Can someone explain travel and tourist scams to me?
I get a lot of them like pickpockets and whatnot, but the ones where they try to get you to buy something or demand payment for a service. What's stopping me from saying "no, fuck you"? Are they gonna fight and rob me on the street? Cry to the police? I don't understand why I'd pay someone for shoving flowers in my hands instead of trying to hand them back or failing that, dropping them and walking away?
>>1080163
I've been kinda scammed, and it was physical intimidation that got me (he had a rifle). But I imagine a lot of times it's just trying to make you feel like you're in the wrong, or you'll get in trouble I'd you don't go along. I imagine plenty if people are so afraid of conflict or drawing attention they just go along if it's not a lot of money.
Here's an infographic that gets posted a lot. Won't let me post the image and I don't feel like monkeying with it.
http://wayfarer.lifehacker.com/this-infographic-breaks-down-the-most-common-travel-sca-1619962811
>>1080180
ooo somebody did the friendship bracelet scam on me in paris back when i was 15 but i didnt have any money on me so i just sort of walked off.
still have the bracelet to this day
>>1080180
Oh, more mental than physical basically.
>me
>Tunis
>Fell for the expensive taxi driver
Overall lost $25 USD. Real price was $5.
>Fell for the overly helpful local
~$5
>Did not fall for the "rose for your girlfriend", even when I was with >the flirt
Actually those kids tried to sell me a rose multiple time Habib Bourguiba blvd. Most of the time I just brushed them off, the last time they tried I was with a friend and they were being extra pushy with him so I got physical with them and they started cursing me in Arabic but scattered away.
>The flirt
~$Too goddamn much, in the 2 hundreds
Didn't really begin as a scam but it went there after the 2nd or 3rd time we saw each other. She looks good in that dress I bought her though. Saw a picture of that later on fb. I still don't blame those vixens (3 of them), I had fun, but probably could've played my position better and end up not only not spending money, but getting a kiss out of it and a better, positive story.
>pic related, $15 burgers for 4
>>1080180
Story?
travel scams are mostly about guilt-tripping people, i've lived in istanbul for a while, there's the shoe shine scam where people will offer a 'free shine' to you and then go on about their poor kids, yadda yadda.
then there's the more serious ones such as the drink scams, let's go to this bar, etc, you'll end up with a $1000 bill and be escorted to an ATM, shoutout to an older guy named "JOHN" in athens who just tried that shit on me 2 days ago
Very common one in South/Southeast Asia is for a person or group to ask to take a picture with you. One of the scammers will take the picture, while the other lines up with you. While he/she is taking the "picture", the other guy will go through your pockets looking for your phone or wallet. Had this happen to me multiple times in India, where it isn't uncommon for strangers to (legitimately) ask for pictures, and also in a few cities in Thailand. I never got anything stolen, but I still fell for it quite a few times despite being wary after the first.
The thing about scams is that the vast majority of them involve someone distracting you while another person pickpockets you. Everyone who has never had this happen to them thinks that they would be able to tell if someone was rifling through their pockets/bags, but the reality is that these guys are professionals and they get away with this crap every day; you don't have to be particularly gullible or stupid to fall for their tricks. Even if you do notice them trying to steal something, or notice that something is missing, scam artists disappear just as fast as they appear and your chances of catching them are basically zero.
>What's stopping me from saying "no, fuck you"?
Nothing is stopping you, but what stops most people is the fear that they did something wrong or committed a crime. The scammer can be very hostile and convincing, and the last thing anyone wants is to be in trouble in a foreign country.
>Are they gonna fight and rob me on the street?
No. If they wanted to mug you they would mug you.
>Cry to the police?
Absolutely not. In fact, the best thing to do if you're being bothered by a scammer is threaten to call the police. The cops in most of these countries are well aware of scam artists and will literally NEVER side with them in any circumstances.
>>1080221
The cops in most of these countries are well aware of scam artists and will literally NEVER side with them in any circumstances.
topkek
i saw " undercover " police trying to sell drugs to drunk teenagers , and when they accepted it .. they got taken away with police car by the very same person
thailand man, such a nice place
>>1080209
>I had fun, but probably could've played my position better and end up not only not spending money, but getting a kiss out of it and a better, positive story.
