If you experience one of the following situations in Mexico, pay attention! Your about to get robbed or scammed. Everything based on my personal previous experience!
Hello Guys!
Today, I gonna show you same clear situations during your travel in Mexico and other destinations, where you can get scammed, robbed or asked to spend dubious donations for something you didn’t want to.
So no bullsh*t and let’s dive right into it!
1. Classic in Mexico, Central and South America: Police takes your money
Be aware of random police controls while your walking or driving especially in Latin America for example Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. They gonna check you for drugs and most likely get your cash!
It happened to me already in Colombia where they took my cash during the control. Also I experienced several checks in Mexico, but this time I was prepared!
How to avoid it:
While you cannot avoid the police controls, make sure to always have your cash in your hands while their checking your wallet and/or bags. They can check you, but insist that you take your cash out first! That’s very important! If you not doing it the police just takes your cash as a gift ;)! AND just take the cash with you that you’re planning to spend during that specific activity.
2. Offers to good to be true
One personal example of mine is when I was selling my car during my working holiday in Australia. I wanted to get rid of the car as fast as possible and put it the popular platforms gumtree.com.au and Facebook marketplace. Few hours later I got many “to good to be true offers”. For example people accepted to pay me the price I was asking for (which is rarely the case, people usually ask a specific price, which is much lower for negotiation purposes). And they told me to transfer money to some exchange to get access to the money they promised.
An example for Mexico would be “to good to be true” offers for Airbnb or apartments! Another one is to get fake offers while applying for jobs in Australia on the popular platform for backpackers and working holiday makers gumtree.com.au. After you post their you availability people gonna try to scam you with fake offers about payment among other!
How to avoid it:
Calculate more time if you want so sell or buy/rent “big” things! If the offer is to good to be true it really is!!!! And never send money anywhere, you should receive money instead. Make sure to get the money in cash if you offer something yourself. Afterwards you can transfer it to your bank account or exchange the money!
3. The ATM scam
This one is not new, but people still fall for it. Either hidden cameras, fake screens and touchpads, ATM’s eating your credit card or people just watching you behind you back. Always be cautious if you want to withdraw money.
Besides the risk of being scammed or robbed from a person, nowadays the banks try to get as much money out of you as they can.
For example in Mexico the ATM’s ask you for “donations” or offering you a fixed exchange rate if you want to withdraw local money, which is always worse than from your bank!
How to avoid it:
Always decline everything the ATM’s offer you. Especially any weird donations and exchange rates from the cash machines! You pay already more than enough to just use the ATM. This is the only fee you cannot avoid unfortunately. Typically it’s around 1-3 € and shouldn’t surpass it.
4. The money change/exchange scam
Similar to Germany in Europa and basically all destinations in Asia and Latin-America CASH is the preferred payment method. Thus always make sure to check your change! Whether they give you the wrong change back on purpose or not you don’t know.
Typical places somebody tried to scam me several times in Mexico and other destinations are hostels, restaurants and bars, normal shops, street food places and not official money exchange places. Moreover always check the bill, sometimes restaurants already include the tip automatically on the bill so you don’t tip twice!
How to avoid it:
Always assume that the person you make business count wrong and double or triple check it! Avoid not official money exchange places at all cost! They get you with a better price (to good to be true) and then scam you through tricky counting methods (always double check your change.
5. The donation/distraction scam
In Cuba once it happened to me that people provided information about a certain place than lead you to a place and expect “a drink” or donations for their guiding. They want to to make uncomfortable and play with your emotions, because you now “own” them something for there “tips”. Don’t fall for this kind of scam. This one is not that bad but still.
Another example especially relevant for man are girls that suddenly “want to get to know you out of the blue”. The only thing they actually want is to get free drinks and take advantage from you!
Another important and very very common example while travelling it the bracelet scam. It can be any other thing that distracts you because indeed it has a “wow effect” in that moment. It happened to me in Greece. People tried to sell me their fancy bracelets and while you are distracted their friends gonna try to steel your wallet or cellphone or whatever you bring with you!
How to avoid it:
Never follow or let lead you to a certain place. I understand that we try to be as open minded as possible as travelers, but unfortunately more often than not people will take advantage from us “tourists”. You can even be lead to potentially dangerous situations, so watch out!
6. The deposit scam
As you guys know I’m currently travelling in Mexico and the contract scam is very common in here even for local people. In Mexico you almost always have to pay a deposit (of course in cash) once you agreed to rent an apartment for at least one month. Usually the deposit is the double rent. Once you contract is finished and you want to get your deposit back, the owner suddenly disappears or find other excuses to not give you the deposit back. For example he will “find” broken things in the apartment and blame you for that among other reasons.
Another common example of deposit scams besides apartments are of course any type of vehicle (car, scooter, bike).
How to avoid it:
Always make sure to have proper contracts and make it with the real owner. Make photos/videos of your contract deposit and the object itself!
Don’t leave earlier than expected. If you agreed to stay three months in an apartment, you have to stay three months. Leaving earlier means breaching the agreement and you won’t get your deposit back!
Ask one month before you leave about your deposit to make him/her known that you haven’t forgot about it and expect it back.
Another bad ass way you can do its to not pay the last rent, so that you “payed” with your deposit!
For maximal protection get an Airbnb instead of an personal agreement with the owner. I know it’s more expensive, but at least you are protected and don’t have to pay a deposit at all.
