Guatemala Scams: Tourist, Online & Investment Fraud Guide
Common scams affecting tourists and residents in Guatemala and how to report them through official channels.
Emergency number: 110 (police), 1500 (PNC) — verify on official sources.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Guatemala attracts millions of visitors to its colonial cities, volcanoes and Mayan ruins, but both tourists and residents face fraud, and the most feared phone crime is home-grown: extortion calls, often claiming to come from gangs or from inside prisons, that threaten families and businesses into paying, alongside the softer 'engano telefonico' scripts — a relative supposedly detained or injured, a package held at customs, a prize that needs a release fee. Families are advised to hang up, verify relatives directly, and report rather than negotiate.
Tourists around Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Tikal and Chichicastenango meet the classic repertoire: unofficial taxis and shuttles quoting invented fares, counterfeit quetzales passed as change in markets, 'guides' collecting for tours that never run, and distraction theft around ATMs and bus terminals. Online, Guatemalans increasingly report shopping pages on Facebook and Instagram that take payment and vanish, phishing impersonating Banrural, Banco Industrial and other banks, WhatsApp account takeovers begging contacts for loans, remittance-collection fraud aimed at families receiving money from relatives in the United States, and pig-butchering investment grooming.
The Policia Nacional Civil (PNC) is the main law-enforcement body; its services portal at policiales.pnc.gob.gt handles formal complaints, and the emergency lines are 110 and 1500. For anything involving a transfer, the bank call comes before the paperwork.
Common scams
- Online shopping non-delivery and fake e-commerce sites
- Fake job offers requiring upfront visa or processing fees
- Investment and crypto platform scams
- Distraction theft and express robbery in tourist areas
Tourist-specific scams
- Unofficial taxi overcharging and rigged meters
- Counterfeit currency given as change at markets
- Fake tour guides and unofficial excursion operators
- Distraction theft at tourist sites such as Antigua and Lake Atitlan
Online shopping scams
- Fake online shops and social media marketplaces
- Phishing impersonating Guatemalan banks
- Romance and pig-butchering crypto investment fraud
Job scams
- Fake overseas job offers requiring document or visa fees upfront
- Task scams via messaging apps with escalating deposit demands
- 'Coyote'-adjacent brokers charging for US work visas that do not exist
Romance scams
- Dating-app relationships escalating to cryptocurrency investment requests
- Social media romance scams targeting vulnerable individuals
- Hijacked WhatsApp accounts asking the victim's contacts for urgent loans
Investment scams
- Fake forex and crypto trading platforms promising guaranteed returns
- Pyramid and multi-level recruitment schemes
- Informal 'high-interest savings' circles that collapse Ponzi-style
How to report a scam here
- Contact your bank immediately if money was sent — request a freeze on the transaction
- Call the PNC on 110 or 1500, or file a complaint via the PNC services portal at policiales.pnc.gob.gt
- For anonymous tips, contact Crime Stoppers Guatemala via WhatsApp at 3764-1561
- Preserve all digital evidence: messages, screenshots, account details, and payment records
Local reporting & protection links
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Bank & payment guidance
Use the official helpline on your card or in your banking app, and call as soon as you realise, because the chance of stopping a payment falls fast. Ask for a freeze on the transaction, tell them plainly that you were tricked into authorising it, and ask that the receiving account be reported; note the reference number. If you shared a code or password, mention it and change your access. For remittance fraud, contact the transfer operator as well — collections can sometimes be blocked before pickup if you move within the hour. Afterwards report to the PNC on 110 or 1500, or online at policiales.pnc.gob.gt; banks generally want the denuncia before resolving a dispute, and extortion calls should go straight to the police rather than being paid or negotiated.
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot all messages, profiles, websites and payment pages
- Save transaction references, account numbers and crypto wallet addresses
- Keep emails with full headers where possible
- Note dates, times, names and phone numbers used
Frequently asked questions
How do I report a scam to the PNC in Guatemala?
You can file a complaint via the PNC services portal at policiales.pnc.gob.gt, call 1583, or visit any local police station. For anonymous tips, Crime Stoppers Guatemala accepts reports via WhatsApp at 3764-1561.
What should I do about an extortion call in Guatemala?
Hang up without engaging, verify directly that any relative mentioned is safe, and report to the PNC rather than paying — payment reliably produces repeat demands. Callers often bluff from generic scripts with no real information about you. Do not confirm names, addresses or routines to unknown callers.
How does remittance fraud target Guatemalan families?
Fraudsters posing as the sending relative, the transfer company or a 'customs office' claim a fee must be paid before money can be released, or trick recipients into revealing the collection code so the transfer can be picked up by someone else. Remittances never require a release fee, and the collection code should be treated like a card PIN.
Sources
- National police and cybercrime portals (verify on official sites)
- FTC / Action Fraud / Scamwatch consumer guidance