WHAT A MADMAN
THE KEK OUT OF HELL
>>1080163
nothing, but clueless yuppies generally don't know that
one guy tied a bracelet round my wrist and then was like "ten euro", if anyone actually paid that they're a fucking moron
>>1080163
>I get a lot of them like pickpockets and whatnot, but the ones where they try to get you to buy something or demand payment for a service. What's stopping me from saying "no, fuck you"? Are they gonna fight and rob me on the street? Cry to the police? I don't understand why I'd pay someone for shoving flowers in my hands instead of trying to hand them back or failing that, dropping them and walking away?
Always assume police are/can be corrupt. So, yea, calling over another person, whether a "trusted" type like another vendor, local shopkeeper. person of authority in the vicinity whether in on the scam, or just going to lend weight to whatever lie they will make up in this scam, or, yes, even a policeman can net you more trouble than it is worth risking esp when lies happen and you are ganged up upon. In cases where you feel even a threat is happening, get away. Call attention to yourself with forceful "no!" or language you know like "get away from me" in definition, and keep hands up or tucked safely in pockets. Move away from people who give your gut instinct an alarm about their behavior (assuming your subconscious picks up on more than you think).
Tips: Don't braille wares as you shop. Hands to yourself like you are a 5yr old under your mother's "don't touch!" discipline. Don't give hawkers any indication you are interested in the slightest way, so no staring too long, no prolonged eye contact with hopefuls, no meandering timekilling kind of walking or attitude. This means walking slowly past the front of a restaurant/club where they want you to enter. Do not sit EVER until you have seen a menu with prices on it. Act like you aren't very hungry, very interested, unless the menu looked good first. Got it? This makes you out to not to be a big spender too.
Hide jewelry or leave it at home. You are sized up all the time. Pay attention to shoe/clothing brands that peg you as a tourist, if it matters to you.
>>1080236
>i saw " undercover " police trying to sell drugs to drunk teenagers , and when they accepted it .. they got taken away with police car by the very same person
yea, that's called a sting you stupid fuck and cops do it in pretty much every country
Not sure if scammed but I was at the airport running late for my flight. I still had to pass through customs when one of the security guards approached me and said he could get me through faster for only a couple of bucks. So he escorted me to the one of the front lines, but the custom official told him to fuck off. I asked my my money back, but the guy just turned around and walked away.
I would have been pissed if it was a lot of money, but it wasn't.
Point is don't be gullible to people offering you to help. Hell even after helping you they will expect cash in return.
When I was in Beijing 2 girls tried the "Eager English students" scam on me.
I got suspicious pretty much 5 minutes into the conversation after they mentioned they were there on holiday from Mongolia and one of the girl wanted to practice English on me, but was preoccupied leading us from A to B (apparently to a teahouse) and seemed to know the way very well for a Mongolian student on holiday in Beijing.
I got out of there as quick as I could with an excuse.
>>1080326
>Point is don't be gullible to people offering you to help. Hell even after helping you they will expect cash in return.
That was the ultimate in gullible. Getting privileges for money in a government security situation? Not likely to ever happen unless you are an actual VIP traveling first for an airline and got escorted by an agent. Taking money for that? Never. But, you can give gifts of alcohol and goods long before the handoff.
>>1080209
>Didn't really begin as a scam but it went there after the 2nd or 3rd time we saw each other. She looks good in that dress I bought her though. Saw a picture of that later on fb. I still don't blame those vixens (3 of them), I had fun, but probably could've played my position better and end up not only not spending money, but getting a kiss out of it and a better, positive story.
Okay, but that's a bit different.
I mean... it's not like her bulky friends showed up and asked you money because of her company, right?
Because that's what some do. You think you scored for the night, but truth is they will show up at your room's door and ask for cash.
In Shanghai within 30 seconds of walking onto the waterfront at the bund I had a girl approach and ask me to take her photo, then asked if I wanted one (I declined) then she starts asking me where I'm from etc. Women, never, ever want to talk to me so it was an obvious scam, a "let's go to a bar and you'll buy me a ($500) drink" type scam, so I just walked off, looked back and she was asking someone else to take her photo.
>>1080210
How did you handle that situation?
In Cuba there are people who will talk to you for hours without indicating they want money but then as you're about to leave they ask you for some as compensation for the conversation.
