How it works:
- Opening: a friendly local approaches and engages you in conversation. You are then invited to get a drink together at a nearby bar.
- Version 1: he/she will order expensive drinks (actually diluted ones) that will be put on your tab. At the end, you will be presented with an inflated bill.
- Version 2: drink spiking by peperas.
Places to beware:
- Cusco: Plaza de Armas
- Lima: Miraflores, Barranco, Callede las pizzas next to Parque Kennedy
What to do:
- Avoid: heading to a suggested bar together with a random stranger.
- If not, consider: does the bar seem legitimate? Are there customers? Is the stranger evasive about things?Is he/she only bringing you to a particular restaurant or bar?
- Test your new “friend”: pretend you have company by suggesting to go another place where you have friends at. Ask for prices before ordering. Take a photo together.
- If scammed: threaten to call the police, pay with a credit card but call immediately to dispute the charges. Keep a separate bank account with little cash to limit your losses if threatened.
- Alternative: GetYourGuide (leading day tour platform) has some pub crawls.
