Popular Travel Scams That You Should Avoid When Going Abroad



Travelling to foreign countries is a great way to learn about their culture and enjoy what other part of the world has to offer.
But there are times when these happiness gets taken aways by people trying to scam tourists who are not familier with these pricks. So here we will list some top tips about how you can avoid being scammed by native people, businesses as well as others that are involved. We will show you how ordinary travellers can outsmart them. If you are visiting any Asian countries such as China, India, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, etc you better realize that their market and stores are full of counterfeit products. Travellers over there might think they might be getting a good deal on brand name merchandises, but that's not the case most of the time. Sometimes even the small shopkeepers themselves there don't realize they are selling counterfeit fake items. Some of the most well known counterfeit products sold over there include DVDs, CDs, Clothes, Shoes, and Jewelries. One reason tourists should avoid counterfeit items at all cost is that it poses seriour physical and health hazrds. Some electronic items might have damaged batteries that can pose serious injury or even a counterfeit perfume that has harmful chemicals. A more dangerous counterfiet items are medications. Be very wary of them.

And then there is obvious money scam right infront of the customer. Because you are a foreigner, they might think you don't know the real price of hotel stay or bills for meals. Motels, hotels, resorts, restaurants and other places can charge you fees for items or services that you will think should be free of cost. Hidden fees sucks. Some oversees hotels and resorts do currency exchange but they give you so much less money for what your currency is worth. Also be careful, you could end up with fake native paper currency bills and coins. Pocket theives are probably you are already aware of; never put your wallet or visas in the back pocket of your pants. They are easy to get snatch from that location.


Bait and Switch is probably the most talked about and oldest scam from staying places. Tavelers have to make sure they are paying for exactly what they wanted from the start - nothign more, nothing less. Make sure the description of the hotels, destinations, perks matches with what they truly are. And before you even begin travelling, please please know where and who you are buying tickets from. There are tons of scammers on the internet that pretend to give you great travel packages but it could be that they don't sell travel packages after all. There are no free vacation deal, in this world. They are only after your money. Never ever send your personal and financial informtion through email or any websites that you don't know 100% sure about.

When you get at the airport know where you are placing your items when going through security checkpoint. Even though you might feel satisfied after seeing tons of security guards there, but know that they are not there to keep your items safe. They are there to make sure you don't carry hazardours material into the airplane. There are theieves that stand behind you and watch you loose track of your items such as mp3 players and watches. As soon as you look away, the expensive items are gone. You should insist about your luggage and small items accompany you when going through x ray belt and other security towers.

Taxi cabs are sometimes considered the worst scammers for travellers. They are experts at spotting who is new in the are and who are not. They can tell if you just cam out of boat, bus, plane or train. Scams can run from “forgetting” to turn on the meter to taking a much longer route than necessary from pick-up to final destination. Avoid the ride from hell by sticking to certified hotel or airport taxis. If that’s impossible, try to follow your route on a map and question your cabbie about why he or she is taking a way that may not seem logical.