Usually as a tourist you will stick out like a sore thumb to the locals. As a result, you might find yourself the target of some common travel scams around the world. Whilst these scenarios are unlikely to happen to you, it pays to be aware so that you can spot these common travel scams before it’s too late…
Scratch cards and Timeshare Apartments
Timeshare scams usually begin with a free scratch card in a sunny coastal resort. A young, friendly man or woman will approach you and offer you a free scratch card, telling you about the wonderful prizes you could win. It’s all no obligation of course, a fact which they will be sure to make a big deal out of! Naturally, surprise, surprise you will win a prize! There’s a catch though; they don’t have the prize on them and you’ll have to go with them to collect it. You’ll try to get out the situation but they’ll guilt you into playing along because otherwise they won’t get paid. As a result, you’ll have to watch a long and dull presentation about timeshare apartments with a lot of pressurisation to buy now at incredibly discounted rates. Unless you desperately want a timeshare apartment, don’t get sucked into it! Just say thanks but no thanks and leave.
Splat and grab
Whether the splat comes from a bird, a condiment or a drink, if you get something spilt all over you, you need to be alert. It could well be that the splat was not a mere accident or act of nature, but a planned event. If someone appears with a towel and starts helping to clean you up pretty sharpish, they could be using the opportunity to pinch valuables from your person or bag whilst you are distracted. They will sometimes even have an accomplice in tow. This can happen anywhere so just keep your eyes peeled!
The golden ring
This scam is particularly rife in Paris but can happen in a number of large cities. If a passer-by tells you that they have found a gold ring on the floor, just say no and keep walking. If you get sucked in, they will try to sell you the ring for a ridiculously cheap amount. They make money for nothing, while you find out you just paid good money for a ring made of brass!
Front desk fibs
An increasingly common scam can occur right in your own hotel. Well, so the fraudsters will have you believe. In the middle of the night you will receive a call claiming to be someone from the front desk who will explain that there has been some kind of problem with your payment card. They will request that you confirm your credit or debit card number over the phone. In your still half asleep state, you will likely oblige. The problem is though, it might not be the front desk at all, so it’s worthwhile calling the front desk back and checking before you divulge any such information or, better yet, speaking to the front desk face to face.
Tricks at tourist attraction hotspots
Major tourist attractions are a hotspot for tourist scams. Whether you are visiting the Pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Big Ben in London, you should be mindful of who and what is going on around you. It’s a haven for pickpockets but there are other tricksters in action too. If you are offered anything such as a flower or any kind of souvenir for ‘free’, don’t fall for it. As soon as you take it, you’ll get hassled into paying for it!
Taxi drivers taking liberties
Even if you have hired a car on holiday, it’s likely that at some point during your trip you might want to take a taxi. You’ve no doubt heard this one before but it’s so common it needs to be included. Quite simply, only use metered taxis and agree the fare to your destination before you get in. This should help you avoid getting utterly ripped off when the driver plucks a random and often hugely inflated fare price out of thin air when you arrive! In countries where you don’t speak the language, try speaking to staff at your accommodation to gauge the average price for your journey before you even get near a taxi.
Sorry, it’s closed
You’ve scouted around and found your chosen restaurant, attraction or even hotel but before you even arrive someone has told you it’s closed. Not to worry though, they’ll say; there’s a better option just a little further along. Usually the local, tout or taxi driver will have a deal going with the owner of the ‘better’ establishment which means they get a cut of whatever money you end up spending with them. Save yourself the irritation and make sure you insist on checking whether it’s closed for yourself.
This collection contains just some of the common travel scams to be aware of around the world. That said each destination can have unique scams you have to be aware of, particularly in developing countries. Wherever you are headed, the best advice we can give is that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is and you should listen to your gut instinct. Check out our top travel tips to stay safe for more ideas on how to avoid being taken advantage of on holiday!
For more information on great value and scam free car hire head to our quote page! Or, if you have been caught up in or heard of travel scams we haven’t mentioned don’t forget to leave a comment below!
