What are the most common travel scams, and how do they work?
Most of them exploit the same three vulnerabilities: you do not know local prices, you do not know what is normal, and you are reluctant to appear rude. Recognising the structure matters more than memorising examples.
Transport scams:
The broken meter, followed by an inflated fixed price. Agree a price before getting in, or insist on the meter.
The long route, taken because you cannot tell.
"Your hotel is closed / full / burned down" — a driver taking you to a hotel paying commission instead. Phone your accommodation.
Unofficial taxis at airports and stations, which is where the worst outcomes concentrate.
Street scams:
The friendship bracelet or sprig of rosemary, placed on you and then demanded payment for.
The spilled substance, where someone marks your clothing, apologises and cleans you up while an accomplice takes your bag.
The distraction crowd, including staged arguments and someone handing you a baby.
Petition signing, which occupies your hands and attention.
The found ring or dropped wallet, engineering a sense of obligation.
Money scams:
Short-changing in an unfamiliar currency, and swapping a large note for a smaller one while you watch.
Dynamic currency conversion, where a card machine offers to charge in your home currency at a very poor rate. Always choose the local currency — this is legal, ubiquitous and costs real money.
ATM skimming, and machines that are not bank-operated charging high fees.
Rigged exchange rates with commission not mentioned until after the transaction.
Booking scams: properties that do not exist, requests to pay by bank transfer outside a platform, and duplicate listings.
The common defences:
Never let anyone create urgency. Every one of these depends on you deciding quickly.
Be willing to seem rude. Walking away mid-sentence is the single most effective tool, and the reluctance to do it is what the scams rely on.
Carry a decoy amount of cash, and keep cards separate.
Use official transport ranks and licensed operators.
Check prices in advance so you know what normal looks like.