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Australia
18 scams
Also known as the land down under, or the outback, Australia is world renowned for the pristine beauty of its natural wonders and wide, open spaces.
The country is also very safe to visit, though there are some tourist targeted scams (mainly activity related) to watch out for.
Emergency numbers
- Police/fire/ambulance: 000
- SES assistance in floods/storms: 132 500
- Police assistance: 131 444 (all states except Victoria)
Fake monks in Australia
6 0How it works: A fake monk will hand you a charm, seemingly for free, then ask for a donation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw0kW6G2Hvc Places to beware: Sydney What to do: Decline. Real monks…
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Mildura “fruit-picking” scam in Australia
6 0How it works: Situation: in Mildura, there is an infamous farm owner “Don”, who offers fruit picking jobs to backpackers. Opening: backpackers are lured by promises of high pay, but…
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Car break-ins in Australia
6 0How it works: Although Australia is not renowned for petty crime, car break-ins or smash and grabs do occur especially if you leave your valuables exposed in your car. In…
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Kangaroo essence in Australia
6 1How it works: Kangaroo essence pills are claimed to be made of the testicles and penis of kangaroos and is promoted to tourists as a product for sexual enhancement. However,…
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Timeshare scam in Australia
6 0How it works: Situation: you may encounter timeshare salespeople at major theme parks – they will dress up to look like park staff. Opening: they approach, claim that a certain…
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Sob story scammers in Australia
3 0How it works: In late 2018, social media exposed a 49 year old woman who was found staking out carparks across western suburbs of Sydney with her sob story scam….
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Surfers Paradise pub crawl scams in Australia
3 0How it works: Opening: at Surfers Paradise, you may encounter touts pushing different kinds of schemes and discounted tickets. One such is a high priced wristband claimed to allow free…
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Taxi scams in Australia
2 0How it works: Version 1: drivers claim that the meter is down, and charge you an inflated flat fare. In fact, in Jan 2019, two tourists were charged $887 for…
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Paddy’s Market Chinese massage scam in Australia
2 0How it works: Opening: here, pushy Chinese touts will tempt you with the offer of a free massage or a massage at just $10. Set-up: however, once you agree and…
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Cairns Night Markets massage scams in Australia
2 0How it works: Version 1: quoting $15 for a 45 minutes massage, but stopping after 15-30 minutes. Another trick is to leave your feet in a basin of water for…
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