Thanks for highlighting these common travel scams! Being aware of these tactics helps travelers stay vigilant and enjoy a safer trip. Your tips on how to avoid scams are practical and valuable for anyone planning their next adventure. Keep up the great work in educating travelers
We are going to Italy this year. We are astonished to find that all car hire companies at Venice airport require an excess deposit of 1500 Euros to be blocked from a credit card. We do not have a card with this amount on it. What do we do?
Hi Janet, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Unfortunately Italy is well known for having high deposit rates and the suppliers we work with at Economy Car Hire require deposits that range from 700 to 2000 Euros. If you would like to hire an economy sized vehicle we do work with a couple of suppliers that only require a deposit of approximately 700 Euros. If you could tell me what size car you would like and the dates of your trip I can email you a quote.
Just been caught with the Full tank bring back empty saga. I Used Economy car hire as always but this time very unhappy. On our return Firefly the Hire company (Alicante airport) charged £84.83 for a full tank for a Corsa.
Outrageous especially as I took it back 3/4 full!!!!!!!!!!!
Will only use Fuel for Fuel policy now and if this means not using Economy caar hire then so be it.
Still waiting for a response to my complaint from Economy Car Hire!
Brian, I’m really sorry to hear you have been disatisfied with your booking. As a car hire broker based in the UK unfortunately we have no control over the fuel policies advised by the local suppliers. However, we do understand that the ‘full to empty’ policy is unpopular with many of our customers and have updated our website to ensure that suppliers who provide a ‘fair fuel’ policy are clearly labelled during the booking process. I believe that a member of our customer services team has now been in contact regarding your complaint, and I hope that we can continue to provide you with car hire in the future.
It’s too bad that so many people are out to take advantage of travelers. If you are driving between countries, it’s also a good idea to be aware of the many scams that can happen at the border crossings.
I am sorry to hear that you have been unhappy with the fuel policy on your car hire bookings Maldwynn. We work with a variety of car hire companies and suppliers, who operate with different fuel policies. We endeavour to provide a fair fuel policy at every location. Whilst of course there are places where this is not possible, we are always looking to increase the number of suppliers that offer a fair fuel policy. With regard to our prices, we always include full collision damage and theft protection with built-in excess cover. We should be able to offer annual top-up insurance at some point in the future, which covers damage to the tyres, glass parts, underside of the vehicle along with lock outs and misfueling. I hope this helps, and I do hope that you will consider booking with us in the future.
Thank you for the advice Noel, taking photos of the car is an excellent way to make sure you aren’t caught out!
I’m sorry to hear you have had such poor service Simon and Paul. Here at Economy Car Hire we do try our utmost to negotiate inclusive prices with our suppliers to ensure all our customers receive the best service possible and avoid all extra costs and hidden fees!
Agree with all the published comments.ESPECIALLY the one,s about the petrol scam.Economy cars are aware of this but do nothing about it, I have stopped using the company now and moved on.have been in touch with you to discuss but you were not interested.Also asked if you could provide annual CDW cover again no interest.
At Malaga airport they charge a fee of 30€ extra after 11pm.
I was in the que for 45 mins at 10.15 so when i paying the woman charged me the extra 30€, when I explained i was in the que at 10.15 she said yes but its now 11pm, if you dont want to pay go to another hire company.
I paid up and told her i wont be using this company again.
Yep! I caught with the extra insurance scam!
I knew something was up when the woman came out of the office and went straight to look the wheels of the car. ‘Ah, she said theirs a scratch on the alluminium wheel’. ‘Yeah, but theirs lots of scrathes on the wheels’ I replied.
They took-stole- 700 euros. I could do nothing.
Lesson: If you don’t take the extra insurance, take pictures of the car before you take it. They will scam you
Have delt with numerous car Hirers now hopefully wiser. Usually go for return same as take out fuel level. Also taken excess cover in UK. £39 for year. Don’t get rushed check vehicle before driving off and take photos before and after. When they see you doing this they know they will be rumbled if they try to deceive you. Don’t be intimindated take your time.
Thank you all for your comments!
To address some of the issues you have raised regarding fuel charges and insurance expenses from foreign car hire companies, as a UK based broker Economy Car Hire have negotiated policies with our suppliers and include full collision damage and theft protection in our prices and operate a fair fuel policy to save you being charged unfairly once you reach your destination.
