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Scams aimed at tourists and travellers — fake bookings, visa services, and airport/transfer scams. (81 scam types.)
A caller claims a family member has been seriously injured in an accident and that the victim must send money immediately to cover medical treatment or transport. The accident is invented.
A thin sleeve or loop hidden in the card slot physically traps your card inside the ATM so it appears swallowed. A 'helpful' stranger watches you re-enter your PIN, then retrieves the card once you leave.
Criminals attach hidden reading devices and cameras to cash machines to copy your card data and PIN, then drain your account with a cloned card.
A device fitted over a cash machine's dispenser traps your banknotes as they are paid out. You see no cash, assume the withdrawal failed, and leave — then the scammer returns to remove the trap and take the money, while your account is still debited.
A stranger 'helps' at a cash machine that seems stuck, watches or films your PIN, then swaps or retains your card through distraction or a tampered slot — walking away with both the card and the code that unlocks it.
Venues lure tourists in with cheap drinks or a free show, then present an enormous bill enforced by intimidation, with hostess drinks and hidden charges doing the inflating.
Criminals copy stolen card data onto counterfeit cards and spend or withdraw cash as you, while your real card never leaves your wallet.
A paper-thin device hidden inside a card reader records your chip card's data during a normal transaction, leaving no visible sign of tampering.
Street collectors with clipboards pose as charity fundraisers for causes like deaf or disabled children, taking cash donations that fund no charity at all.
Street currency exchangers lure tourists with above-market rates, then shortchange them through sleight of hand — folded notes, palmed bills, a recount that removes money — often ending with a 'police are coming' rush that stops the victim checking.
Money changers and cash handlers use sleight of hand, folded notes, confusing rates, and hidden fees to hand tourists less money than they are owed.
Callers posing as immigration enforcement officers threaten imminent deportation or detention to coerce migrants and visa holders into making urgent payments or surrendering identity documents.
Thieves working in teams stage a spill, question, or commotion to occupy your attention while an accomplice lifts your wallet, phone, or bag.
At foreign card terminals and ATMs, the offer to 'pay in your home currency' applies a hidden markup of several percent over the real exchange rate — and machines, merchants, and interface design often push or silently make that choice for you.
Fraudulent QR codes and cloned apps at electric vehicle charging points trick drivers into entering payment details on lookalike sites or installing malicious apps.
Fake Wi-Fi hotspots mimicking real ones to intercept logins, steal data, and serve phishing pages.
Fraudsters posing as Airbnb hosts direct guests off the platform to pay a security deposit via bank transfer, then collect the payment and disappear.
Unofficial websites and callers that charge fees to process airline refunds or flight compensation claims that passengers could pursue free of charge directly with the airline.
Imposter 'airline help' numbers and social accounts that steal payments and booking details.
Fraudulent websites and touts sell pre-booked airport fast-track security, immigration, or check-in services that either do not exist or are available free, charging for something the passenger never receives.
Unofficial 'taxi' and transfer touts who overcharge, reroute, or take prepayment and vanish.
Bogus flight, hotel and package sites that take payment for reservations that don't exist.
Bogus 'your trip is cancelled, claim a refund' messages that steal card and banking details.
Fraudulent car hire sites and listings that take deposits for vehicles that aren't available — or add hidden charges at pickup.
A caller posing as a consular or embassy official contacts a family member claiming their relative is being detained abroad and requires urgent payment for fees or fines before they can be released.
Fraudulent eSIM activation sites and fake roaming packages that charge for data connectivity that never works.
Fraudulent websites mimic official electronic travel authorization or eVisa application portals, charging travelers inflated or entirely fake fees for a document that is either never delivered or freely available at low cost from the real government site.
Fraudulent emails and texts pose as airline upgrade offers, harvesting card details or account credentials from passengers willing to pay a fee to move to business or premium class.
Third-party sites charging unnecessary fees to apply for trusted traveller programmes enrollable only through the official government Trusted Traveler Programs portal.
Messages demanding card 're-verification' to 'secure' a booking, capturing full card details.
Threats of deportation or visa problems used to extort payment from migrants and visitors.
Bogus claims handlers and imposter airline services that charge processing fees to access compensation that either doesn't exist or is freely available through official channels.
Fraudulent texts and emails claim a loyalty or rewards programme is expiring and demand a small renewal fee, using the threat of losing accumulated points to harvest card details and set up recurring charges.
A person dressed as a monk presses a bracelet or amulet on you as a 'gift', then demands a cash donation, often showing a ledger of inflated past gifts.
Fraudulent QR code stickers placed over genuine codes on parking meters, tickets, and signage that redirect drivers to a lookalike payment page designed to steal card details.
Third-party sites charging inflated fees to 'assist' with passport renewals — a process done directly through the official government service.
Fraudsters pose as immigration or customs officials and claim the victim's passport has been flagged for seizure due to criminal activity, threatening deportation or arrest unless an immediate payment is made.
Strangers ask you to sign a petition for a sympathetic cause, then demand a donation — and the clipboard often doubles as cover for pickpocketing.
Bogus event, attraction and transport tickets sold online that don't work at the gate.
Unlicensed guides and bogus tour operators who take payment for tours that don't happen as promised.
Fraudsters send convincing fake traffic-fine notices claiming a speed camera or red-light camera captured the victim's vehicle, then direct victims to fraudulent payment portals that steal money and card details.
An impostor in a uniform or with a flashed badge boards a bus, tram, or metro, declares your ticket invalid, and demands an on-the-spot cash "fine" — often inflated, cash-only, and with no valid ID or official receipt. Tourists are the prime targets.
Fraudulent sites selling counterfeit health certificates, vaccination records, and travel medical clearances that carry legal and health risks.