They will also try to take you to local bars. It's up to you to go, you won't lose out on much money either way. $2 for you is a lot of money for them.
I met some guy randomly, had a good conversation with him. Ended up losing $5 on it. There was another guy who just met me and tried to get me to go to a bar with him right away without even trying to talk to me, I didn't go.
i was in Shanghai and fell for the damn Teahouse scam as i was young and had never heard of that (found out years later) by "tourists" from Xi'an. i remember they charged me only like 50usd so fuck it.
One of the girls took a liking to me and we met again for Karaoke and Dinner.
Kissed her on the Bund and took her to my room on my last night there.
>>1080221
Wow dude, I had my picture taken with a bunch of 13-14 year old Nepali children at a big ass buddhist temple like that. Me and my mate asked them why they wanted a picture, to which they replied "We are proud to be with you!". They got their picture, but we lost nothing. Heck, to this day I thought it was because we were white and looked nice. Perhaps they just wanted to steal our shit
I remember one time in Morocco some guy on the street got talking to me, friendly enough. By this time I had already been spent three months there. So anyway, we talked a bit then he asked what I was doing, so I told him I'm gonna go get some food and OJ and he asked he could join me, and I said yeah sure. Then we went and ate, I did get a kind of bad vibe from the guy, then it was time to pay and I asked for split bills, then he looked at me and said, "wtf, you invited me?", I told him, "stop being a little bitch. You invited yourself, you asked if you could join me. Be a man and pay for your own lunch and stop leeching of tourists" then he cowared into a suken head expression, was pretty satisfiying. He had as much cash in his pocket as I did anyway.
I don't know if this was a scam, but this is something that happened to me in Thailand.
I was on the BTS train and had to stand up due to no seats. Some chinese kid was standing next to me, earphones on and looking at his phone. All of a sudden he stumbled towards me, as if he fell from the jerk of the train, and bumped into me. I felt his hand going inside my coat pocket; luckily there was nothing inside. He apologised and went to lean on something. I thought it was suspicious and deffo felt his hand in my coat pocket. I kept watching him and he just carried on texting someone on his phone. Don't know if it was some pickpocketer or a legit person who stumbled onto me who's hand just happened to go into my pocket.
>>1080342
>"Eager English students" scam
When i first arrived in Hanoi I got approached by these kids wanting to practice English with me. First thing I did was make sure I was holding my bag securely lol. All the time I was worrrying I was being scammed, but they were so nice so I just went with it. At some point they asked me to come have ice cream with them, and we went into this shady back alley place. My thoughts were "you've read about this scam on /trv/ you idiot what are you doing!" but I just went with it. Everything turned out fully legit, they were just super nice kids who wanted to practice English. Bought me ice cream, showed me all around Hanoi, and I'm sure I could even have got some sexy time with this super cute girl if I werent so fucking autistic.
I'm not sure which I'd mind more; missing out on such experiences, or getting scammed out of my money.
>>1080679
>Don't know if it was some pickpocketer or a legit person who stumbled onto me who's hand just happened to go into my pocket.
>or a legit person who stumbled onto me who's hand just happened to go into my pocket.
Yea I'm sure that's what it was. I know how often I trip and my hand just happens to fall into someone's pocket.
>>1080270
>if anyone actually paid that they're a fucking moron
Had it happen to me in Paris by 5 tallish black dudes. When they asked for money and I told them to fuck off, they started standing between me and my gf and doing the confrontational eye contact thing.
I reckoned I rather pay 10 euros than potentially be fucked up and/or something happening to my gf.
>>1080940
This is when you shout, "Are you robbing me? Are you robbing me? Don't touch me! Stop touching me!"
>>1080378
>Women, never, ever want to talk to me so it was an obvious scam
This made me laugh. I know that feel brother; I'm always wary when a woman approaches me in a foreign country
>>1080210
>you'll end up with a $1000 bill and be escorted to an ATM
Story time anon
>>1080983
Not him, but it's really not the first time that this generic scam gets talked about here.
