falling foul of scams Every year many Brits get caught up in scams while they’re on holiday. Tourists are easy targets. You can be tricked out of your money or possessions without realising it or you’re complicit in the act and don’t even know it. There are 1,001 scams out there, and few are listed below. The main tip is don’t trust people you don’t know. Be cautious at all times. Engage people on your terms not theirs. Question and consider motives - the kind stranger, the penniless traveller, someone who wants to take your photo. They could take your camera too. Here are some common scams: Tea Scam in Big Cities, China A so-called student approaches you to practise their English. As your new friend they offer to take you to a traditional tea house for some tasting. No menu or price list is brought out when the tea is ordered by your new friend. At the end you are presented with an astronomical bill. Staff then demand payment, sometimes with menacing behaviour.
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Visa scam in Thailand You need more time in Asia? The visa agent (scammer) knows this and offers to get you visas or an extension. Your passport is returned with a fake visa stamp, which can result in you being charged for immigration offences. There are currently British nationals detained for this offence. Previously one individual received an 18-month sentence. Love scam in The Gambia Young men known as Bumsters chat up older female holidaymakers – telling them how beautiful they are and that “God has sent her to them”. The age gap can be up to 40 years. As the holiday ends, love supposedly blossoms. The British woman offers money to support hard-up relatives and family members. She posts money on returning home. Yet the Bumster is a scam artist, receiving cash from other love-struck female tourists, leaving many out of pocket.