{"id":609,"date":"2017-02-03T02:26:14","date_gmt":"2017-02-03T02:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/?p=609"},"modified":"2017-02-03T02:26:14","modified_gmt":"2017-02-03T02:26:14","slug":"7-scams-every-traveller-needs-to-know-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/?p=609","title":{"rendered":"7 scams every traveller needs to know about"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tie me up<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Paris and Rome<\/p>\n

Scam:<\/strong> As you\u2019re walking near the famous Sacre Coeur or Spanish Steps, a charismatic man strolls up to you and starts a conversation. Before you know it, he\u2019s tying a bracelet around your wrist or finger and double-knotting it better than a Boy Scout. Then he demands payment. Of course, you can say no. But if you do, he\u2019ll scream that you are stealing his bracelet and embarrass you in public. Most tourists give in to the pressure and pay just to prevent a scene.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong> Don\u2019t get too close. If someone is being super friendly, you have the right to be suspicious. And if he or she gets close enough to put a bracelet on your wrist, don\u2019t be afraid to just walk away.<\/p>\n

The diversion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Airports and train stations<\/p>\n

Scam:<\/strong> This scam comes in many different forms. One is the \u201chot dog trick,\u201d whereby a stranger accidentally squirts mustard on you while eating a hot dog. As he apologizes and tries to help you clean up, an accomplice grabs your bag and slips away. Another form of this scam involves an old lady falling in a public place. As everyone runs to her assistance, her partner swoops up as many bags as he can carry and disappears.<\/p>\n

Tip: <\/strong>Whether you\u2019re sitting or standing, always be in contact with your bags. Keep a hand on your carry-on, or place it between your legs, if you want to keep it from going missing.<\/p>\n

Security line switch-up<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Airports<\/p>\n

Scam:<\/strong> Picture this: You\u2019re about to walk through a metal detector when the person behind you cuts ahead of you. Annoyed, you let him go, but your frustration builds as he repeatedly sets off the alarm. He\u2019s forgotten to remove his watch and loose change, so he is holding up the line. What you don\u2019t know is that on the other side, his accomplice has snagged your belongings and is already in another terminal.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong> Wait until the last moment to put your stuff on the conveyor belt; this way no one can slip in front of you. Also, keep an eye on your stuff if you get held up at the metal detector. If you see some fishy business, alert the TSA agent.<\/p>\n

The drop and swap<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Istanbul<\/p>\n

Scam:<\/strong> You\u2019re a tourist in the country and just getting the hang of the foreign currency. You take a taxi, and when you arrive at your destination, you pay the fare with a 50-lira note. Without your noticing, the driver switches your payment with a 5-lira note, which, unfortunately for you, looks quite similar. He accuses you of shortchanging him, and since you\u2019re not totally sure he\u2019s wrong, you give him another 50-lira note.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong> Be a confident traveler. Familiarize yourself with the currency before you go, and pay attention when you pay for services. If you think you\u2019re getting duped, threaten to call the police. Local law enforcement officers know about this trick, and the driver probably won\u2019t want to lose his license.<\/p>\n

Bait and switch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Everywhere<\/p>\n

Scam:<\/strong> You\u2019re planning a vacation on a budget, and you find an amazing-looking hotel in your price range. It seems too good to be true, but the pictures on their website look idyllic, so you enter your credit card info and book the room. Unfortunately, when you arrive, you discover that the hotel is a dump, and they won\u2019t refund your money. In some countries, one-star hotels will even copy the name of a popular hotel just to lure tourists to their location. Tricky!<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong> It always pays to book through a reputable tour operator because it will take responsibility for the booking and guarantee that you don\u2019t lose money. Sites such as Oyster<\/a> and TripAdvisor<\/a> are also great resources for checking out reviews from customers who have stayed at the hotel.<\/p>\n

Wi-Fi data skimming<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where: <\/strong>Airports, hotels<\/p>\n

Scam: <\/strong>Let\u2019s be honest, no one ever turns down free Wi-Fi. This fact has made the practice of \u201cskimming\u201d all too common at hotels, caf\u00e9s, and other public venues. A free W-Fi hotspot is set up and made public for anyone to access. Sure, the Internet is free, but while you\u2019re checking Facebook, your data is getting sent to the host\u2019s computer. Just like that, they have access to your usernames and passwords.<\/p>\n

Tip: <\/strong>Only connect to legitimate networks. Check out this list<\/a> of airports with free Wi-Fi so that you know you\u2019re connecting to a secure network. At a hotel, don\u2019t connect to another guest\u2019s Wi-Fi hotspot. Instead, ask the front desk for the hotel\u2019s preferred network and use it!<\/p>\n

Tricky exchange rates<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Western Europe<\/p>\n

Scam:<\/strong> You find a great souvenir at a shop overseas, and as you hand your credit card to the merchant, she asks if you\u2019d like to convert your credit card transaction to U.S. dollars. You oblige, because it sounds easier, but actually it\u2019s not. It\u2019s called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), and by using a conversion rate that is higher than the going rate, the merchant is making an extra profit off of your purchase. She pockets the money and you\u2019re left in the dark.<\/p>\n

Tip:<\/strong> Always pay in local currency. Also, DCC fees can be added only to Visa and MasterCard credit and debit card purchases. American Express cards use a closed system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tie me up Where: Paris and Rome Scam: As you\u2019re walking near the famous Sacre Coeur or Spanish Steps, a charismatic man strolls up to you and starts a conversation. Before you know it, he\u2019s tying a bracelet around your … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=609"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":610,"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609\/revisions\/610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jimchaplin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}