Basically, a local person, either an overly friendly man or a good-looking woman, strikes up a fake friendly conversation with a solo-traveling tourist, pretends to be interested in him and will eventually ask him to go to a bar or restaurant together to go and have a good time. He or she will then take (lure) the tourist to a specific place, which they actually, secretly 'work' for. When the tourist enters, everything may still seem normal to him at first (except that there are most likely no other customers around, I suppose), but he actually trapped himself. He and the person he went with will both order food/drinks. When the tourist's finished he'll basically be told to pay a huge amount of money by the (often) big, tough looking guys that run the place. They might also swap their normal priced menu for one with ridiculous prices and show the guy that beers, for example, cost $50 per glass at their bar. I guess this is to make it seem like the tourist person got himself into trouble. It'll be one guy against a group of tough scammers, possibly armed as well, so they feel like they can't do anything but obey them. They might have also locked the exit doors in the meantime, so he can't make a run for it when he finds out what kind of situation he's in. If he doesn't have enough money on him (which is most likely the case when they're asking for a huge amount of cash), they'll walk him to the nearest ATM, so he can withdraw the money for them.
>be in Tenerife, Spain drunk as fuck
>fucked a black prositute in an alleyway and she went through my pockets whilst sucking my dick and took my phone
Left my wallet though, so that was nice of her.
>>1080163
Here's a couple gypsy scams I don't know if anyone has posted:
>baby throw
They steal a baby, throw it at a white person who's instinct is going to be to catch a random baby. Then 3-7 gypsies come out and invade all your pockets and anything you might have dropped to catch the baby.
>change scam(this is for clerks mostly, not tourists)
They buy something little at a store with a largeish bill. Then they ask you to exchange it for complicated amounts before giving it back to them. The way to avoid this is to handle each request and transaction separately and not all at once like they will try to do.
Never got scammed because I mostly ignore people when I'm abroad.
Just IGNORE. Nothing will ever happen to you if you IGNORE them.
The only "scam" I experienced is something hard to avoid, like taxis. Got scammed in Slovakia, paid 20 euros instead of 6 or 8 because Uber didn't work properly that day, but I was in a rush, so I was just a little pissed.
>>1080163
A woman once tried to pickpocket me when I was drunk, and I misinterpreted it for fondling. I ended up trying to kiss her.
>>1080163
I highly recommend reading Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons and Street Scams While Traveling by Bob Arno and his wife Bambi Vincent
http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Advisory-Thefts-Street-Traveling/dp/1566251982
Arno's quite a character, I suggest checking out rest of his stuff too
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Arno
http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/
A simple one the bike taxi drivers in Vietnam try is asking fifteen or sixteen thousand dong for a ride, and then when its time to pay they claim they said fifty or sixty thousand instead.
Just giving them 20k and walking away will work, or you could just not take the ride in the first place because no legit driver will ever ask for 16k for a ride.
>>1080940
The you start shouting like a fag saying hes robbing you
>>1080583
Cheers to whoever posted that
>>1080645
Isn't calling out scam artists on their scam an awesome feeling?
>>1081022
Left yer wallet so you could pay her after?
A friend of mine was randomly invited into a stranger's car by an attractive girl, and he accepted. He would later be driven an hour, two hours away to the girl and her friend's villa where they drank and ate food with their grandparents.
>>1080209
>get played by a girl for free shit
>i-it was a scam guys! the con artists got me!
>>1081046
>16k for a ride
That's about right if it's just a few blocks. Like from the backpacker district to the old US embassy.
>>1081009
>I guess this is to make it seem like the tourist person got himself into trouble. It'll be one guy against a group of tough scammers, possibly armed as well, so they feel like they can't do anything but obey them
I've experienced this, it was actually a hooker in a hotel room and some guys said that 'my friend' stole a bottle of wine and I had to pay $1000. They hotel didn't even have a bar, it was just a robbery and they pretty soon gave up the story about the wine and just said that they were gangsters and would bribe police to frame me unless I paid them.
I basically went hulk mode and fought my way out, then after I got out I got about a dozen steps before I went back and started smashing shit up, broke the glass door, choked the bitch guy that was doing the talking, he was the smallest guy, it was very easy and the big guys stayed the fuck away and just watched. I had already shoved them out of my way without too much trouble so I guess they decided it wasn't worth it. I was out of my mind with rage at the time, I'd have ripped their eyes out or something. As it was, I choked the small guy out and throw him on the floor which was already covered in broken glass from the door, I picked up a shard of glass and ordered the big guy to come over and get stabbed but for some reason he wouldn't and they all ran as soon as I stepped toward any of them. Eventually I got sick of chasing them and ran off, then spent the next hour taking alleys and sharp turns to try and lose anyone following me, even though no one was.
