Top 10 Travel Scams

On the beach in Rio you may rent a chair and a sun umbrella for just US$2 each - if you asked first! If you just wandered down to the beach, let the attendant enthusiastically guide you to a chair, then hover around getting you cold drinks and seeing to your every comfort - when it comes time to settle up, wham! US$50 the chair, US$50 the umbrella and shudder shudder - those four delicious iced caipirinhas you were downing happily - US$50 each. If you had only asked first, they are just US$2.

Your bill should have been just US$12 for a fantastic day in the sun... if only you had asked first. The bill that you are holding in your hand is US$300 - and yes, you WILL pay the outrageous price, you won't be let off the beach until you do!

I use Rio as an example only because ahhh! it is an epidemic there, but be sure this is a universal practice.

But even though he is only 12 - you DID ask the price first, right? There's that little old Golden Rule again! There are a few [usually older, around 16] who specialize in a great scam. They have a tiny bit of English, sit you down, polish away - and then put out their hand for payment. You hand over a buck. They shake their head - nope! It's US$20 sorry, that's my fee. Did you ASK FIRST? No? Then get ready to hand over 20 bucks. Trust me, if you don't, you won't believe the hassle that kid is going to cause you - and you will end up wishing you had parted with ONLY 20 bucks!

The scam gets extended like this: a kid comes up to you and points out you have birdshit on your shoe. Sure enough, you do - his mate has just flicked it on while you were distracted. He squats down and starts cleaning it off - and if you let him continue without asking the price... ho hum read above.

If you are approached by someone claiming to be an undercover police officer, don't go anywhere with him, and don't show him anything.

No undercover police officer will ever ask to search you in public, search your luggage in public, or ask you to get in a taxi or unmarked car to go to a police station. Look around for a uniformed police officer, and call him over. Insist on going to the police station in a police car or by foot.

It's this simple. If you are stopped by 'plainclothes policemen', never get into a vehicle. Never. Got that? Don't give them any documents or show them any money, and don't [shudder shudder] take them back to your hotel, for any reason. Politely and firmly insist on going to a police station, on foot.

A wonderful and 'invisible' scam is the 'fixed calculator'. Very slowly, right in front of you, the operator will key in all the correct figures...

...the answer won't be.

Getting a taxi can be such fun. Remember our traveler's Golden Rule: ask the price first.

In many cities, taxis charge by zones. Make sure you agree on a fare before taking off. If you have absolutely no idea what a fair rate would be, ask at a local hotel.

If you don't set a fixed price, but just a general 'area' for it to fall into, make sure the meter is working! Also, after 8pm there is a 10% surcharge. Mention this at the start, so it doesn't appear as 50% on arrival - too late to cry then!

Finally, when you first negotiate the price, the driver generally won't give you one. Instead, he'll ask you what you think you should pay! He is just checking how green you are, to see just how far he can stretch things!

If you don't mind paying 4-5 times the correct fare, just hop in! Before you take a cab from the airport to the hotel, have an idea of what you should pay. [As we travel I will put these prices in my blogs - just do a site search for them. Very useful.] An example: the cab fare from Rio's international airport to Copacabana is US$16. Hop in a cab without setting a price - you will pay US$60. Probably 15-20% of arrivals do, so you can see it's worth the driver's while to try it on.

A final point - your luggage goes in the cab with you. You are highly likely to be separated from anything you put in the trunk.

A brand new 'friend' may offer you some sweets, or a drink: spirits, beer, coke - or maybe some chewing gum. Even a cigarette. With no particular taste or odor, you won't detect a thing. The drug causes loss of will and loss of memory, and sleepiness lasting from hours to days. Worse, too much can be fatal.

Never accept an opened drink from another person. NEVER. And never go to the toilet leaving a half-finished drink on the table.

Having said this, don't be paranoid - just don't be stupid either. Think about where you are... a sleazy bar? a nightclub of ANY quality? have you taken a lady-of-the-night back to your hotel?

An absolute give-away that something is up is when the person becomes insistent that you have a smoke, or accept a sweet. Think: why so insistent over something so trivial?

