3 Common Travel Scams To Look Out For

If you’ve been saving up all year to live large overseas, the last thing you want to do is come home early and empty handed because someone swindled you out of your hard-earned dosh. If you’re heading overseas, these are some of the classic scams you can look out for, and what you can do to avoid them.

The bait-and-switch

This scam can take a few forms, but at its essence it’s about being given or offered one set of amazingly cheap prices, only to be served a bill later for a ridiculous amount. If you disagree, the vendor or business person will try to shake you down for money, or threaten to call the police on you.
One example is being verbally offered a great price to get to or from the airport, only to have your luggage held hostage at the other end. In this case, it’s best to follow the directions of airport staff. Many countries’ airports will have agreements on fixed prices to and from the airport - but failing that, pre-pay for your journey, or ask that the meter run during the ride.
Another classic example, especially if you’re travelling solo is to have a friendly person come up and invite you to a very specific cafe, restaurant or bar to ‘practice    their English’. You’ll be given a menu with normal prices, only to get the prices swapped later on, with your new friend nowhere to be found. This one can be difficult to get your way out of, so the best advice we can offer is to avoid being taken somewhere specific.

The unwanted tour

Another thing to look out for when you’re getting private transport is being taken for a ride - literally. Some touts will offer you super-cheap transport to popular tourist destinations, but may take you an unnecessarily long route to run the meter up, or take you to shops of their choosing so they can earn a kickback off your purchases.
One way to avoid this is to arrange transport through your accommodation. Hostels and hotels often have arrangements with certain drivers, trading reliable customers for better service. Failing that, sometimes it’s worth negotiating to pay a little more to avoid the ‘tour’ and save time and money in the long run.

Credit card skimming

Credit card skimming is where a shopkeeper or vendor uses a device to copy your credit card details. This can happen in an ATM, or a device attached to a cash register.
This scam can be difficult to avoid. Back home, it’s easier to notice when something looks fishy at an ATM, and technologies such as payWave make it harder to use devices such as magnetic strip readers. The simplest way to avoid having your debit or travel card details taken is to use cash where possible, taking money from ATMs inside banks or in more reputable places.

Another thing to keep an eye out for is if the cashier takes your card away to swipe it, or tries to use a different machine than other customers.

Failing that, one thing to consider is using a pre-loaded travel card rather than the debit or credit card you use at home. That way, if the worst happens, the criminals won’t have access to all of your money. Travel cards also usually have benefits such as the ability to load several currencies in real time, and dodging pesky overseas ATM charges. Westpac’s Travel money card allows you to spend and pay without any foreign transaction fees. You also receive Mastercard Zero Liability protection,1 so you can shop worry-free from fraudulent transactions.

These are just a few of the scams you might see overseas, but a good rule of thumb is if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. While we’re here - if you’re still saving up for your trip, Westpac’s here to help you save faster, with a great bonus interest rate on their Spend’n’Save accounts for young people under 29 years old.

This content is created by Year13 and sponsored by Westpac.