I've never been that angry ever.
>>1080583
someone tried the cd scam on me in las vegas.
i just refused to pay and kept the cd, no intimidation since he knew i knew it was a scam
>>1081624
They probably rob people often and know the ones that fight back aren't worth it. Making a huge scene, potentially bribing police and potentially getting fucked over themselves isn't worth it 1/3rd tourists they trap give in.
>>1081615
In my experience they would ask for 15k or 20k. I've never had a driver bother with denominations smaller than 5k.
>>1080163
Someone tried to get me with the charity petition in Berlin. Luckily i realised something was wrong and took measures to protect my valuables so they never got a chance to take anything.
>>1080180
>usually a doll
>usually
Is this real life?
>>1081820
Gypsies are genuinely fucked up people
>>1081820
why not take an unattended baby and throw it? it's not like the baby will get hurt if the person catching it is good :^)
>>1080163
One common scam in Bangkok is done by the tuktuk-drivers. The wait around the area of the grand palace (a huge tourist attraction) and ask you if you´re going there. They then tell you the palace is closed that day for some reason and offer to take you on a tour of smaller temples.
It´s not that bad of a scam because they will actually take you on the tour if you say yes. When I was there I had already read about this and went willingly. Saw two or three small temples. The funniest part came at the end. In exchange for taking only very little fare money, the driver asked me to go to a jewelry shop. Thr reason for that is that drivers get tickets from the shops they can exchange for fuel if they bring tourists there. At the time I was 21 and certainly didn´t look like I wanted to or could afford to buy any jewelry, so I just awkwardly walked around the shop once, then left and said bye to the driver.
Like I said, not too bad of a scam, but if you want to see the grand palace, don´t let them bullshit you. Also, the drivers are known to be quite aggressive and pushy in general towards tourists to get a fare, and of yourse they don´t want to switch on the meter but negaotiate a price instead.
>>1081835
They will probably even give you shit for being a bad person if you don´t catch it.
>>1081041
Hi Arno
>>1081699
>In my experience they would ask for 15k or 20k
That's true too.
>>1081690
>They probably rob people often and know the ones that fight back aren't worth it
I think that's exactly what it was.
Plus the big guys weren't actually bigger than me but they didn't get to see me before they tried to rob me because I was in a room fucking a hooker and they would have just been told that there was fresh meat in 303 or something. Maybe if they'd seen me first they would have let it go but probably not because their threats were about being arrested and their story was to try and make me accept the 'bill' without it being outright robbery.
>>1081820
>Is this real life?
Yes, I've heard of this scam many times. Basically, you have to realize that they are expert con artists and it is a fully realized way of life, way of family, way of culture (gypsy culture). Women and children, there's no line drawn as to what is acceptable. It's just whatever it takes to scam you, from complicated to petty. The regular scams have common names (or pictures like you posted).
Check this horrible one out (gypsies in Florida trying a lawsuit/settlement crime). Gypsies are snowbirds too, and they wreck havoc for the season too.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1993-10-06/news/9310060151_1_disney-property-disney-hotel-normile
>>1081968
Moral of the story:
Don't engage in illegal activity like hookers or drugs or gambling if you don't want to risk involvement into the criminal underworld of a city. It's just asking for trouble when you are at your most vulnerable.
I had a russian police Car pull Me over for missing a hand signal in the dark.. and the breathalizer test was to blow in his ear.
>>1080583
I have personally experienced the "stain on the jacket" (in Buenos Aires), "shoe shiner" (in Istanbul), "fake policeman" (in Amsterdam), "jewelry deal" (in Bangkok), "charity petition" (in Paris) and all kinds of crooked taxi drivers (most notably in Budapest) so far.
When I was in New York I was scammed with the cd thing. I spent about a week in New York and had no problem telling people to go away. But this one group of guys made me laugh really goddamn hard and entertained the shit out of me for a good 10 minutes and when they tried selling me the cd I just laughed and said 'I know this scam but you guys gave a great show' they laughed back and I gave them 2 bucks and left.
