Avoid Being Cheated When Traveling
In Greece this week , undercover police crack down on restaurants that charge tourists; One American visitor said on TripAdvisor that he was charged € 830 for six beers and 3 salads at a restaurant in Mykonos.
Let’s face it – all of us as tourists have been scammed from time to time. I agreed, for example, to pay much more than necessary for the taxi ride, and would probably pay a hefty price for a salad, too.
When traveling overseas (or even domestically), you should always accurately research common destination scams to avoid falling prey to a racket played out against tourists, as suggested by u / DonLemonNYE2019 in a recent Reddit thread .
These scams are not always obvious, as are illegal activities such as pickpocketing; it can be as simple as overpaying for water or giving out cassettes of formula in exchange for “donating” cash (familiar New York bustle).
In a recent post, we rounded up some other notorious scams from readers who have visited cities around the world. Here are some notable ones:
- “Chicago: Parking fees are crazy, and my dear tourists, if you are not driving into the city, do not worry about renting a car. Parking in the city center for two hours will easily cost $ 50. ” – ThePeeplesCourt
- “I found this in Bulgaria back in 2010, but I guess it’s probably the same in all countries where there are tourist destinations. It’s a bottled water scam where people reuse old water bottles that they find in the trash, on the street, etc., and refill them with standard tap water. ” – AG74683
- “There is a woman in Toronto who goes around telling people that they are beautiful and offers a sticker in exchange for a donation. Sometimes she says it’s for charity, sometimes she doesn’t say where she’s going, but she always puts it in her pocket. “The Toronto Sun published an article about The Sticker Lady, in which she talked about how she finances her house in the suburbs and VW with the money she raises.” – Ccccccccc
- “In Shanghai, if you are on the East Nanjing Road … and someone comes up to talk to you, this is a scam. Don’t go anywhere for tea, an art show, or help someone practice their English. Tea will cost hundreds a glass, art will suck and be overrated by good guilt, and Practice Your English will invariably dominate the first two things mentioned. ” – ulic14
If you want to investigate some familiar scams at your destination, the easiest way to do this is to sort reviews on travel sites such as TripAdvisor; if you are planning to visit the Eiffel Tower, for example, you should read some of its more critical reviews. (Some TripAdvisor writers warn visitors about skip-the- line scams to get to the top of the tower faster.)
Otherwise, just search the internet on sites like Reddit to find other types of scams that should be avoided at all costs. These scams shouldn’t scare you – it’s just good to know what to expect when visiting some of the tourist attractions.