Economy Car Hire also offer top-up insurance for only £2 per day for extensive coverage protecting you from claims car hire companies may make regarding damage to the tyres, wheels, glass parts and the underside of the vehicle as well as lock out cover, damage/theft/loss of keys, misfuelling and towing charges.
As for the others scams some of you have experienced during your holiday, thank you for bringing them to our attention! I am sure our other readers will be particularly grateful for the heads-up and I hope you have had more luck/better treatment from the locals on your holidays since!
You should warn everyone about the car hire scams.
FULL TO EMPTY FUEL, where they charge exorbitant prices for a full tank and don’t give a refund for unused fuel.
EXCESS INSURANCE, where they charge exorbitant prices for insurance, and if you don’t take it out they always find damage of some sought to charge you with, in some cases as much as Euro600.
Even some of the companies you recommend do this, just read some of the reports on “Trip Adviser”
In Barcelona I was unloading our bags from the bus and placed them with my wife. My wife was asked for directions and a map was held in front of her. This distracted her and blocked her view of the bags which were stolen.Moral-Spanish speaking locals dont need directions from tourists! A friend had her arm broken in Barcelona by thieves ripping off her necklace. The police could easily block a lot of these scams but seem uninterested. Once you are alert to the thieves you can spot them working Las Ramblas in pairs. They wear runners for a fast getaway. Dont carry handbags, expensive phones or obvious jewellery. In general the thieves are not violent and dont use knives but they are very common, very quick and seem unhindered by the police. Dont let it put you off this magnificent city, just dont carry anything that can be grabbed or it will be.
Got the scratch card scam in Rhodes. Even offered to take us to the venue in a taxi – for free. We asked for the address and we would drive there ourselves. Address not offered, so we went on our way.
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Also booked a car in Corfu with GPS. GPS was faulty and we ended up going exactly the opposite direction to our hotel. Took 4 hours to cover a 45min journey. Car was a right shed. Both exchanged. Got a puncture in the middle of the night. Spare was from some other car and had a puncture anyway. Did receive some compensation though. Would rather have done without the hassle.
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Hired Renault car via Jigsaw 2000 (Jet 2 recommendation) in Madeira. Elected to cover all excess) Lorry broke the door mirror glass and repeater indicator lens (the body was unaffected). Items cost in UK – £25.45. Hire Company claimed a complete new door mirror via the insurance – some £254.
Having already paid extra to cover ALL excess, Jigsaw charged us ANOTHER £35 for processing the claim. Totally unrepentant scam merchants.
Car hire, especially in Spain when they charge on collection €120 for a full tank of petrol- take vehicle back empty. Tank only holds €60. As reported on TV by Martin Lewis. I was caught in Menorca in October 2013, car hired through yourselves!
The foreign car hire industry is a minefield full of sharp practice and cons. Watch out for any unauthorised charges made to your credit card against your car hire once you have flown back to the U.K. and you don’t check your statement until it comes in to you a month later. There is also the ‘extra’ insurance scam where the search engine plays up all the super advantages of letting them show you suggested car hirers with insurance cover with no excess etc but then you are pressured into taking ‘extra’ insurance by the car hirer when you get to your destination and they point out that you only have very basic insurance cover on your proposed hire. Of course, you are now in a queue of a load of other tired and impatient travellers who are desperate for a car and want you off and away without delay. So …….you agree to pay another extortionate unbudgeted amount per day for this extra insurance cover. Dodgy lot car hirers ………second only to second-hand car salesmen !
Keep an look out for little children who are playing a musical instrument. You feel sorry for them and give them money. This is a scam whereby a minder of the child takes the money you have given off the child..
Another to watch for is a child with a puppy who waits for you to pet the dog when an accomplice tries to pick pocket you whilst you are distracted.
Another scam is buying cigarettes off the street they offer a really great deal to you and they look identical to the genuine packs you end up with counterfeit cigarettes which are really bad to you health. To ensure you get the genuine article buy them from a shop.
