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North America
297 scams
Top travel scams in North America
Price quote scams in Costa Rica
6 0How it works: It is common in Costa Rica for tourists to be expected to pay higher prices than locals. This is possible as goods at markets are not labeled…
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Fake tour operators in Panama
6 0How it works: Fraudulent operators will charge you a high price for these tours and then claim to give you a discount if you pay in full upfront. Once you…
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Name engraving souvenir scam in Cuba
6 0How it works: Opening: a stall owner claims to or gives you a “free gift” (e.g. a pouch) to get you to his stall, then he asks for your name…
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Unofficial guides in Puerto Rico
6 0How it works: Opening: a friendly local approaches and claims that he can bring you around places not found in guide books. Set-up: he then brings you to a restaurant…
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Medical marijuana card scam in USA
6 0How it works: Opening: at Venice Beach, you may see shops advertising medical marijuana cards for $40. You enter, hand over your ID, fill in some forms and consult a…
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Port Colon security officer scam in Panama
6 0How it works: At the Colon Cruise Port, official port security officers may try to set you up with unofficial tour guides or unlicensed taxis. Places to beware: Colon: Port…
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Price quote scams in Guatemala
6 0How it works: Quoting a low price first, only to inflate it when it comes to paying claiming an earlier misunderstanding (e.g. wrong currency; low price for a small portion,…
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Familiar face scam in Jamaica
6 0How it works: Situation: for tourists staying at resorts, they usually carry a wrist band from their resort. Opening: scammers are able to identify which resort the band belongs to…
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Sob story scammer in Puerto Rico
6 0How it works: Situation: there is a man around Avenida Rivera who claims to hail from Wisconsin. Opening: in perfect English, he will tell you how his dad and him…
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Fake cigars, cigar festival scam in Cuba
6 0How it works: Opening: street touts claim that there is a cigar festival today where cigars are sold at a discounted price. Set-up: he either tries to sell some to…
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