World's Biggest Travel Scams - Wolters World
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Date: 2022-02-04
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Comments and reviews: 10
Dulce
1. Common sense to keep your money or phone in your front pocket. I always keep my hand in my pocket after I dropped my card a few years back and it just traumatized me.
2. Know where youre going before hand, especially if you plan to take public transportation. Im fortunate to have family who will drive us around, but I have chosen to take a train or bus before for the experience. I check how to get to my destination on Google Maps. Beware of super crowded places, you wont notice when people swipe your wallet or phone front your pocket or bag.
3. Calculate how much youre going to spend that day and no more. I never ever use my card, I keep it locked up and will only carry: 1 form of identification (state ID, cash and my phone.
4. If anyone approaches you, steer clear. Here in my own country Ive had people approach me for a number of different things, I dont respond at all, make no eye contact and keep walking. If they ever put their hands on me (it happened once when I was at a market abroad and this guy grabbed my arm to pull me into the stall he worked at to get me buy something, I pushed back and made sure to yell out as loudly as possible Get the fck off me) Ill yell out loud enough to get other peoples attention.
4. Research how much tickets cost or how much a cab should cost you. Ask locals too, they dont have nothing to gain from lying to you.
5. If youre going to stop to take pictures or to record make sure you have nothing in your pockets, buy one of those tiny wrist bags to put money or other small items if youre going to use your phone.
6. For the love of god pay attention to your surroundings, dont goof off or get distracted on your phone. Ive been followed before (even with other people as I will sometimes travel solo) and I wouldnt have noticed if I hadnt been paying attention.
Google Maps is your friend, use it to see where everything is from point A to point B or what alternatives you can take if you happen to get lost.
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1. Common sense to keep your money or phone in your front pocket. I always keep my hand in my pocket after I dropped my card a few years back and it just traumatized me.
2. Know where youre going before hand, especially if you plan to take public transportation. Im fortunate to have family who will drive us around, but I have chosen to take a train or bus before for the experience. I check how to get to my destination on Google Maps. Beware of super crowded places, you wont notice when people swipe your wallet or phone front your pocket or bag.
3. Calculate how much youre going to spend that day and no more. I never ever use my card, I keep it locked up and will only carry: 1 form of identification (state ID, cash and my phone.
4. If anyone approaches you, steer clear. Here in my own country Ive had people approach me for a number of different things, I dont respond at all, make no eye contact and keep walking. If they ever put their hands on me (it happened once when I was at a market abroad and this guy grabbed my arm to pull me into the stall he worked at to get me buy something, I pushed back and made sure to yell out as loudly as possible Get the fck off me) Ill yell out loud enough to get other peoples attention.
4. Research how much tickets cost or how much a cab should cost you. Ask locals too, they dont have nothing to gain from lying to you.
5. If youre going to stop to take pictures or to record make sure you have nothing in your pockets, buy one of those tiny wrist bags to put money or other small items if youre going to use your phone.
6. For the love of god pay attention to your surroundings, dont goof off or get distracted on your phone. Ive been followed before (even with other people as I will sometimes travel solo) and I wouldnt have noticed if I hadnt been paying attention.
Google Maps is your friend, use it to see where everything is from point A to point B or what alternatives you can take if you happen to get lost.
reply
William
Amsterdam Central Station: Arabic-speaking gentleman with a suitcase and briefcase steps forward to greet a supposed compatriot - (but a stranger) - who has just hailed him with a friendly grin. The victim leaves his luggage one step behind, and an accomplice swipes both. The conversation lasts a few seconds & then the victim turns round to see everything he has brought has disappeared. (I met this victim in a youth hostel where he had been housed by his embassy while they arranged a passport, air ticket etc. to get him home. He had lost everything, including all his school & university certificates)
London, Kings Cross tube station: I had a shopping bag grabbed during rush hour while I was on the ascending escalator, and the thief was descending on the other side. The escalators were jam-packed and there was no hope of pursuit in the underground.
London, swanky restaurant in Mayfair to celebrate a friend's birthday: all guests had their coats or jackets taken at the entrance to be hung in the cloakroom. After the meal one guest found his coat pockets had been rifled. All staff denied involvement.
