28.03.2024

Menu for ordering and for reckoning. How not to become a victim of scammers on vacation

Theft of luggage by hotel “rats”, a house in Tambov instead of Yalta, a fake menu in a cafe and compulsion to pay for a bracelet presented with a bauble – there are a lot of ways to withdraw money from tourists.

With some types of deception you can find in all attractive countries for travelers.

Others are specific for specific regions. On how not to suffer from scammers on vacation, – in the material of RIA Novosti.

Fake cottage

Young couple at the computer

You can lose money before you travel. Scammers have successfully mastered the Internet site for renting housing and offer false accommodation. So, in July two people were detained in the Tambov region, who issued their country house for a cottage in Yalta. They posted pictures of the house on famous sites of online ads and took prepayment.

More than 600 families were deceived when buying tours to Abkhazia. On the false tourist sites were offered vouchers and places in the hotels of the Black Sea republic. With a 100% prepayment, crooks gave a discount of 30 percent. The hotels went to meet the visiting Russians and placed trusting tourists for free.

There are scammers in any country. Experts advise not to risk and not to book suspiciously cheap air tickets, tours and hotels. To use only well-proven Internet services, you must carefully check the name of the site: to replace a sufficient one letter.

“Hotel rats”

Robber

When you check into the hotel you need to be extremely attentive. For example, in Paris, there are criminal groups called “hotel rats”. The rogues enter the foyer, mixing with groups of tourists, and, while the guests are busy registering, steal their belongings.

Another common way of fraud in the hotel is to call the number supposedly from the reception asking them to repeat the details of the bank card, including the security code on its back. Then the criminals withdraw money from your account.

In a restaurant and ATM

Payment for dinner at a restaurant or so-called pocket expenses are not considered sponsorship. Only the means that a man pays to a woman woman for her needs are taken into account

In restaurants and cafes there are just two menus – one is served to take the order; The second, with higher prices, is brought after the guests are outraged by the amount in the check.

In addition, you should not go to bars or clubs with locals, who suddenly became imbued with sympathy for the tourist and decided to practice their English. The bill can then exceed a thousand dollars.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warns of the need to refuse alcoholic, soft drinks and cigarettes offered by strangers.

You should be careful with ATMs. “A tall man approached and began to” help “me to withdraw money from the card in the center of Rome,” – said a tourist from Australia, Mary Wallace.

It was not easy to do this, since the terminal screen was glaring in the sun. “Assistant” began to distract her, advise where to look better. As a result, he managed to get the card out of the slot, while Mary received the money, and convince the victim that the ATM was to blame for this.

Forced donation

Empty wallet

There are also a lot of ways to fairly “climb” into the wallet to a tourist on the street. One of the most famous – to offer to make a photo with a bird, monkey, snake or other animals on the background of attractions. He wants to be photographed or not, no one cares – the animal will just be planted on his shoulder. Then the picture will require a fee.

Also people in national or fancy dress are acting: they invite the tourist to take a picture, and then they call the price of this service. Sometimes payment can be avoided if you delete pictures from the phone or camera. But it is better to avoid such photo sessions.

In Europe, a pretty popular scheme with a bracelet-baubles. First, a group of friendly young people makes a gift as a sign of sympathy, and then requires money.

Often, the tourist is offered to sign the support or against anything. Later it turns out that in this way you were obliged to make a donation.

Merchants with flowers can present one flower to a girl, and then ask her to pay for the entire bouquet.

Falling Brushes

Street shoe cleaner in Istanbul

In Istanbul, fraud with shoe cleaning is very popular. The Cleaner “accidentally” drops the brush in front of the tourist and does not notice it.

The person raises, gives it, the cleaner starts emotionally to thank the good passer-by and offers to clean his shoes. Then it turns out that for the money.

“When visiting large shopping centers or crowded places, take precautionary measures and watch for the safety of personal belongings and documents.” “Money is spread out in different pockets,” the Russian Foreign Ministry advises. “Walking around, choose a crowded place, take a map of the city with you. If someone nearby starts to behave defiantly or commits hooliganism, you should leave this place. “

Stop without bus

the great Wall of China

Exchange of currency at a bad exchange rate or inflated the cost of a taxi ride, the lack of change is a well-known method of cheating tourists. It is said that in China, cunning taxi drivers can install even a fake bus stop, for example, on the way to the Great Wall of China. The tourist waits in vain for public transport, and then the driver drives up and informs that the bus will come in an hour or two. He offers his services, naturally, at an inflated price.

However, when going on a trip, do not think that there are only scammers around. There are also opposite examples. This summer in the same China, the taxi driver returned almost a thousand dollars to an American tourist who accidentally paid a trip a hundred times more than necessary.

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