“[T]he moment someone calls you “friend” there’s a good chance they are not your friend and something is about to get shady…” And just because they’re in a uniform doesn’t mean they’re an official, plus sometimes people in uniform are in on the scam.
Imagine you’re at [Cancun airport] Terminal 3 and need to get to another terminal, but you’re feeling pressed for time. You locate the free shuttle station but overlook the sign indicating that shuttles run every 20 minutes. Nearby, there are uniformed individuals who appear official and may try to persuade you to take a taxi instead of waiting for the shuttle. They might ask for your airline to seem helpful, then claim the next shuttle won’t arrive for an hour and that the ride to the next terminal will take 50 minutes. This tactic is often intended to convince you to opt for a taxi, which could cost at least $50.
Of course the taxi driver might even try to charge you $1,000.
I remember my first time in Bangkok, being approached by an ‘officer’ in uniform telling me an attractive was ‘closed to foreigners’ for a special holiday – but there was someone in a tuk tuk who would happily take me to the best sites.
You may wind up in a bar and threated to sign a credit card bill for $2000 on a ~ $20 tab.
My most important advice is never to put yourself in harm’s way. If they threaten to call the police, let them, although if they do it suggests the police are in on the scam. In the end, sign the slip.
- Your credit card company’s charge back process will be helpful here if you handle things promptly. Don’t wait until your return to the U.S. to deal with it.
- But you want documentation. A police report will help. They won’t get your money back but contemporaneous paperwork will substantiate your dispute.
- Your hotel can be helpful here, they can call the police for you and it will be harder to participate in the scam with hotel management who are locals and more likely on your side – plus probably have good relations with local police.
Of course it’s best to avoid these situations in the first place, research where you’re going and don’t be responsive to touts – or to locals, especially of the opposite sex (or same sex if that’s your preference).
You aren’t as attractive as you think you are – magnetic to foreigners – and you aren’t that interesting to talk to. People you meet aren’t trying to ‘practice their English’. If strangers seem incredibly happy to talk to you, remember that you aren’t that interesting.
I’ve written about the Paris ring scam, where someone along the road ‘finds’ a ring and rushes to return it to you. Taking advantage of your greed, they separate you from your money in exchange for worthless ‘jewelry’. And the Chinese tea ceremony where a local wants to spend the day with you to and shows you to a local tea place where you’ll experience local culture… and receive a bill many orders of magnitude higher than it should be. Rambling along Las Ramblas? So are the pick pockets. They’re in Malaysian temples, too.
Some general principles for protecting yourself.
- Pay with a credit card, not cash. You can dispute charges later if you’ve been scammed.
- Split up your cash, keeping it in multiple places. You won’t be out everything if pick pocketed.
- Keep multiple copies of your important documents. That will make it easier to recover if your passport or other important items are stolen.
- Don’t be greedy. If you think you can take advantage of a local, they’re probably the ones taking advantage of you.
- Your hotel is your best ally. If a cab driver isn’t using a meter, is quoting you an impossibly high price, and your destination is your hotel — don’t argue until your baggage is out of the vehicle, then enlist the hotel’s help. They know local rules and expectations and what rides should cost, and they’re likely on your side as their guest.
- Hire a guide, even if you don’t need one. I think of it as paying one tout to keep away all the other touts.
- Stay aware of your surroundings. If you’re in a crowd, you’re a pick pocket victim. If you’re more focused on the awe around you than the people around you, you’re a pick pocket victim. And know what countries, cities, and attractions are home to such things, but in general where tourists gather they’re targets.
- Know what your purchases — whether souvenirs or transportation — should cost before you buy. Have some basis for comparison.
It’s better to be taken advantage of than to escalate a confrontation, losing a little money isn’t the end of the world for many. But staying aware will help you avoid making costly mistakes.
Thank you, Gary. This post qualifies as a public service announcement. Many of us already know these things, and I’ve had to ‘pay the price’ personally over the years. One thing to add, it’s always helpful to be aware of the nearest consulate in case you get pickpocketed and need an emergency passport in order to fly home. At least for the United States, our diplomats are talented public servants who dedicate their careers to helping us and others all around the world. We should be grateful for their sacrifices.
Here’s a new (?) one: my daughter was pickpocketed by a Zara employee in Greece, at the dressing room entrance. My daughter was carrying an armful of clothes she had just finished trying on, and the ‘helpful’ dressing room employee offered to take the load of clothes from my daughter’s arms – along with my daughter’s tote bag – so my daughter could pick up each individual item and eyeball whether a yay or nay. Out of the corner of her eyes my daughter saw the employee – who was smiling and still talking cheerfully to me daughter- simultaneously unzip the tote bag and withdraw my daughter’s wallet. My daughter screamed and alerted enough staff to come to her assistance.
The kicker here is that the store security guard also came to the dressing room and said it was ‘impossible’ for the dressing room employee to have done that, which makes me wonder if the guard was in cahoots with the dressing room employee. Anyway my daughter insisted that the employee be checked or the police be called. The Zara security guard finally and very reluctantly checked the dressing room employee’s cardigan pocket, and lo and behold, my daughter’s wallet.
Lesson learned.
In Thailand, most people are very honest. You give a vendor a handful of money and they take what the cost is and give you back the rest. That being said, some places have very dishonest people. My first experience with that was giving a 500 baht note (about $20 at the time) to pay a bill, thinking it was a smaller bill, and not being given change. Lesson learned and I never made that mistake again. I didn’t let an experience like that sour me on Thailand. I took lessons in the USA to learn the language and have traveled extensively in Thailand. I enjoy the country, enjoy talking with people there (speaking Thai really helps, especially in less touristy areas) and enjoy the food.