Avoid Being Scammed

10 Precautions You Should Take to Avoid Being Scammed While Traveling

Students love traveling. Since it became relatively affordable, young people started looking for every opportunity to go and discover new places. Traveling on a budget has become a popular activity, forcing the hospitality industry to adjust to new requests and demands. The trick is to avoid being scammed while traveling.

Restaurant and hostel owners were not the only ones who adjusted. Scammers started using this situation, sometimes forcing students to pay double by playing on their desire to save some hard-earned money.

We know how important traveling is for a student. And we also know how valuable every dollar is when it comes to a student budget. After all, you’d better spend it on EssayPro academic help rather than fall victim to fraud. Scammers should never take advantage of the situation since money doesn’t come easily to students.

Thus, let’s review some of the most popular scam schemes for you to avoid in your travels:

Free/Discounted Stuff

Don’t ever believe that something can be offered for free in popular tourist places. No matter how hard locals try to assure you that this is a gesture of kindness, don’t fall for it. There are many cases when students agree to take something from people on the streets and have to pay a double price just to get out of trouble.

The same refers to different tours and adventures that are offered by uncertified guides. You never know where they are going to lead you. Don’t trust everything people say and promise.

Money Exchange

When going to a different country, you’ll have to exchange money at some point in your travel. ATM and POS machines may not always be available.

In this case, students start looking for exchange offices, often ignoring the need to stop and check the actual rate. This is the worst mistake you can make, especially if you need to exchange a big amount.

“Convenient” exchange offices or people wandering around and offering money exchange often use the worst rates. What’s more, they can supply you with fake money, and you’ll have a bigger problem than just a rate.

Taxi Scams

Taxi scams are widespread in Asian countries. As soon as taxi drivers discover you are a foreigner, they activate their scamming mode.

First, they can multiply their regular rate by two or three. You may not even notice it since it will still look cheap to you. On the other hand, even if they use trackers, they may choose a longer way to drive you, which means getting extra money for the same distance.

It’s hard to avoid scams like this. However, you may ask locals about the regular prices for taxi rides or use Google Maps to find the shortest way. A language barrier, however, will be another trouble in this case.

Ticket Sales

If you arrive at the train station or bus terminal having little time before the transport departures, you are a magnet for ticket scammers. They will approach you and tell you that they have a ticket you need, and there is no need to hurry and run to the ticket office. As soon as you buy it, they disappear, leaving you with a fake or invalid ticket.

Remember that there is no alternative to buying tickets from an authorized office or official website. All other ways put you at risk of losing your hard-earned without going anywhere.

Fake Cops

Fake cops are also a widespread scam. Now, when students can rent a car, this way of earning money has been thriving in some countries. All scammers have to do is to wear a police uniform and be good at acting.

If you don’t want to become a victim of fake cop fraud, start your conversation by asking to see their documents. If you noticed any hesitation, you caught them. If they are okay showing you their badge, you still don’t have to pay fines to them directly. Request an official paper and pay the fine later.

Sometimes fake cops even check backpackers or pedestrians. In that case, the algorithm of your actions must be exactly the same.

Car Rental Scams

Obviously, you cannot trust people you have never seen in your life. You must be 100% cautious when renting something from a jetski to a car. Moreover, it’s better to do it using trusted official websites.

Otherwise, any local office that rents them cheaper can either scam you or undersell some services, e.g. insurance. Don’t be too reckless: sometimes it’s better to pay an extra 10% than handle many problems later.

Housing Scams

The same refers to housing scams. People want to get accommodation cheaper than it already is. That’s why they agree on deals that are compromised from the very beginning.

Instead, pay a bit more and use services like Booking or Airbnb. Scams happen there too, but at least you are protected by the company that acts as a medium. In other words, even if something goes wrong with your booking, you’ll be compensated.

Fake Souvenirs

Are you looking for a fantastic souvenir to remind you of your best trip to Hawaii or another tropical island? Be cautious because this is where you can be scammed.

What’s sold as authentic and unique can be actually manufactured right behind the corner or brought wholesale from China. Do you really want to pay for this double or triple? We bet you don’t. So be extra cautious when you choose a souvenir or a present for your loved ones.

Sauce Trick

What’s been known as a sauce trick is a common trick to distract you and take your belongings. Scammers usually use anything from a sauce spill to sudden noise to scare you or cause you trouble. Whatever draws your attention works excellent. While trying to figure out what’s happening, someone will use the situation and get all your possessions.

Unfortunately, that’s our primary instinct to find out what’s wrong and how dangerous it is when we encounter something unknown or scary. Taking control of your emotions and instincts in that very second is too much of a skill.

However, you can still mitigate this risk. Instead of carrying your passports, credit cards, and cash in one bag or backpack, hide them under your clothes in a sports belt. You can also put them all in different places. It doesn’t save you from scammers but helps you minimize the loss.

Bar Scams

Be extra careful when you are approached by overly friendly locals. Having a pleasant, polite conversation is always good. But when they join you in a bar, remember: it may end badly for your wallet.

This is a standard scheme. You are sitting and drinking something when a local comes up to you. You have a little chat, and they also order a drink. After a while, they disappear, leaving you to pay for their overpriced drink.

In this case, we advise you to be cautious about who you drink with.

Takeaway On Avoid Being Scammed While Traveling

Scammers have always existed. You cannot deal with this phenomenon on your own. However, you can maximize your attention and be extra cautious to avoid any problems and losses. After all, scams are only possible if you lose control and act stupidly. If you act wisely, you can save yourself from any trouble.

Malcom Mott

Malcom Mott is our junior editor and contibrutes outside publications to various sites at Thumbwind Publications. He is also editor at AITrueReview.

View all posts by Malcom Mott →

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