>>1080555
I never had a problem with Cubans.
I usually end up going over to one of the waiter's houses for dinner when I go. Really friendly people.
>>1081624
This never happened
Do you still feel bad how you got robbed?
>getting pickpocketted
inner pockets nigga
This is probably the best one to happen to me. Usally when anyone approaches me on the street in a touristy area i just say no thanks or am not interested cause i know they only want my money.
So i am in the french quarter new orleans been doing some day drinking with my gf on our way out to eat some dinner and do some more drinking. Dressed kinda nice. Feeling good.
A charismatic black guy comes up to me and goes man those some nice shoes where you from. I say thanks and tell him. Than he goes man i bet i know where you got those shoes. He goes into a 90sec performance of inspecting my shoes and jive talking. Pretty funny and entertaining.
>those some nice nikes
>yadada yadayada
>YOU GOT DEM SHOES ON YOUR FEET
>now u gotta pay me cause i won the bet
I laugh tell him noand instead of starting an argument i say that was pretty good stay right here im gonna go down to that store and buy u a beer he agrees. I just keep walking dont buy beer.
In retrospect i should have bought him the beer. Cause it was a pretty funny con.
>>1082152
>wearing a jacket in 35C and 80% humidity
>>1080182
Gangsta muthafucka
>>1080209
> ~$Too goddamn much, in the 2 hundreds
> She looks good in that dress I bought her though
> Could've played my position better and end up not only not spending money, but getting a kiss out of it
ahahah oh god my sides
>>1081597
to be fair, that really is being a scammer/con artist. another label is 'average woman' :^)
>>1081954
lmao.
>you didn't even catch the fucking baby, what's wrong with you? are you sick in the head or something? psychopaths everywhere these days, what's the world coming to
>>1081022
Classic....at least she didn't give you anything..if you know what I mean senpai, if you catch my drift senpai
>>1080236
#1 rule for traveling is don't break the law, a good trick is to think if it's illegal in your country it's probably illegal there also. (Thailand they literally tell you on the plane that drugs trafficking is a capital offence).
#2 if you are stupid enough to do something like this and be caught by the police quickly apologise and offer to pay the "fine", do this asap before you get arrested or taken to the station.
>>1080555
I've never had this problem in Cuba. I toured there with a jazz group a few times when I was younger though, so I suppose I wasn't the typical tourist in that case. I've never done the resort thing down there.
>>1082121
Are you just jealous because you're a little pussy faggot IRL?
>>1080182
That's exactly what you're supposed to do. If everyone did what you did we wouldn't have friendship bracelet scams anymore.
>>1080163
In most places, you should go to the police if there's some fuckery going on. Also, take their picture. If you take the picture of someone trying to fuck with you and say you're going to the police, they will more than likely stop the fuckery and cooperate.
The police sometimes have their own scams, though, especially in Ukraine/eastern Europe. They find reasons to throw you in jail and won't let you out until you pay a "fee". In those cases your best bet is to start speaking Polish if you know any, they let the Poles go for free because they don't think they have any money. If they think you know English you're fucked and they'll demand $200-$300 to get you out.
>>1082591
>Also, take their picture. If you take the picture of someone trying to fuck with you and say you're going to the police, they will more than likely stop the fuckery and cooperate.
This is good advice alot of the time. Once you start a few pics, people tend to flee or kill you for your phone, one or the other.
The reason people have dashcams a good deal of the time is to catch/deter police scams (in Ukraine like you said).
>>1080182
I had that happen to me right next to the eifel tower. the fucker wouldnt let go of my wrist. I cocked back and was about to punch the cunt in the face and thats what it seriously took for him to let go of me.
In South Korea, I had read of a story of someone getting into a fight with a local and then they had to pay the local blood money to stop the pursuit of charges.
A $1000 there back in the day was 4 months of eating.
>>1080378
lol i hear you as well. i'm an average joe and throughout my life, women have never been known to just throw themselves at me. so eh, it works nicely when traveling
>>1081975
>the breathalyzer test was to blow in his ear
>>1080163
I live in New Delhi. Not a day goes by when someone doesn't try to rip me off or otherwise abuse my trust.
