The World's Worst Travel Scams

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, has a reputation as a scammer's paradise, with legions of con men swindling doe-eyed visitors. I'd spent two hassle-free weeks in the beautiful, fascinating country before I got to Hanoi. Once there, I ended up setting a personal record: I was scammed three times in one day — and was nearly scammed a fourth.

First, my taxi driver had a meter that sped faster than he did; my ride to the Temple of Literature ended up costing four times what Lonely Planet had advised. Then, on the return trip, a different driver tried to drop me off in the middle of nowhere — unless I paid twice the fee we’d agreed to before we left. (I thought I’d outsmarted the speeding-meter scam. I was wrong.)

Later that same day, I tried to board a train to Sapa, a popular tourist destination famous for its indigenous tribes. Somewhere between the station entrance and the platform, I’d idiotically been talked into swapping my first-class seat for one in second. And then, as I texted my boyfriend about my bad luck, two “train inspectors” tried to extort a $10 fee for handling my baggage — which they had never touched.

It was a difficult day, especially given the fact that I'd considered myself too savvy a traveler to fall victim to a scam, variations of which thrive in otherwise tourist-friendly cities. Here are a few of the most popular schemes to watch out for:

The travel agent discount

Everybody loves a bargain, and surely travel agents must get some of the best deals, right? An Internet promotion promises that for a small fee, you'll be granted status as a legitimate travel agent, with a membership card that will allow you to collect all those discounts.

The fix: There are many ways to find work as a legitimate travel agent, but buying a membership card isn't one of them. It’s worthless — and it might even prevent you from getting a discount you’re actually entitled to.

The free trip

Congratulations! You've just won an all-expenses-paid trip to Florida. Or so you hear in an e-mail that asks for your credit card details to take care of a few incidental charges. And of course, those will end up costing you more than any legitimate trip ever would have.

The fix: Nothing in life is free. If you haven't entered a contest, you can't win a prize. As this scam proves, though, you can definitely lose.

The free gift

In front of a major tourist attraction or in a subway car, an elderly woman or a child offers you something for free: a flower, some rosemary, a card. But if it’s free, why’s her hand out?

The fix: Remember that Nothing. In life. Is free. A firm, “No, thanks” (in the local language, of course) is how a local would handle it, if even acknowledging the offer at all.

The street disturbance

What's that going on? A water-balloon battle between two clowns? A fistfight between two toreadors? A passer-by who “accidentally” spills coffee on your jacket? But as your attention’s diverted, your wallet or your camera is suddenly gone.

The fix: Anyone keeping an eye on the drama isn't keeping an eye on her belongings. Before becoming distracted, consider the fact that any street disturbance has probably been staged — and not for your benefit. Observe it, if you like, but be sure to keep a hand on your valuables.

The shell game

You'll see this on street corners in what seems like every city in the world: An operator hides a ball or a bottle cap beneath one of several shells or cards shuffled above it, and an onlooker bets on which one is hiding the ball. It looks fishy, but some bystander wins just often enough to hold the crowd's interest. Surely there must be a way to figure out where that little ball is hiding!

The fix: There's only one, and it's foolproof: Don't play. Savvy cons can move the ball around at will, no matter how skillful you are at following it. Those "winners," by the way, are the con's co-workers, and they’re in on the scam.

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