Travel Scams to Avoid

Sep 14, 2010

One of the unexpected spinoffs of Michael’s Jackson death was a whole new take on an age-old travel scam: selling counterfeit or nonexistent tickets to unsuspecting people traveling from out of town to attend an event. With 1.6 million people applying for 17,500 seats to a bona fide “once in a lifetime” experience there were bound to be scams, including scalpers hawking free memorial service tickets for thousands of dollars each on Craigslist and eBay-before the online sales sites cracked down on the blatant exploitation.

Entertainment and sports events are a natural attraction for scam artists. Anyone is potential victim, but out-of-towners are especially vulnerable. Each year comes fresh tales of people traveling thousands of miles to attend an event only to discover that their package tour didn’t include tickets or that the tickets they paid for by sending cash or money orders never really existed.  Want to avoid becoming a travel scam victim on your next trip?  Follow these tips:

Hotel Room ID Theft – Crafty crooks have learned that one of the easiest places to harvest data necessary to steal someone’s identity is a hotel room. Never leave anything lying around that may contain personal information. Just like any other valuable (passport, cash, jewelry, etc) lock those documents in the room safe or your luggage.

Unscrupulous Parking Valets– From pocketing small change to pilfering laptops and jewelry, parking valets at hotels, restaurants and other establishments can have very sticky fingers. They’ve also been known to park cars in red zones and other street areas subject to tickets or towing. Always stash your valuables in the trunk or take them with you. And if it’s not obvious your vehicle is headed straight into a garage, ask where it’s being parked before you hand over the keys.

Knockoffs that knock you off – Counterfeit Gucci bags or Michael Bolton CDs may not be harmful to your health (well, Bolton might be), but a growing number of counterfeit products could be. Among the cheap but dangerous fakes being offered gullible travelers are drugs laced with everything from motor oil to paint, electronics that can explode or catch fire, and phony luxury brand shampoo and perfumes full of bacteria. And that doesn’t even get into the whole topic of the fines that are now being levied on travelers for trying to sneak counterfeit items back into their home countries.

Crafty Money Changers – Money changing scams can range from minor annoyances like inflated airport commissions and lousy hotel rates to more serious troubles like receiving wads of banknotes that are no longer in circulation or money changers who literally take your money and run. The lines might be a little bit longer, but good old-fashioned banks often offer the best rates and the safest ambience….although one could argue that ATM fees and debit card currency exchange fees are yet another twist on this travel scam.