My solution to every kind of scam - minus ones which involve an element of suggested violence, like overpriced drinks in a shady bar - is to just keep doing whatever I was doing. I don't say "no," I don't say "no thanks," and I don't buy into their fake small talk. Nine times out of time, they leave me alone within seconds. Other foreigners always make the mistake of trying to treat them like normal people. The fact of the matter is, they're trying to force a service or business transaction on somebody who's trying to do another activity. You have no obligation to play along with their game, because obliging them wastes your time as well as theirs.
What to do when someone asks for extra payment? Just had that happen to me a few days back, when I was taking an auto-rickshaw from Vaishali Metro to Indirapuram in Ghaziabad. I set my price at 50 rupees, which is what my friend told me to pay when I visit her and is what I always pay.
Halfway there, the driver pretended to get lost and said I'd have to pay 100 rupees. I literally told him to fuck himself, and asked if he was illiterate, on account of a sign posted right above us. He dropped me off, then showed he had only 30 Rs in change. I went and bought a cigarette, gave him 50, and walked off.
Same deal in Bangkok when I came from the airport. Driver tried to throw away my prepaid receipt and was asking for money once we got to my destination. I grabbed my bag, firmly put the correct amount on the seat, and walked away without arguing.
These guys all know they're in the wrong, and very, very few of them will get physical if you keep on walking or pay what you know is the correct amount. The best way to combat scammers is just to be informed - they're counting on you to be another stupid foreigner.
>>1082976
Also, worst case scenario you can call the cops in most places.
Indian police are corrupt as fuck, but they've always done a great job helping me out when I needed it. I called the po-po on a verbally abusive tout last week, who got physical when I spat his own crap back to him. He backed off when I pushed him, and then literally ran once I said I was calling the police.
I've only seen him once since, and he walked the opposite direction as soon as he noticed me. Guarantee you that he had to pay a bribe or up his monthly payments to the police.
Fuck. I'm goin back to America on Wednesday and I'm gonna miss these guys. It's almost like a game for me, walking down the street and figuring out who's gonna try bringing me where. I've gotten quite good at it.
>>1080163
common "scams"
real beggars, fake beggars; so many forms why can people not understand DO NOT GIVE ANYTHING TO BEGGARS.
sometimes they will try to help you first, introduce themselves, lie, lie some more, cry, look upset.
people trying to guilt you into buying things, in some countries this could include following you around hawking, introducing themselves out of context then inviting you to their shops, looking pitiful selling trinkets
ubiquitous "tourist prices" scam, they act like it's the normal price and ridicule you if you question it; often whole neibourhoods will be in on this
people trying to tie bracelets onto you then intimidate you into buying them, sometimes in large groups etc
people who try to demand money if you take a photo of them, that they are in, of their "sacred" whatever
"language learners" most often they will invite you to a shop, steal from you when you are drunk, try to offer you illegal prostitution, drugs etc
some just want to learn English, you can't really tell
flower sellers harassing couples at restaurants, they try to approach couples at romantic moments and force you to pay them; or spoil the mood
taxi drivers who either inflate the price, rig their meters, take you to the wrong place, "loose" your baggage, give you false recommendations
hotels that try to charge you for things you didn't order, sell you other things while you are there.
people who incite you to break the law, or try to plant drugs on you, the police will then try to extort the money out of you, one of the worst scams around.
girls working for bars or clubs, who pretend to be patrons to encourage more drink sales, or get buys to buy overpriced drinks and get the bouncer to intimidate patrons into paying
they work on that basis that people will pay them to avoid having their time ruined on holiday
you expect individuals to do this, but often it's workers, businesses, monks
>>1081035
I am from Slovakia and in the name of all good and honest people in my country I apologize for those opportunistic, greasy, rude taxi pigs.
They have superinflated prices and scam international visitors who dont know better and then they are butthurt and protest when Uber comes in and delivers better service and lower prices. If you ever come to Bratislava please pick uber so they die of hunger.
Also, general warning for Slovakia: Never EVER EVER EVER EVER trust, stop for, talk to, acknowledge, make eye contact, give money etc. to a fucking gypsy. Seriously. Never.
>>1080583
>street games
>common in London
I have been there dozens of times and never seen anybody doing the cup game or anything like it.
