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Tag: Iquitos
Pickpockets in Peru
7 2How it works: Version 1: they work in a gang – one onlooker, one blocks, pushes, distracts, or engages you, one grabs and the final hides the loot under a…
Snatch thefts in Peru
2 1How it works: Pavement: bikes riding past, with a pillion rider doing the snatch. Market, plaza, park, bus station, train station: distracting and snatching from you, then escaping via a getaway…
Credit card skimming in Peru
1 1How it works: Situation: according to the US Bureau of Diplomatic Safety, credit card fraud is common here. Version 1 (ATM): card skimmer installed to capture your card details, pinhole…
Carjacking in Peru
2 0How it works: Situation: SUVs and sedans with expensive upgrades are usually targeted. Version 1: someone signals you to pull over indicating problems with your car, such as a flat…
Amazon river cruise robbery in Peru
2 0How it works: Foreigners have being held up robbed by armed gangs while on boat cruises along the Amazon River (e.g. Delfin Amazon Discovery in 2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmlqS6m0OYs Places to beware:…
Taxi scams in Peru
2 0How it works: Version 1: as taxis here do not use meters, a common scam is to charge an inflated flat fare. Version 2: not clarifying the currency (quoting in…
Currency switcheroo in Peru
2 0How it works: Version 1: swapping the note you have given to a note of lower value, then demanding that you top up or shortchange you. Version 2: giving you…
Counterfeit currency in Peru
3 2How it works: Situation: Peru is the world leader in producing counterfeit USD notes. Besides USD, there are counterfeit Peruvian sols too. Set-up: scammers target tourists by asking if you…
Restaurant scams in Peru
3 2How it works: Situation: most food places are fine, it’s generally just a few bad eggs around touristy areas that spoil it for the rest. Set-up: advertising cheap rates, free…
Fake La Isla De Los Monos in Peru
2 0How it works: Situation: the real La Isla De Los Monos is a monkey rescue center certified by the government where the monkeys are rescued to be rehabilitated and then…
Fake Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm in Peru
2 0How it works: Situation: there is a “knock-off” butterfly farm set up by an ex-employee of the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm just beside it. Set-up: the fake one pays boat drivers…
Fraudulent tour operators in Peru
6 1How it works: Operator overcharges, takes the money upfront, fulfils only part of their obligations and then disappears before the tour is over. Places to beware: Anywhere (e.g. in Puno;…