Madrid, Spain: My mother and father were at a Starbucks. Her handbag was firmly wedged between their chairs, but it didn't stop a thief nipping in, ripping the handbag out, and sprinting away. If you must put a handbag down in a public place, knot the strap around something.
Bank card swap trick: played at ATMs all over South Africa. A card swap thief tried to dupe me, but I was wise to the trick, so I shouted to warn everyone else that the guy was a thief. He drew a knife and pointed it at my chest, but thankfully got a grip on himself and kicked my bottom instead! He then beat a hasty retreat from the area.
reply
Amsterdam Central Station: Arabic-speaking gentleman with a suitcase and briefcase steps forward to greet a supposed compatriot - (but a stranger) - who has just hailed him with a friendly grin. The victim leaves his luggage one step behind, and an accomplice swipes both. The conversation lasts a few seconds & then the victim turns round to see everything he has brought has disappeared. (I met this victim in a youth hostel where he had been housed by his embassy while they arranged a passport, air ticket etc. to get him home. He had lost everything, including all his school & university certificates)
London, Kings Cross tube station: I had a shopping bag grabbed during rush hour while I was on the ascending escalator, and the thief was descending on the other side. The escalators were jam-packed and there was no hope of pursuit in the underground.
London, swanky restaurant in Mayfair to celebrate a friend's birthday: all guests had their coats or jackets taken at the entrance to be hung in the cloakroom. After the meal one guest found his coat pockets had been rifled. All staff denied involvement.
Madrid, Spain: My mother and father were at a Starbucks. Her handbag was firmly wedged between their chairs, but it didn't stop a thief nipping in, ripping the handbag out, and sprinting away. If you must put a handbag down in a public place, knot the strap around something.
Bank card swap trick: played at ATMs all over South Africa. A card swap thief tried to dupe me, but I was wise to the trick, so I shouted to warn everyone else that the guy was a thief. He drew a knife and pointed it at my chest, but thankfully got a grip on himself and kicked my bottom instead! He then beat a hasty retreat from the area.
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William
Huh, I forgot this incident! In the late 1990s I met an embarrassed young German in a paved square outside the Rosebank Shopping Mall, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on a Sunday morning. He was stark naked, and his face had little red nicks all over it. He told me he was 18 years old and had travelled from Germany alone. Having seen Cape Town, he had flown to Jo'burg's Oliver Tambo Airport, and boarded what he had assumed to be a minibus taxi. There was a driver and an accomplice. Instead of taking him into town, they drove him to a lonely spot in the countryside, and then at knifepoint told him to get off the minibus and strip naked. They then asked him to get on his knees and beg for his life. After having toyed with his face with the sharp end of the knife, inflicting all the tiny cuts I saw. they had bundled his clothes into the minibus and driven away, leaving him naked and stranded. Eventually a kind passerby picked him up, and managed to contact someone who worked at a branch of the German embassy in Jo'burg. This motorist drove him straight into Rosebank, where he was no waiting for the German official to arrive. He refused any help from me, as he didn't want to miss his appointment. Be extra careful at all South African airports, & railway and bus stations!
reply
Huh, I forgot this incident! In the late 1990s I met an embarrassed young German in a paved square outside the Rosebank Shopping Mall, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on a Sunday morning. He was stark naked, and his face had little red nicks all over it. He told me he was 18 years old and had travelled from Germany alone. Having seen Cape Town, he had flown to Jo'burg's Oliver Tambo Airport, and boarded what he had assumed to be a minibus taxi. There was a driver and an accomplice. Instead of taking him into town, they drove him to a lonely spot in the countryside, and then at knifepoint told him to get off the minibus and strip naked. They then asked him to get on his knees and beg for his life. After having toyed with his face with the sharp end of the knife, inflicting all the tiny cuts I saw. they had bundled his clothes into the minibus and driven away, leaving him naked and stranded. Eventually a kind passerby picked him up, and managed to contact someone who worked at a branch of the German embassy in Jo'burg. This motorist drove him straight into Rosebank, where he was no waiting for the German official to arrive. He refused any help from me, as he didn't want to miss his appointment. Be extra careful at all South African airports, & railway and bus stations!
