How to Avoid Travel Scams: Fake Guides and Pushy Vendors

On vacation, some hiccups are hard to avoid: a pushy vendor, a so-called guide who corners you in the street, or a fellow traveler who watches a movie without headphones. To prevent these encounters from spoiling an entire day, it’s better to know how to respond. After twenty-five years roaming the world as a travel journalist, Rob Crossan explains in The Daily Mail that he has developed a few techniques to keep nuisance at bay. The common thread among all these situations is simple: avoid confrontation and know who to pass the baton to.

On the street, it’s best not to fall for their game

A stranger spontaneously offers to show you the city for a tiny fee? Exercise caution. According to the author, these people usually do not work for an official tour operator. The price quoted can quickly rise, and the tour may turn into a forced itinerary through shops linked to the fake guide.

The same logic applies to those soliciting donations in tourist hotspots. A young man or woman may appear wearing a T-shirt bearing a charity’s name and ask for a contribution. Before giving anything, the journalist recommends checking that the organization actually exists and complies with charity regulations. If the solicitor persists, it’s better to end the exchange rather than share personal information or pull out your wallet.

On a beach, sunglasses, hat, or drink vendors also know how to stretch the conversation. Saying “maybe later” could be read as a promise to buy. After years of being approached in destinations from Tangier to Tashkent, the author says he found a particularly simple answer: “No”. He advises repeating it to the various questions asked, without trying to justify yourself.

Restaurants that send someone to accost pedestrians in the street also deserve, in his view, to be bypassed. Promises of cheap drinks or “free” entries do not, on their own, guarantee the quality of the establishment.

Finally, a seemingly friendly encounter in a bar may require a bit of restraint. A person who asks a lot of questions about you while remaining very vague about their own life isn’t necessarily up to no good, but it’s better not to share too much personal information. The author notes that this caution can prevent a stranger from taking advantage of a moment of distraction to rummage through your belongings.

Get those who are there to handle problems to intervene

Some behaviors are particularly hard to tolerate when you’re sharing an activity with other travelers. On a safari, for example, some passengers go to great lengths to secure the best spot to photograph the animals. They shove others aside or monopolize viewpoints, to the detriment of the rest of the group. Rather than sparking a quarrel, the journalist recommends alerting the guide. He is responsible for the smooth running of the excursion and has the authority to enforce the rules aboard the vehicle.

The same approach works on a plane. If a passenger is watching a movie on their phone without headphones, it’s best not to demand that they lower the volume directly. A confrontation can escalate quickly, whereas cabin crew are used to these situations and trained to defuse them.

Another trickier case: a police officer asking a tourist for money in exchange for a supposed offense. The author advises staying calm and polite, then offering to pay the official fine at the police station, with the proper documents and in the presence of a supervisor. He also recommends having the contact details of your country’s embassy on your phone. From experience, this request can be enough to deter someone simply looking to obtain money.

Ultimately, these situations share a common thread: the traveler doesn’t necessarily stand to gain from provoking a confrontation. On the street, on a plane, on a safari, or facing someone in a position of authority, staying calm, limiting the information you share, and calling in a professional when possible are the best ways to regain control of the situation.