- 1 day ago
Don't let your dream vacation turn into a nightmare! Join us as we expose the most devious tourist scams around the globe. From pickpockets posing as beggars to ATM skimmers stealing your bank details, these con artists have perfected their craft. Our countdown includes friendship bracelets, shell games, fake rings, and those suspiciously "helpful" locals. Have you encountered any of these scams?
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be discussing some of the most commonly
00:15utilized methods of deception against tourists traveling abroad.
00:18I'll be watching you.
00:24Beggars in pickpockets.
00:25It's all about the distraction.
00:32We hesitate to use the word classic when it comes to describing this vintage tourist scam,
00:37perhaps established is more suitable when it comes to that age-old occupation of the
00:41pickpocket.
00:42These con artists want your wallet, and they're not above impersonating the unhoused to play
00:46upon the sympathy of tourists.
00:49These flim-flam operators will try and ask you for a paltry donation while attempting
00:53to live the whole shootin' shebang, so be sure to watch out where and how you carry
00:58a wallet, money clips, or purse.
01:00You know how the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a lifetime of cure.
01:08This illegal and moral scam isn't only relegated to the tourism sector, but it can very easily
01:21put a cramp in your vacation should you not be paying attention.
01:26We've probably all needed to grab cash in a quick pinch while we're on vacation.
01:43As a result, we may not exactly be totally focused on checking out our surroundings while
01:47hitting up an ATM.
01:48This is where skimmers come in.
01:50Since they can easily be placed over or within a cash machine that's left unmonitored, these
01:55skimmers can siphon off the unwary's banking info from the card.
01:58They're not only relegated to ATMs, either, since they can be also installed within innocent-looking
02:03card terminals at just about any store.
02:05I don't even know what to even look for, you know, if it looks real.
02:09Also recovered by investigators, a pinhole camera with a transmitter secured right above
02:14the keypad used to capture unsuspecting victims' fingers entering their personal identification
02:20number.
02:21Substance trafficking scams.
02:22Hey Kevin.
02:23I need more.
02:24I need more.
02:25What do you want me to do?
02:28I can only carry two bags and I can't fly back here every day.
02:31We're going to reference another grandpa saying for this example when we state that there's
02:35no such thing as a free lunch.
02:37In other words, those traveling abroad should always be wary of an offer that sounds too good
02:42to be true because it probably is.
02:45It's not entirely uncommon for tourists to be approached by strangers offering them what
02:49sounds like the deal of a lifetime, paid airfare or transportation, and the promise of lucrative
02:55windfalls.
02:56The only thing they have to do is go here, there, and everywhere on a planned itinerary.
03:01This is by design, of course, since the victims of these scams are basically being used as mules
03:05to facilitate illegal transport of goods across the border.
03:09Don't fall for it.
03:11When you're carrying drugs across the border, the idea is to remain calm.
03:15The way I do it is to think of something pleasant.
03:19A fun party, a moment of triumph, a sexual encounter.
03:25Cashier scamming.
03:26It sort of feels like a given that we should assume the cashier standing across from us at
03:30the checkout isn't going to intentionally rip us off.
03:33Then again, we all know what happens when we assume, right?
03:37Call it.
03:41Unfortunately, some less-than-scrupulous cashiers aren't above taking advantage of unwary tourists
03:47who aren't keen on counting their change.
03:49Some of these employees will either move like molasses while switching out bills or, even
03:53worse, attempt to snap a photo of your credit card as they are processing payment.
03:57This one can be tough to catch, and even more complicated when it comes to accusations.
04:02Our best advice is to be as vigilant as you can during every financial transaction abroad.
04:07The old switcheroo.
04:09You're so lucky.
04:11You're full of luck.
04:12It's your lucky day.
04:13No, it wasn't.
04:14It isn't only cashiers who might play around with your cash.
04:18Just about anyone handling your money could just have a trick up their sleeve that's designed
04:21to take advantage of tourists' unfamiliarity with local currency.
04:25See, we've had cases that I personally investigated where it was like $150, $180.
04:31And someone good at the scam can hit several stores in a day.
04:34Police have posted surveillance videos from across the country, $220 at this convenience
04:38store, and $2,100 ripped off from a single clerk at a Walmart in Albuquerque.
04:43A driver might have a secret stash of bills that they use to swap out when you're not looking
04:47or paying attention.
04:48And a aforementioned cashier might drop you counterfeit coins or incorrect change, all based solely
04:54on the assumption that you, the tourists, are a stranger in a strange land.
04:58It's always best to prepare oneself for any potential scams when it comes to handling
05:02money.
05:03And this includes knowing the values of coins and the proper exchange rate.
05:06And here's your change.
05:08$19,000, $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $60,000, $80,000, $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $500,000,
05:15$600,000, $700,000, $800,000, $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, $7,000, $8,000, $9,000, $10,000.
05:22Thank you and come again.
05:23Non-helpful locals.
