| The British newspaper The Times published a list | | | | was stopped by two men who introduced |
| of the most popular schemes for swindling | | | | themselves as the policemen and asked me to |
| tourists. Some naive tourists are entrapped even | | | | show what I had in my pockets. When they |
| before leaving their house. | | | | found there marijuana they told that I would be |
| Going for vacations we are in danger not only of | | | | imprisoned for 4 years if I hadn't given them 200 |
| sharks but also of different swindlers who can | | | | dollars. I was frightened and gave them money. I |
| spoil our rest. | | | | didn't meet my friend any more." |
| Here are the most popular ways of cheating | | | | How to avoid: Say "NO" to drugs! If you get in |
| trustful tourists during different kinds of trips and | | | | such a situation you must remember that your |
| the ways to avoid them. | | | | safety is the main priority. Try to attract |
| At home | | | | attention of the people around, may be the real |
| False Clubs of Vacationists | | | | policemen, although if your pockets are full of |
| False clubs usually invite victims for a free lunch | | | | marijuana then it can be problematic. If you are |
| to luxurious hotels and restaurants, where for | | | | alone in a dark side street then it is better to pay. |
| food and presents they are shown an advertising | | | | Tricks with exchange |
| presentation. You are enticed with the offer of a | | | | Very often cheaters act at the points of |
| guaranteed vacation once a year for a small | | | | exchange. You are given money in too small |
| amount of money if you pay at a time 3 | | | | banknotes which it is difficult to count, or during |
| thousand pounds. | | | | counting out your money they are trying to draw |
| It is always presented as a unique chance, "now | | | | your attention with a discussion or to give you |
| or never" but when you come back home and | | | | something in opaque envelops - probably cut |
| try to organize your first leave, everything goes | | | | newspapers. |
| wrong. | | | | How to avoid: Always exchange your money |
| How to avoid | | | | being with someone else so that one of you could |
| There are 3 main rules, which must help you to | | | | be concentrated on the main thing while the |
| distinguish legal clubs from the false ones: 1) every | | | | second one could repel a distracting red herring. |
| verbal communication must be confirmed in a | | | | Take the cheque and try to choose static |
| written form; 2) your right to cancel your | | | | exchange points and not a man with a case, so |
| membership must be clearly written on paper; | | | | that you could come to the point with the police |
| and the most important 3) you must be given the | | | | in case of a fraud. |
| possibility to take the contract to your house | | | | Local drinking companion |
| before its signing. But the safest way is to avoid | | | | Many from us are acquainted with such a scheme |
| such clubs and to search cheap tours via the | | | | - a friendly man in a foreign country invites you |
| Internet by yourself. | | | | to have a drink together, then pays a small |
| A free trip to Florida | | | | amount of the full sum, then takes his money |
| The phone is ringing and an electronic voice is | | | | away from the owner of the bar for such a |
| telling you that you should press 9 to get a prize - | | | | generous client. |
| a free trip to Florida. When you do it you are put | | | | However, a worse case took place on a resort of |
| through a salesman who is telling you that in | | | | Venezuela, when friendly drinking companions |
| reality you have won just a big part of the trip | | | | added a local drug to the drinks of some naive |
| and also have to pay 500-700 pounds, and then | | | | tourists and when they were coo-coo, cleaned |
| you will be able to go for a great tour that costs | | | | them out. |
| 2 thousand pounds. | | | | How to avoid: For the first case - just relax and |
| You are asked to give the data of your credit | | | | get pleasure. If you don't want to become a |
| card "only for the confirmation", and after that | | | | victim as in the second case, be careful and |
| the full cost of the tour is taken from your | | | | watch closely your glass, choose the drinks in |
| account without your permission. | | | | bottles and think of what you are doing. |
| How to avoid: If you are told that you have won | | | | Private taxi |
| a competition in which you didn't participate - it is | | | | If you get in a private car in a foreign country |
| a trap. | | | | you risk at best to pay a double sum than in a |
| The tour agent's card | | | | usual taxi and to visit the souvenir shop of the |