Bogus policies that take premiums for cover that doesn't exist or won't pay valid claims.
Fraudsters sell travel insurance policies that look genuine but provide no real cover, leaving travellers stranded with unpaid medical bills or lost trip costs.
Fraudsters posing as loyalty scheme support or third-party brokers steal frequent flyer and hotel points by requesting account credentials or directing victims to fake transfer sites.
Bogus travel insurance policies that look comprehensive but exclude the medical events most likely to occur, or are sold by unregulated operators with no claims-paying ability.
Fraudsters threaten to post fabricated negative reviews about a traveller's business or personal travel unless a fee is paid, or demand payments from hospitality businesses in exchange for removing damaging fake reviews.
Fraudulent short-term rental hosts who impersonate legitimate listings, collect deposits, and leave guests without accommodation.
Unofficial websites that charge inflated fees to submit visa or Electronic Travel Authorisation applications that travellers could file directly with the government for free or a fraction of the cost.
Sites and agents charging inflated or bogus fees for visas, ETAs and travel authorisations.
Bogus VPN apps that spy on your traffic, harvest credentials, or install malware instead of protecting you.
Fraudsters set up rogue Wi-Fi hotspots with legitimate-looking login pages to harvest credentials, card details, or install malware on connecting devices.
A stranger 'finds' a gold ring at your feet, insists you keep it, then asks for money in return. The ring is worthless brass, and the moment of inspection can cover pickpocketing.
A street hustler ties a bracelet onto your wrist as a 'free gift', then demands payment for it, often with accomplices adding pressure while your pockets are exposed.
Pay-at-pump terminals place holds far larger than the fuel bought, sometimes freezing hundreds against a card for days — and some stations pair opaque holds with rigged pumps, unreset meters, or attendant sleight-of-card to overcharge drivers outright.
Criminals hide card-reading devices inside fuel pumps, silently copying card data from every pay-at-pump customer, often for weeks before anyone notices.
A staged detour delivers tourists to a 'special' gem shop where near-worthless stones are sold at huge markups, usually on the false promise of resale profit back home.
A friendly tuk-tuk driver, taxi driver, or "helpful local" reroutes tourists to a gem, tailor, or handicraft shop — often with a story that the attraction is closed — where wildly overpriced or fake goods are sold and the guide collects a commission.
A seller offers gold bars, nuggets, or jewelry at a bargain price, backed by a sob story or staged tests. The gold is gilded base metal worth almost nothing.
Fake apartment, villa and car rentals that take a deposit for a property that isn't available.
The sale of fabricated or misrepresented religious relics, artefacts, or blessed items — often at inflated prices — to collectors and devout buyers seeking spiritual or historical significance.
Rental operators accuse returning tourists of causing pre-existing damage and demand large on-the-spot payments, often backed by intimidation and a passport held as deposit.
Tampered public USB charging ports that steal data or install malware while your device charges.
Fraudsters intercept or redirect physical mail containing sensitive identity documents — bank cards, NIN letters, passports, or HMRC correspondence — to gather everything needed to impersonate you and open accounts in your name.
Criminals copy or photograph a passport's biodata page and combine it with a forged or substituted photo to create a usable fake, enabling travel, account opening, or border crossings under the victim's identity.
Third-party 'unlocking services' advertised online charge upfront fees to remove a carrier lock from a phone, then deliver nothing, an invalid code, or a service that bricks or blacklists the device.
Fraudulent or non-existent travel packages for religious pilgrimages that take deposits or full payment and fail to deliver promised travel, accommodation, or access.
A payment terminal at a shop, restaurant, or fuel station is overlaid, tampered with, or swapped for a look-alike that captures your card data and PIN. Sometimes a dishonest employee runs your card through a second, hidden skimming device out of sight.
Fake DMV websites, texts, and ads impersonate a state motor-vehicle agency or a bogus "REAL ID processing" service, charging fake application or expedited-processing fees and harvesting the personal and ID-document data used for identity theft.
Scooter, jet-ski, and car rental operators claim you caused damage that was already there — or was inflicted after return — and demand inflated cash payment, with the renter's passport held as leverage. A staple of beach resorts and tourist islands.
Families arranging to bring a loved one's remains home from abroad are charged inflated or entirely fabricated fees by intermediaries exploiting the complexity and urgency of international repatriation.
Fraudsters impersonate mobile carriers offering roaming bundles or data add-ons, collecting payment for credits that are never applied to the account.
Fake or duplicated tickets for major games, finals, and playoffs sold through social media, classifieds, and fan forums leave buyers turned away at the stadium gate.
A message or call claims a family member travelling overseas has been robbed, lost their documents, or is otherwise stranded and needs emergency funds wired immediately. The situation is fabricated.
Drivers refuse the meter, rig it, or quote inflated flat fares to overcharge tourists, sometimes adding detours to commission-paying shops along the way.
Fake or non-existent tickets for popular theatre and stage shows are sold through unofficial resale channels, often targeting tourists and gift buyers.
A rigged street betting game where a dealer invites you to track a card or hidden ball. Planted winners draw you in, sleight of hand guarantees you lose, and pickpockets often work the crowd.
Schemes selling expensive travel club memberships with the promise of discounted holidays and a multi-level income from recruiting new members — where the travel discounts rarely justify the cost and income depends on perpetual recruitment.
Fraudsters posing as courier companies or embassy agents demand payment for 'customs fees' or 'release charges' on supposed travel documents being delivered, then collect the fee and deliver nothing.
Scammers advertise vacation rentals that do not exist or are not theirs to rent, collecting upfront payment through off-platform channels before travelers discover there is no real booking.