Latest Travel Scams again? That’s how Adrian Dinulescu felt after booking a four-star hotel for a week in Santorini, Greece, this summer. The property had almost perfect reviews, but when he show up, he found the place was a dump.
“No towels, no soap, no clean sheets,” recalled Dinulescu, a student from Suffolk, England.
It’s hard not to get scammed these days and tourists make perfect targets. What happened to Dinulescu is old favorite with a new twist this year: it’s happening more often because of record-high demand. But there are additional swindles out there, including scams involving deception, distraction and petty theft.
“Scammers will always take advantage of current circumstances,” said Paige Schaffer, CEO of an ID theft protection company. “And with more people traveling again, they have taken notice – and action.”
Scammed again? Not This Time
Let’s skip right to the solution. The newest tourism scams are not only preventable; they’re sometimes reversible. Dinulescu, who had prepaid $500 for his room through Booking.com, appealed to the online travel agency. He sent photos of the trash bags in the hallway and the beds without sheets.
In response, Booking.com credited him $80 — a good start. But what about the rest of the money? Booking.com promised to investigate, but the weeks started to drag by. Eventually, after much work and getting consumer advocacy services involves, Dinulescu receives his refund from Booking.com.
Experience is No Solution
Even experienced travelers can get scammed by the latest versions out there.
Milosz Krasinski was on a road trip through Europe this summer when he fell for this swindle: At a gas station, he found a makeshift gift shop selling vignettes at a reduced rate. (A vignette is a mandatory sticker that shows you’ve paid your road taxes.) He bought it.
“It was a counterfeit,” he said. “It looked like the real deal but wasn’t registered in the official system.”
And you probably can guess what happened next. A police officer pulled Krasinski over when he was driving through Prague. Krasinski was embarrassed to have wasted $17 on a 10-day vignette. But the London-based web consultant was more worried about what he would have to pay in penalties.
“It was a jarring moment, realizing I’d been scammed and that I might now be facing a hefty fine,” he recalled. “But the police officers were incredibly understanding. They explained to me the vignette scam and how it targets unsuspecting tourists. Instead of fining me, they instructed me to head to the nearest official point of sale to purchase an authorized vignette.”
Latest Travel Scams Out There Now
Travelers that get scammed come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Here are the major scams they might see:
Games of chance. See anyone playing three-card monte or a shell game, just keep walking. It’s a confidence game, and money will be lost. This happens all over the world.
The gift scam. That’s where a scammer tries to give a stranger a bracelet, a ring or a flower and then pressures the traveler to pay for it. Just say “no” to the whole charade.
Money swindles. From ATM skimmers to shady merchants who give back incorrect change or counterfeit money, money scams are everywhere. Best to pay by credit card where possible, and always check to make sure charges are for the right amounts. Avoid using cash.
Taxi overcharges. This is all too common. A traveler gets into a cab and — oh no! – the meter is broken. The result is a huge overcharge. Call an Uber or get a taxi with a working meter using an app.
Shady Business
One shady business on the rise is the moving a decimal point when someone charges a credit card. So a $20 souvenir costs $200 — or $2,000. Most visitors are too distract to notice the switch, and by the time they get back to the States, it’s too late, but can dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act.
Scams evolve as tourists get smarter. Shell games become more sophisticate. Money scams get smarter. To not get scam look for these “innovations:”
Distraction techniques. Scammers are using new distraction techniques, such as asking for directions or pretending to be lost, to divert attention while an accomplice steals target belongings. “Stay alert and keep a close eye on your valuables in crowd areas,” advises Pallavi Sadekar, the head of operations at VisitorGuard.com.
The “helpful” local. With more Americans going overseas, the helpful local scam is making a comeback, say insiders. Michael Donovan, who runs a site about New England, said he’s seen more so-call “helpful” locals in his international travels. “They offer to guide you, only to steer you toward a friend’s expensive shop or charge outrageous fees,” he said.
Waiting for you to let down your guard. Mike Ballard, director of intelligence for Global Guardian, an international medical and security service provider, added the newest scam in the book is a version of the oldest one.
“It’s petty theft or other opportunistic crimes in major tourist areas, public transport or crowded areas like public transit hubs and markets,” he said.
Protection from Getting Scammed
Travelers don’t have to get scam by these practices. Best advice? Pay attention.
“Be aware of your surroundings,” said Carrie Pasquarello, CEO of a risk mitigation and threat assessment planning company. “Keep an eye on your belongings when someone strikes up a conversation or asks you a question.”
Location matters, too. Various studies show that tourist hotspots in France, Spain and Italy are the places visitors are most likely to get scammed while in Europe.
Also, pack in common sense. The friendly local who is offering to show the sights is too good to be true. The taxi driver with a dark meter is best avoided. Friendly locals that want to give you gifts? Move on, and keep an eye on all belongings.
Conclusion: Latest Travel Scams
Here’s a good one from Christchurch, New Zealand. As a travel passes a crowd of kids or other rowdy individuals, one of them may say, “You dropped your wallet.”
Reflexive instincts will mean reaching for that covet billfold to make sure it is there – but getting scam means showing the would-be thief exactly where the money is. The scammer then texts a friend a block away to grab the wallet in some kind of confrontation. Note what is happening and walk in a different direction.
By Christopher Elliott
Christopher Elliott founded ElliottAdvocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems.
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