Street scams often are effective because travelers in unfamiliar settings easily can be caught off guard. Perpetrators of these crimes are practiced in their craft and have pulled off their ploys hundreds of times. Many victims don't even realize a rip off has taken place until the criminals are long gone.
No one can create a complete list of these street scams, and many have a host of variations. But many of these tricks can be recognized and thwarted. Beyond streets, many of these scams take place in airports and train stations, too.
Prevention is crucial. Police usually lack time and resources to nail petty thieves. But that "petty" loss could include your travel documents, credit cards and cash.
So here are a few fairly common street scams run on travelers. Applaud the victims who risk embarrassment in order to help you avoid similar woes.
This report comes from About.com's Guide to United Kingdom travel, who was in Barcelona at the time of this incident. But she points out that this could -- and will -- happen anywhere people enjoy sidewalk cafe dining. A well-dressed man or woman tosses a batch of keys on their table hard enough that they slide off the table but in your direction. The key tosser then pretends to look for where they landed, counting on you to reach down and retrieve them. In the same instant, an accomplice is ready to prey on this distraction by scooping up your purse or camera bag. Read how Ferne Arfin avoided becoming a victim of the key toss.
Many of these street scams involve diverting your attention for just a few seconds, and the messy clean-up is just such a ploy. A substance is squirted on you--perhaps mustard or something designed to look like bird droppings. A "helpful" bystander takes pity on you and helps clean the mess from your clothing. This is an opportunity to either pickpocket or for an accomplice to grab anything you might set down in the process of cleaning up. Travel veteran Wendy Perrin avoided such a rip off in Buenos Aires. Again, these street scams occur almost anywhere there is a crowd. Read more about the helpful cleaner.
About.com's Guide to India reports this common scam that is sprung on people who have just finished a tiring airplane trip. They get in a taxi for passage to the hotel where they have reservations. The driver offers up a number of excuses for bypassing that hotel and taking them to another place (where he receives a kickback). The excuses could include "the hotel burned down just yesterday" or simply "I can't find that hotel." A variation of this occurs with touts who approach ferries or trains and offer rooms to travelers who already have reservations. Read more about The Hotel Calamity.
Over-Swaddled Babies in the Heat of Summer
There have been reports of scam artists who will thrust a "baby" up in the air, knowing you will catch it and drop your valuables at the same time. Far more common is the simple wrapping of a doll (or perhaps a real baby) in excessive cloth, which serves to hide roaming fingers intent on pickpocketing you. If someone is overly bundled on a hot day, do yourself a favor and step away from them as a precaution. Read more about Over-Swaddled Babies.
ATMs in another country can be confusing. If you have trouble, go inside the bank and ask for assistance. Scam artists stake out some ATMs and offer assistance. But what they're really after is your code, which they will use to clean out your account. Read more about ATM thieves.
It is natural and appropriate for travelers to strike up conversations with friendly local residents. These are some of the best experiences one can have on the road. But be a bit suspicious of someone who seems overly friendly from the start and fairly aggressive with invitations to join them at a certain store, restaurant or bar. Sometimes, these are touts who are leading you into a high-pressure sales pitch or inviting you to an overpriced establishment. Trust your instincts and step away from anyone who seems a little too friendly at first meeting. Read more about avoiding travel rip-offs.
This one sometimes pops up in Beijing or other heavily visited areas in Asia, but it certainly isn't limited to that part of the world. A traveler enters a store and attempts to pay cash for some small purchases. Soon after leaving the store, they are chased down and accused of paying with counterfeit money. The money you supposedly used to pay for your purchase is returned to you--but it's really counterfeit money. You pay twice and are left holding phony currency. Read more about Beijing street scams.
Hand-Lettered Sign: Beware of Pickpockets
I entered a crowded bus in Berlin, and found a "helpful" sign someone had posted in English warning me to beware of pickpockets. If I had been carrying a wallet, I would have involuntarily reached for it to be certain it was still there. This instinctive action also would have tipped off a nearby pickpocket to the location of my valuables. Invest in a money belt and take some other simple precautions to avoid becoming a pickpocket victim. Read more about avoiding pickpockets.
These are not street gangs in the way many Americans would imagine--they are groups of fairly young children who are not armed with anything but treachery. They surround an unsuspecting traveler, make lots of noise and even use newspapers or posters to add to the confusion. As this unfolds, one of the more skillful youngsters is rifling through your valuables. This one is easy to see coming and avoid--if you know about it in advance. Read more about youthful street gangs.
Who among us doesn't cooperate with police when asked? In tourist areas, crooks sometimes pretend to be police who need to inspect your wallet for counterfeit cash or in rare cases, spirit you away to a fake station where they steal everything you have on you. Sometimes, making a loud scene will drive these crooks away, fearful the real police will arrive. Read more about fake police.
