These Are The Ways In Which Tourists Get Cheated Abroad

by Christopher Paul · July 29, 2019

We all love traveling and when we get a long vacation we’d love to visit a nearby country. But, when we get there we might encounter some people who seem normal but are trying to get our money.

These people will try anything to fool us into giving them money. Pickpocketing is still a thing but tricking tourists into paying for things they shouldn’t have to is the new art of stealing and this is why we need to be very careful while travailing abroad. These are some ways in which you could be tricked into giving away money while in a different country.

1When buying things in shops

Normally this is seen only in local shops and not in mega malls. When the cashier sees he/she is dealing with tourists they tend to add a product or two to the bill so that the tourists have to pay extra. This is often done when they realize the tourist cannot speak their language. You should always learn to understand the currency of the country you are going to.

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2Roadside gifts and flowers

This is something you will see in many countries. While walking the streets you will be approached by people who will offer you flowers or gifts as a welcome sign but then will ask you for some money or a small fee. In some countries this is free but in others, they charge money. In some, they might even ask for donations for a hospital or orphanage which is just a lie.

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3Buying an apartment

Even though services like ‘Airbnb’ are quite popular these days there are still some people who would like to rent to buy apartments. This is where they can get cheated. If they don’t go through proper channels they might be asked to pay just a few hundred dollars to book a really good apartment but as you have guessed, once that money has been paid they will never see those people again.

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4Asking for donations

This is something that isn’t just bad but it should be illegal. In many countries, you will be asked to give donations to some hospital, school or orphanage. You might think this is a noble thing to do but you don’t know that this money isn’t going to be used for any of those things. This actually is an issue because sometimes people with good intentions also do this but don’t get the treatment they deserve.

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5Puppets or attractions

This is something disgusting that happens in a few countries. While walking around taking pictures you might get approached by a life-sized puppet of some famous mascot or movie character for a picture. Naturally, every tourist will take a picture with it but then they will be charged for it. In some countries, they ask for a small donation which the tourist can pay only if they want to and how much they want to but in some, it can be a standard price.