Finally. If you are changing currency at one of the currency kiosks don’t ever give your money to a person who is sitting outside of the kiosk and tells you it is his business. He will take your money and appears to go to the entrance of the kiosk but does not enter he comes back to you and gives you your exchanged money and does not count it out. Check your money as these scammers will give you a low denomination notes to the top and bottom of exchanged money which is the correct currency and all the other money is just junk notes. To ensure you get the protection you need go to a bank or a genuine kiosk. If the rate looks to good to be true walk away
These are some of the things I have witnessed whilst on holiday in Bulgaria
what about fuel scam 2 times the cost for a tank full
Whilst waiting in the traffic queue at the border crossing into Gibraltar, you may be approached by someone trying to sell you a parking permit, allowing you to park more easily once on the Rock.
Tell them to take a hike, as there is no such system in force.
I also relayed this information to the people in the next vehicles, who the scammer went straight to after leaving us.
He soon gave up on that occasion but I’m sure he would have returned, after us wise people had moved on!
When renting a car for a couple of days, be sure that you are not charged for a full tank of fuel – the chances are that you will only use say a quarter of a tank, but end up paying for a full tank. Better to return the car with the tank topped up.
Don’t get scammed on the motorway when leaving the airport in your hire car. Someone might flag you down on the pretence that there is something wrong with your car. Once you stop they are likely to drive off with your car and everything in it, luggage, passports etc. It has happened in Spain a lot.
The biggest scam at the moment is hire car companies charging phenomenally inflated prices for a tank full of petrol and telling the customer to bring the car back as empty as possible.
It is a very deceitful way of doing business.
The customer has no option but to pay up or lose the money already paid to hire the car as the car hire also cannot be cancelled from 48 hrs before booking.
I’ve been caught numerous times by these unscrupulous companies.
Another rip off is where hire car companies charge an arm and a leg for a tank full of fuel for you to return it empty, which is never the case. I will only use full to full companies from now on.
Common scam in Hurghada airport, Egypt. If you use the gents toilet in departures you may find the air hand drier not working. After washing your hands a scruffy local will push some toilet tissue into your wet hands and then try to stop you leaving until he receives money. Just refuse the paper and shake your hands dry outside.
Thanks for this. Very useful You might add the exchange rate scam whereby traders will offer to convert your hotel bill or purchase into sterling so you don’t incur foreign currency charges. In most cases the exchange rate offered is well below the genuine rate. Better to stick to payment in the ,local currency especially if you have a card that doesn’t impose a surcharge e.g. Nationwide.
My middle aged daughter and her husband were walking through Gatwick airport on their way home with their cases on the trolley and their rucksack hanging off the hook beneath the handles. They were approached by someone of eastern European origin asking where the bus went from to London. They didn’t know, but the Enquirer pointed towards some buses and asked them whether those were the ones. They looked in the direction that the person was pointing and again repeated they did not know. They carried on to their car, but when they went to unload the bags, the one hanging under the handle had gone(with all the jewellery and cash) . Unbeknown to them, a second person was waiting whilst they became distracted and had then slipped the bag off the Hook and disappeared. Fortunately, my son-in-law was a policeman and found out that the closed circuit television had picked up the deed and some two years later, the criminals were caught as they re-entered the country. Had he not been a policeman Gatwick had refused to review their closed circuit film so they would have got nowhere.
When visiting a cash point or bank desk be aware of anyone near you who may be able to see you draw cash and put a chalk mark on your bag or clothing. The criminals have a team who will follow you and wait until you are in a suitable zone or area where they can either snatch your wallet/purse and or rob you pf your money,personal jewelery etc. Just check your bags and clothing before you leave the bank/cash point zone and clean off any “spotters” chalk marks.
With some hire cars companies (usually the cheaper ones) if you get a puncture whilst moving and pull up to change the wheel, there may not be a jack in the boot or anywhere else just a can of so called “puncture sealer and inflator”. The problem is you need to spin the tyre to use it but with no jack you roll the car forward in the hope of the same outcome. The problem is the hire company will now accuse you of driving on a flat tyre and charge you in excess of 100euros stating it is ruined when it isn’t. As they have your card details you have little choice but to pay. Report them to your card company who are more than happy to pursue the company for the money.
Car hire companies that charge an over the top amount for a full tank of fuel AND THEN TELL YOU TO BRING IT BACK EMPTY enemy after only say 5 days use….. What a damned liberty… I use eurocar to avoid this rip off!!!