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Tuba
Lived in Europe for over 15 years and Amercan's are just not used to the level of scams and petty crimes in the major tourist areas over there. In June 2019 I went over again and this time I bought a PacSafe man bag. has many features to prevent theft and I was very happy with it. Lots of brands make theft proof bags. I also got a wrist lariat for my iPhone which was my main camera, so it was out and visible a lot. You have to watch out for them moped thieves that grab your phone as you ride by.
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Lived in Europe for over 15 years and Amercan's are just not used to the level of scams and petty crimes in the major tourist areas over there. In June 2019 I went over again and this time I bought a PacSafe man bag. has many features to prevent theft and I was very happy with it. Lots of brands make theft proof bags. I also got a wrist lariat for my iPhone which was my main camera, so it was out and visible a lot. You have to watch out for them moped thieves that grab your phone as you ride by.
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Ralph
A very common robbery tactic in London right now involves someone approaching you while you sit outside (or even inside) a bar or cafe and putting a map or piece of paper on the table in front of you, often while speaking fast in a foreign language. You think they're asking for directions or begging, but then when they're gone, so is your phone - they'd put the piece of paper on top of your stuff and sneakily picked it up as they left.
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A very common robbery tactic in London right now involves someone approaching you while you sit outside (or even inside) a bar or cafe and putting a map or piece of paper on the table in front of you, often while speaking fast in a foreign language. You think they're asking for directions or begging, but then when they're gone, so is your phone - they'd put the piece of paper on top of your stuff and sneakily picked it up as they left.
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Elizabeth
I saw the mother/child bit a lot in Athens, Greece. Women would come up with an infant and say, mama, feed the baby, and try to get you to hold the baby and feed it a bottle. I also saw tandem jobs where one person would either try to show you a trick or sell you a homemade item, and the other would try to sneak around the other side of you and get your bag. Luckily, I did not have any items stolen.
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I saw the mother/child bit a lot in Athens, Greece. Women would come up with an infant and say, mama, feed the baby, and try to get you to hold the baby and feed it a bottle. I also saw tandem jobs where one person would either try to show you a trick or sell you a homemade item, and the other would try to sneak around the other side of you and get your bag. Luckily, I did not have any items stolen.
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Michelle
In Pisa, 2 guys came up to us, one trying to pass a clipboard to me to sign something. Luckily, 5 mins b4 this, my tour guide warned us about the clipboard scam (the other guy will pick your pocket while you sign, so we forcefully said NO! & kept walking. Cops were right behind these guys. It felt like they might have been in on it?
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In Pisa, 2 guys came up to us, one trying to pass a clipboard to me to sign something. Luckily, 5 mins b4 this, my tour guide warned us about the clipboard scam (the other guy will pick your pocket while you sign, so we forcefully said NO! & kept walking. Cops were right behind these guys. It felt like they might have been in on it?
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Stephen
I find just looking alert does the trick. Pickpockets tend to go after those not alert. Also I tend to walk a couple of paces behind my wife to keep an eye on her handbag. My favourite scam question is Ibet you I can predict the score of the soccer game before it starts 0-0
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I find just looking alert does the trick. Pickpockets tend to go after those not alert. Also I tend to walk a couple of paces behind my wife to keep an eye on her handbag. My favourite scam question is Ibet you I can predict the score of the soccer game before it starts 0-0
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Lydia
Im in Barcelona at the moment and Im very careful in keeping my backpack in front of me at all times. I dont like people walking close behind or bumping into me. When people come up close I swerve to the side. Most of my clothing have no pockets so thieves have little chance
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Im in Barcelona at the moment and Im very careful in keeping my backpack in front of me at all times. I dont like people walking close behind or bumping into me. When people come up close I swerve to the side. Most of my clothing have no pockets so thieves have little chance
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Randall
In Paris there are people who pretend to work for the underground and act like theyre there to help you buy tickets at the machines. Theyll use your cash/card to buy the ticket for multiple stops and then switch it for one that is only for one stop.
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In Paris there are people who pretend to work for the underground and act like theyre there to help you buy tickets at the machines. Theyll use your cash/card to buy the ticket for multiple stops and then switch it for one that is only for one stop.
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