>>1082976
I'm assuming you're not Indian?
Do they target you cause you're foreign looking?
>>1083026
Thanks Slovakian bro. I will most certainly make sure that Uber works next time in Bratislava. It kinda ruined the end of the day but from that day, I always used Uber whether it was in Hungary or in Austria. Seriously, fuck taxis.
>>1081995
>"fake policeman" (in Amsterdam)
Can you explain more? I would never expect someone to have the balls to impersonate a police officer in a western country in broad daylight with all of the strict police impersonation laws but then again prison sentencings in western Europe are short and like adult daycare.
>>1083058
>cup game
Not London but I've seen it in the Paris suburbs, I had a quick sqiz because I'd never seen it before but I kept my hand on my wallet and walked away as soon as some guy suggested that I have a turn.
There was a small crowd gathered around, at least fifteen guys or so.
>>1080210
This happens in Cyprus specifically in strip clubs. Russian Mob thing.
>>1081820
https://youtu.be/cWYm51Eh-D4?t=10s
Just do this shit. Real or not.
>>1083074
Yeah, I'm a white American. Luckily I've spent enough time here in the last three years that the majority of touts in the areas I frequent know to leave me alone.
I like to fuck with them when I get drunk - tell them about how I really want to stay on a houseboat in Kashmir but I haven't made any arrangements, have a multi-lakh budget for two weeks, and can't figure out bookings by myself.
>>1083058
Saw it in London while walking back home from work at night. It was next to Knightsbridge station, next to Harrods.
>>1082591
English and going to Ukraine in March. Better save up some bribe money
>>1083058
Bridge between big ben and the eye. Quite a few Arab lads doing it. Must have quite a few people in on it as you see money constantly change hands
>>1083457
Maybe we're just trying to scam you right now anon
> Once a friend and me had a tuktuk driver in Thailand drive us all over the city for quite a long time and distance. We agreed on a price of 200THB before. Afterwards he claimed the 200 were per person but we just left.
> Same trip, other country. INDIA seriously is the worst when it comes to milking the tourists. They know all the tricks. Anyway, after two weeks of India, we knew it all. I asked a guy at the post office about the price of a postcard stamp to Europe, he said its 15 rupees. Later I came back with 5 postcards and he wanted 80. I gave him 75 and left, proud of not having fallen for that dumb trick. End of the story: Weeks later I visited my grandparents, took a lokk at the postcard I sent them. It had a 12 rupee-stamp on it. Damn Indians...
>>1083406
fuck those houseboats in Kashmir, do they really try to sell it to everyone? Had the same being offered to me in Delhi
>>1083619
I feel like a disproportionate number of tourist offices around CP and Paharganj are owned or operated by Kashmiris. Since their families are the ones who own the houseboats, they stand to make the most money from funnelling tourists to Srinagar and then bringing them trekking in the mountains. I spent a week or so in an almost abandoned houseboat for free, in exchange for doing garden work and watering plants.
But yeah, it's a pretty typical tactic - no matter what the season is, these guys always say it's the perfect season for Kashmir, and that you should really, really try staying on a houseboat.
>>1080221
When I was in Jordan, they asked to take pictures with me using my camera. I figured they were just trying to steal the camera.
I kind of doubt there are many, but you guys know of any scams to watch out for in Japan?
>>1083752
never talk to or respond to an african or approach their clubs and you'll be fine, they run the typical dodgy club scams
>in egypt
>ask police officer where a cash machine is
>he walks with me to one
>start using it, he pretends to walk away
>when im selecting the amount to withdraw, he shoves in and presses the highest amount
>puts his hands out repeating "tips, tips, tips"
>take my money and walk away
>he steps on my heel making my shoe almost come off
>leaves
>>1080182
lol i had the same in milan in front of the duomo
>>1083442
Was just in London in January, saw about four stations along the bridge you're talking about with 10-15 people surrounding each. Was a pain in the ass to have to walk into the street at points from the group gathered. Tons of money exchanging hands, the guys gathered around constantly eyeing up people walking past as well.
Never saw anyone stop to play though that wasn't already conveniently there.
>>1083442
Saw the same thing around Elephant and Castle the day before yesterday. But that's just one crow, they probably change location every day.
>>1085034
damn