05:24Have a very special day for a very special little man.
05:30Okay.
05:31I can't believe that guy left us here.
05:38Let's be clear.
05:40Traveling can be a wonderful and life-changing experience.
05:43One that can include meeting scores of interesting new people.
05:46However, be careful about whom you trust since not all locals can be friendly.
05:51Some may come up offering advice on how to stay safe, only to glean info about where you
05:56happen to be stashing that wallet.
05:58Or locals may try to offer physical help in some fashion, such as finding a seat on the
06:02train.
06:03Then they'll forcefully demand a tip for doing so.
06:05Some of these scams can just as easily double as traps, such as those locals that intentionally
06:10try to create situations where you, the tourists, are caught alone, unawares, and ready to be robbed.
06:16Pardon me.
06:17Eh?
06:18Oh.
06:19Excuse me.
06:20Excuse me.
06:21Excuse me.
06:22Excuse me.
06:23Excuse me.
06:24A found ring.
06:29It could be a ring or something else like a wallet, but always be suspicious if a stranger
06:39picks something up off the ground and asks if it belongs to you.
06:42The found ring scam is one example of this behavior where a local or somebody else will
06:47be pointing out a ring on the ground and offer it up to you.
06:49Oh, hey, did you drop this ring?
06:51Is this ring yours?
06:52This gold ring?
06:53And you're going to say, of course, no, it's not my ring.
06:55And then they're going to try to get you to buy it from them for a small sum of money.
06:59And you might fall for that.
07:01Don't fall for it.
07:02They'll ask if you dropped it, but soon point out how it happens to be valuable.
07:05The scammer will then offer to sell it to you, even though this found ring happens to be
07:10the same bauble they dropped on the ground only moments prior to your arrival.
07:14The spirit of Sauron endured.
07:17His life force is bound to the ring, and the ring survived.
07:22Shell game.
07:23This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, yet it still seems to work on unsuspecting
07:28tourists, so here we are with the shell game.
07:31Here we go.
07:32Here we go.
07:33Where we go.
07:34Nobody knows.
07:35It may look like an innocent game of chance while you're walking down the street.
07:39But make no mistake.
07:40The odds are never in the tourists' favor with this one.
07:44That's the thing, little man.
07:45This is not a game of luck.
07:47It's about the science of memory.
07:48The shell game is designed to be a con where the player never correctly chooses where the
07:52ball is hiding.
07:53The house essentially always wins.
07:55And it doesn't matter if the shell game takes the guise of cards or cups.
07:59The proper course of action is just not to engage.
08:02Okay?
08:03Five will get to ten, ten will get to twenty, fifty will get to a hundred.
08:05Double your money, double your money.
08:06Just catch it once.
08:07One time, one time, one time.
08:10Friendship bracelet.
08:11Hey, we all want to take home some souvenirs when we travel, right?
08:16The experience can be made even more memorable if those souvenirs are handmade and indigenous
08:21to wherever we happen to be visiting.
08:23That said, always be careful about anybody attempting to place anything on your person
08:28while traveling.
08:29This includes items as initially innocuous as a friendship bracelet, which many con artists
08:33will try to put on before you can even notice.
08:36They'll then try to either demand you pony up some money or pick your pocket when you're
08:39not looking.
08:40No, thank you.
08:41No, no.
08:42I know the trick.
08:43I know.
08:44No, you put it on and ask them to me.
08:45No, nobody does.
08:46Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:47Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
08:52about our latest videos.
08:53You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
08:58If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:03Taxi overcharge.
09:04No hurry.
09:12The modern traveling landscape is one with a lot more options when it comes to how tourists
09:16can get around from spot to spot.
09:18And yes, while ride sharing services aren't perfect, the act of paying on an app essentially
09:23circumvents one of the oldest tourist traps in the book, the taxi overcharge.
09:28Unscrupulous drivers have historically loved to take their fares the long way around under
09:32the guise of a shortcut.
09:35Or the cabbie in question might take an intentional wrong turn, skipping your destination altogether
09:41while that meter runs up a bill.
09:43A public records request turned up six months of taxi complaints from the last half of 2024.
09:471880 complaints in total, averaging about 10 a day.
09:52But over 40% of those complaints, they were about fare issues.
09:56Watch how fast that meter goes.
09:58Watch out for flat fees.
10:00And beware that you don't get taken for any extra rides in that overpriced cab.
10:05Look at that.
10:06Isn't that great?
10:07Now you can take me uptown.
10:08Great.
10:09I'll be right back.
10:10See how you like it!
10:11Oh no!
10:12Oh no!
10:13No!
10:14Do you have any advice for the aspiring travel nut?
10:18Let us know some tips in the comments down below.
10:20And don't forget to like and subscribe for more WatchMojo videos.
10:232
10:245
10:252
10:261
10:272
10:281
10:292
10:302
10:312
10:322
10:351
10:362
10:382
10:402
10:4121
10:421
10:432
Be the first to comment