Honduras Scams: Tourist, Online & Investment Fraud Guide
Common scams affecting tourists and residents in Honduras, with official reporting routes through the Policia Nacional.
Emergency number: 911 — verify on official sources.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Honduras sees a range of scams affecting both travellers and residents, and the most feared phone crime is home-grown: extortion calls, often claiming gang affiliation or placed from inside prisons, that threaten families, bus operators and small businesses into recurring payments, alongside softer 'relative in trouble' and prize-call scripts. The standing advice from authorities is not to negotiate, verify family directly, and report through the anonymous 143 line rather than pay.
The remittance lifeline is the second target. With a large share of households receiving money from relatives in the United States, fraudsters impersonate transfer companies and 'customs offices' claiming a fee must be paid before funds release, trick recipients into revealing collection codes, and run fake 'send money home cheaper' services that pocket the transfer. Online, Hondurans face phishing impersonating Banco Atlantida, BAC and Ficohsa, Facebook and Instagram shops that never ship, hijacked WhatsApp accounts begging contacts for loans, and social-media investment schemes promising doubled money. Tourists in Roatan, Utila and Copan meet unlicensed taxis, fake or uninsured dive and boat operators, and distraction theft around markets and terminals.
The Policia Nacional de Honduras and the 911 emergency line are the main reporting channels, with anonymous reports through 143. When a transfer has gone wrong, the bank or remittance operator comes first — collection can sometimes be blocked before pickup.
Common scams
- Fake investment and crypto schemes promoted via social media
- Phone impersonation scams posing as police or tax officials
- Online marketplace fraud with no delivery
- Phishing messages impersonating banks
Tourist-specific scams
- Unlicensed taxi overcharging at airports and tourist sites
- Fake tour guide or boat-trip operators in Roatan
- Distraction theft at busy markets and bus stations
- Counterfeit or overpriced souvenir goods
Online shopping scams
- Fake online shops targeting buyers abroad via social media
- Delivery fee SMS scams impersonating courier services
- Phishing links sent via WhatsApp or email
Job scams
- Fake overseas job ads requiring advance payments or passport copies
- Task scams via messaging apps that escalate into deposit demands
- Bogus US work-visa brokers charging staged fees for papers that never come
Romance scams
- Dating-app relationships escalating to investment or wire-transfer requests
- Fake online partners seeking emergency funds
- Hijacked WhatsApp accounts asking the victim's contacts for urgent loans
Investment scams
- Fake forex and crypto platforms promoted on social media
- Pig-butchering combining romance with fabricated trading portals
- Informal 'high-interest savings' circles that collapse Ponzi-style
How to report a scam here
- Contact your bank immediately to freeze affected accounts or reverse transfers
- Call 911 or visit the nearest Policia Nacional station to file a report
- Use the anonymous reporting system by calling 143
- Preserve all screenshots, messages and payment receipts as evidence
Local reporting & protection links
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Bank & payment guidance
Contact your bank immediately using the official number on your card or app, not a contact supplied by whoever approached you. Request an emergency hold on the fraudulent transfer, explain that you were deceived into authorising it, and ask for the receiving account to be reported and a reference number recorded. Speed matters here, because the money often moves on quickly. For remittance fraud, contact the transfer operator at once with the tracking number — a pickup can sometimes be blocked before collection. Obtain a police report number for formal bank disputes. If card details or codes were shared, ask about blocking the card and changing your online-banking credentials, and never respond to extortion demands with payment — report through 143 instead.
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 anonymously in Honduras?
The Sistema de Denuncias Anonimas allows anonymous reporting by calling 143. Reports are handled by the Ministerio Publico, Policia Nacional and the Sistema Nacional de Emergencias 911, so callers are not required to identify themselves.
How does remittance fraud target Honduran families?
Fraudsters posing as the transfer company, a 'customs office' or even the sending relative claim a fee must be paid before money can be released, or trick recipients into revealing the collection code so the transfer is picked up by someone else. Remittances never require release fees, and the collection code should be treated like a card PIN.
What should I do about an extortion call in Honduras?
Do not negotiate or pay — payment reliably produces repeat demands. Verify directly that any relative mentioned is safe, avoid confirming names or routines to unknown callers, and report through the anonymous 143 line or 911. Many calls are bluffs run from generic scripts with no real information about you.
Sources
- National police and cybercrime portals (verify on official sites)
- FTC / Action Fraud / Scamwatch consumer guidance