Travel Scams 202: The Evolution of Deceit
You’ve most likely been warned about pickpockets, drink spiking, and conniving tuk-tuk drivers. However, new and increasingly more creative scams seem to keep popping up on the backpacker trails everywhere. We’ve highlighted some of the latest scammer tricks and trends, and how to handle them safely while they are happening.? ??????????????
The
Bogus Doctor Scam
Relatives of overseas travellers are being contacted by bogus doctors and hospital staff claiming their family member has been injured and asking for money to be sent for medical treatment. In this new scam, relatives
are contacted by phone, email or SMS text messages and given contact details of
where to send the money that will pay for the treatment of their supposedly injured
loved one. In reality, no one is in hospital, the details are their personal
accounts – and if you panic and act on their request, you will be out a large
sum of money.
How to avoid this scam – You should share your
insurance policy details with friends or family before leaving. If they can’t
get through to you, then at least they can get through to the emergency assistance
number and they can contact the person who is claiming someone is injured.
How to stay safe when it’s happening – If you are the friend
or relative of a traveler and receive such a call, it advised to hang up and
call the hospital or doctor back – but only through a publicly advertised
number such as the yellow pages or other reputable directories. Do not use the
contact details the potential scammer has sent you or the organization’s
contact details given by the person requesting the information.
The Gems
Scam
Gem scams are the most prolific and website forums are
littered with stories of travellers who thought they were buying rare,
‘illegally smuggled’ Burmese gems at a fraction of the cost. Soon they find out
that their polished gems are polished glass and worthless and the shop they
bought from, was not an official government gem store and is no longer there.
Worst still are those travellers that choose to pay up front on the belief that
the ‘precious gems’ will be sent home, but alas nothing arrives in the mail.
How
to avoid this scam – As a rule of thumb, if the price appears
to be too good to be true, it probably is! Thai people may sometimes be poor by
Western standards but they are not stupid (that goes for market traders
everywhere). You’ll be interested to know that there are no jewellery or gem
shops that are owned, operated, or sponsored by the government in Thailand.
How
to stay safe when it’s happening – As with the tailor scam,
you’re unlikely to be at risk from a personal safety viewpoint. Golden rule, do
not, under any circumstance agree to follow a street vendor to a gem store
that’s ‘just around the corner’, you may well end up being mugged in a back
alley!
The
Gambling Scam
A traveller is approached on the street by a friendly local who
invites you for a drink at their house. After nice meal a friend or relative
arrives and lets them know of a card game happening later that day with some
inside tips on how they can cheat and make some easy cash. The ‘mark’ turns up
for the game, is allowed to win a few hands but then starts losing and is
bankrolled by that friendly person they met on the street, who cooked them such
a lovely meal. You see where this is going?
Suddenly the new-found friend is not so friendly and
wants that money back and now. Generally under the threat of violence, they end
up cashing their travellers cheques or clearing out their ATM.
How
to avoid this scam – Just be cautious when accepting the warm
hospitality that locals may display that you’re not being coerced into
something other than a terrific meal. Trust your instincts if you’re not
comfortable. Better to risk offending than your personal safety.
How
to stay safe when it’s happening – of all of the scams this
is the one that has the most amounts of reported threats of violence. If you do
find yourself stuck in this situation, and I hope not after reading this,
comply with your attacker. If you’re essentially being robbed at knifepoint,
the safest course of action is to hand over the money. Personal safety has to
come first.
The
Tailor Scam
A classic scam involving promises of the finest Kashmir
suits, made to perfectly fit, paid in advance. Two days later your clothes
arrive at your hotel, and low and behold the material does not seem to be the finest
Kashmir and the fit is suitable for an 8-year old. Not to worry, the tailor
comes to your hotel to measure for adjustments and tells you the dodgy material
is just being used to get the fit right. Promises of delivery are made, ensuring
that you’ll have them before your flight leaves. Sure enough 30 minutes before
you have to get on a plane, they arrive. The same ill-fitting, poor material
rags you saw the day before. Too late to chase them down, home you go with
what’s now a pretty worthless outfit.
How
to avoid this scam – This is a tough scam to avoid, given the
relatively hit & miss results travellers have experience when getting
tailored suits in Thailand. One suggestion is to bring your own material and
research online for those tailors who are well regarded by other travellers.
How
to stay safe when it’s happening – You’re generally not
going to be at risk from a personal safety viewpoint when it comes to this
scam, aside from the rogue tailors pin when measuring up. Our advice to best
avoid this particular problem is to only use tailor who have a shop or factory
and to arrange fittings there.
For more information and tips on popular scams check out:
Have you been the victim of a travel scam? Share your story.
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