4 Common Travel Scams and How You Can Avoid Them
Is there anything better than an awesome vacation abroad? Taking some time to explore a new city or see a different part of the world can be an exciting, life-changing experience. However, there are some dangers that come with traveling overseas - foreign tourists are often targets of scams. Scammers can steal your money and leave you stranded during what was supposed to be an epic once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Here, we at GET.com round up the 4 common scams that you need to be aware of the next time you travel to a foreign ｃountry. We've also included some tips on how you can avoid these nasty scams.
1. Fake Money Changers
You have to be wise if you're traveling to a place where foreign currency is used. Scammers actually set up little booths that offer currency exchange for the purpose of swindling tourists out of money.
These scammers will routinely give people fake bills. Never exchange money with someone who isn't from an established financial institution. You should ideally only get money from a bank or ATM.
Be sure to get sufficient foreign currency you think you'll need before you even set off on your holiday by visiting your local bank or AAA office.
2. Dishonest Taxi Drivers
Most taxi drivers are extremely reputable and honest. Unfortunately, there are a few bad apples in the bunch. One common move that drivers use is to tell passengers that the mileage meter in the taxi is broken.
You might want to consider getting in another taxi to avoid being overcharged for your ride. You can also skip taxis entirely by relying on Uber or other app-based services to get around.
If you will be using a taxi, have your hotel concierge call a taxi service that the hotel has a relationship with.
One other scam that often catches people by surprise involves a taxi driver telling passengers that the hotel they've booked is actually overbooked. The driver will then offer to take passengers to a hotel that isn't overbooked. Of course, the driver usually gets a cut of money every time a passenger books a room at the second hotel.
3. Counterfeit Tickets
One of the sad realities about popular amusement parks, museums and other attractions is that scammers swarm to the front gates to try to swindle unsuspecting tourists.
Never buy tickets from someone who is simply hanging around outside an attraction. These scammers will often tell you that they will give you tickets for a fraction of the cost of the official admission price.
The truth is, you're likely to end up with bogus tickets that are worthless. To avoid any issues, make sure to only purchase tickets from official ticket vendors.
4. Fake Police Officers
People posing as police officers and demanding bribe money is one of the oldest scams around. Crooks will often target tourists because they are betting that they can squeeze some money out of their victims by inducing fear in them.
The first rule of thumb for not becoming a target of fake police is to avoid doing anything disruptive that could be considered a legal offense. Nevertheless, scammers can be creative about coming up with allegations. The alleged crime can range from speeding to littering.
The good news is that these petty criminals are usually only interested in getting their hands on the cash you have available. You might want to consider carrying only a small amount of cash if you will be traveling to an area where this type of scam is a commonplace problem.
Article Source: https://get.com/guide4-common-travel-scams-and-how-avoid-them/
Image Source: https://get.com/media/uploads/tut-tuk-456876_960_720_copy-2418289127.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Stranded (adj.) ~ left without the means to move from somewhere
2. Nasty (adj.) ~ highly unpleasant, especially to the senses physically nauseating
3. Swindle (v.) ~ use deception to deprive (someone) of money or possessions
4. Reputable (adj.) ~ having a good reputation
5. Fraction (n.) ~ a numerical quantity that is not a whole number
6. Crook (n./ informal) ~ a person who is dishonest or a criminal
7. Rule of thumb (idiom) ~ is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation
8. Petty (adj./ informal) ~ the act of doing or saying something that has little meaning/significance
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Have you heard or experience any of the scams mentioned above? Which one?
2. How do you make sure that you won’t fall victim to any scam when you’re travelling abroad? Give some suggestions.
3. Have you heard of any scam that victimizes tourists? Give some examples.