Some countries deserve a special mention. Be careful in Rio - the colorless, tasteless liquid is called 'Good Night Cinderella'. Very careful in Colombia - Burundango is a widespread tree with a wonderful sap: just a small amount can render you unconscious. A great favorite with thieves.

Practise politely refusing everything in Colombia... sorry, I'm a diabetic, I can't eat/drink that. Oh what a pity, I have an allergy to coke! [The soft drink... this is Colombia, right].

The street? Be very careful. In some countries [Zimbabwe for example] it is illegal to change money on the street, and you are very likely to be arrested.

The guy changing on the street does it for a living. He is not smarter than you, just a zillion times more experienced in separating the gringo from his money. There are various scams. You change your money for a fat wad of small bills. Even though you saw him count them in front of you, when you look at them later you have a few small bills wrapped around a wad of newspaper cut to size.

You agree on a rate. Do the calculation. He hands over the money. You count it - it's short. He is surprised but apologetic, takes the money back, counts it, then adds the extra that was missing - slowly and right in front of you. Hands it back. Apologizes, disappears. Later, when you count it again, you find you are now missing more than half what you had before he added the extra!

Their sleight-of-hand can rival David Copperfield - you will NOT detect it. Don't flatter yourself that you will. Be very careful, count everything yourself, then pocket it - and only then hand over your dollars.

A last tip - if you hand over your dollars before he hands you any money, someone will shout "Police" and oh! what a panic and we all run away... Ho hum.

You make a purchase in a shop. The salesperson says, excuse me a minute, I must go out the back/next door and call Visa to confirm the transaction. He will be gone about a minute... and your card is cloned.

In a restaurant, you ask for the bill. The waiter brings it on a tray, inside an expensive black leather folder. You put your credit card on the tray, he goes away and returns with the docket to be signed. And while he was away... your credit card was cloned.

When your bill arrives, check it, item by item. You are very likely to find extras. Politely point this out, and ask for a correction. The waiter will smile [dang, he got me!] apologise and get you a new bill.

The vast majority of foreigners simply pay without checking, as the exchange rate is so good, and everything here is just so cheap!

One place where this can be nasty is - the nightclub. Wait for it... here it comes... the Golden Rule! The guy at the door invites you in, no cover charge. You are just having a look around. Order a beer to do the right thing. After half-an-hour, you head off, ask for the bill. US$100. WHAT?? Fifty bucks a beer!!! Well, and did you ask before you ordered? Ho hum.

WRONG!!

No-one! - in a Third World country 'drops' money! Because you have been such a good and honest person [which he and his accomplice are counting on] one of several things will now happen. He shakes your hand, thanks you profusely... you turn around and... your pack is gone! Or... he takes the note, embraces you in thanks, and... your wallet is gone. Or... he looks at the note, puzzled - and demands the rest that he dropped - BIG scene coming up! BIG crowd coming up! Or... he thanks you so much, so respectfully, and invites you for a quick beer or coke at the bar just across the street - on him... go directly to Scam #6.

Let me repeat - No-one! - in a Third World country 'drops' money! IGNORE IT - it just didn't happen, ok.

Some extra little scams to look out for:

• Any fight, confusion, argument, accident that happens near or around you - is FOR YOU. It's a little show to divert you, just for a few moments. Don't hang around to enjoy the spectacle - move on immediately and keep your wallet/money/backpack for tomorrow.

• "Hi John! Wow, GREAT to see you again!" A smiling face pushes through the crowd, hand out ready to shake yours. "Remember me? Felipe/Tatiana? The restaurant/hotel/beach/surface-of-the-moon?" Trust me, you have NEVER seen him, her or it... but you are not sure, there have been so many people. Anxious not to offend, you take the outstretched hand - and NOW we are all friends! The scammer depends on your culture - he knows you are brought up not to offend. Learn to be rude! Start right now - call your mum and insult her! Then call right back and say, hey mum, I was just practising for my trip. See? It's easy! This parasite has only one interest in you - to rob/cheat you. Ignore the outstretched hand - walk away!

• A foreigner [yep, a genuine one] will approach you, all flustered and confused. Can you help me, my bag/wallet has just been snatched. Can you lend me enough to make a fone call, pay the taxi to my hotel etc. Ho hum, go right ahead, make a donation...