You prepared for chilly airplanes, heat waves and temperamental volcanoes, but did you anticipate getting scammed into paying a 500 Euro bar tab? Probably not. Few of us expect to get conned abroad – you're too busy having fun to be suspicious of anything more serious than a weak Guinness – but, unfortunately, that’s when vacations can go south, along with your bank account.
Parts of Europe are notorious for scammers, and most finger-wagging relatives will take it upon themselves to ensure you watch that wallet in the Paris Metro or hold tight to your purse on Barcelona’s La Rambla. But don’t think keeping a sweaty travel wallet strapped to your thigh will prevent scammers from taking advantage. Europe’s small-time crooks are crafty and seasoned from swindling unsuspecting tourists, and you may not realize you’ve been conned until you’ve willingly handed over money and walked away.
Tom Summerfield, co-founder of The Active Backpacker blog with his partner Trudy, quit a bank job in Australia to live in Europe and travel the world. He’s only been fooled once, but he’s been exposed to the gamut of European cons. While falling for a small-scale scam can be a bittersweet educational experience, the blogger advises for crimes such as getting robbed or losing personal belongings, travellers should always get a police report in order to claim travel insurance and corroborate unauthorized transactions on credit cards.
The truth is that scamming isn’t as frequent as we think, and a little common sense goes a long way. But if you do find yourself in a shady situation, many of the tricks out there are variations of the same tried-and-true ploys: if you have these in mind and look out for more than the closest bar, there’s no reason to spoil your holiday with needless paranoia.
The blogger says the easiest way to avoid this scam is to smile and keep walking past with your hands in your pockets. If someone tries to make one for you anyway, be prepared to assertively say you are not interested and pull away, or offer a couple of Euros and explain they can have the bracelet back if that’s not good enough. Summerfield adds that it rarely becomes physically aggressive, but these scammers rely on the fact that most tourists want to avoid any conflict whatsoever.
“Is it yours?” they’ll ask, and you’ll say it’s not. They then pick it up and insist you take the ring. While you’re refusing the gesture, their accomplice will usually come up and get into your wallet or purse, which you won’t notice since you’re distracted by the ring. The distraction device can be used with just about anything, so any time a stranger forcefully tries to get your attention, make sure all valuables are at hand, or in sight.
As he is leaving, he will quickly explain that his credit card, for some reason, isn’t working and he needs cash for gas – are you able to help him? Since he just gave you this amazing deal, he figures you lending him some money is the least you can do. Once he’s gone, all you’re left with is a near-worthless vinyl “leather jacket.”
Summerfield explains that a man has three cups or match boxes and one ball, and he rotates them in front of a crowd, flicking and moving the ball between the boxes. He stops, and if you’re willing to put money down you can guess where the ball is and win slightly more than what you were willing to bet.
The scam is that you can never guess correctly, because the scammer will use sleight of hand to ensure the ball is never there, even if you did guess correctly. The other people playing are usually working with the scammer and that’s why you will see them win, and think you can correctly guess where the ball is as well.
You can alleviate risks by using your own device, or activating two-step verification for logging into e-mail or Facebook, he says.These are the platforms generally used for the “fake post scam,” where someone pretending to be you will post to social media or e-mail desperately asking for money to be wired to a “friend” because you’ve lost all your ID, cash and belongings. If you’re regularly in touch with family and friends while travelling, they may fall for the scam.
“What results is a massive bill that some roughs will attempt to help you pay,” says Summerfield. “From the various stories I’ve heard, things can get quite heated. Avoid this by being the one who chooses the drinking spot.”
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