| "Become a tour agent and save from 50% to | | | | driver's brother, but at worst you can become a |
| 70% of the cost of tickets and hotel rooms. | | | | kidnappee. |
| Getting a card won't take more than 15 minutes!" | | | | How to avoid: Never use a private taxi in a |
| This Internet-scheme is swiftly spreading lately. | | | | foreign country. |
| People are promised that if they spend about 260 | | | | The bootblacks in Istanbul |
| ponds for the tour agent's card they will be able | | | | Some cheaters' schemes are less harmful. The |
| to pretend for special prices for the partners of | | | | bootblacks in Istanbul worked out a plan to help |
| tourist business. | | | | you lose your money. Usually one of them drops |
| You send the data of your credit card and get a | | | | a brush on the road allegedly occasionally and a |
| tour agent's card, but when you for the first time | | | | trustful tourist gives it to the bootblack. He thanks |
| present it at a pay desk, everyone is laughing. | | | | him and offers to clean his shoes for free and |
| How to avoid: If you really want to work in | | | | during the cleaning is telling his heart-rending life |
| tourist business - look for such a job in a | | | | story, after which only a stone won't give money |
| traditional way - through the legal labor agencies. | | | | to the poor worker. |
| Money in the morning, chairs in the evening | | | | How to avoid: Why? If you need to have your |
| The most expensive in Great Britain, and the | | | | shoes cleaned, just accept the offer and pay for |
| oldest scheme: a company takes money from a | | | | the service. |
| client and then it is closed without meeting its | | | | A bustle near the metal detector |
| engagements. | | | | You are putting your bags on the conveyor but |
| Sometimes it is a result of the business failure but | | | | the next person in the queue is passing by in a big |
| more often it is a thought-out fraud. | | | | hurry. Then he stops near the detector and is |
| How to avoid: In our difficult times it is better to | | | | taking keys, coins and other small things from his |
| make sure that your insurance will pay off such | | | | pockets very long. While you are waiting patiently, |
| cases. | | | | the person who stood in the queue before you - |
| Abroad | | | | an accomplice of the first one - takes your bags |
| A false porter | | | | and is running away. |
| Among modern cheaters the smartest ones are | | | | How to avoid: Keep vigilant watch on your |
| considered those who manage to use the data of | | | | luggage and try not to show your wealthiness. |
| a victim's credit card before he or she realizes | | | | A fraud in a bus |
| what happened. | | | | This scheme puzzles - how stupid people can be! |
| Usually it happens when you give your credit card | | | | According to an insurance company, many people |
| to pay for your lunch, but lately cheaters more | | | | got in such a situation in the USA and Canada. |
| often call to your hotel room at night, telling that | | | | The scheme is the following: a man is coming to |
| there are some problems with your account and | | | | you in a bar and is offering you to earn thousands |
| ask to come to the reception with your card. | | | | of dollars if you join a fraud during a trip by the |
| Taking into consideration the late time you are | | | | bus in which passengers will imitate a row. |
| allowed to read the number of the credit card by | | | | They will tell that the majority of passengers will |
| telephone. | | | | be in the know and everyone will tell that the |
| How to avoid: Be careful when you give someone | | | | driver was guilty and after that will get |
| the number of your credit card and watch what | | | | compensation from the company to which the |
| the person is doing with it. After every trip check | | | | bus belongs. The only necessary thing is to give |
| the state of the account. For all illegal operations | | | | 250 dollars to your new friend and he will give |
| with your card you can demand compensation. | | | | you the number of the bus and the time of the |
| A false policeman | | | | trip. |
| It is a classical scheme because it works. A nice | | | | Next morning you are getting in the bus and in a |
| boy who told this story decided to be anonymous | | | | conspiratorial way are winking at the fellow |
| by a reason which you will understand later. "I | | | | travelers, little by little understanding how stupid |
| was on a holiday in Cusco, Peru, and met a local | | | | you are. |
| boy with whom we became friends. He showed | | | | After the tourists return home from their |
| me ruins, then we drank beer, and then he said: "I | | | | voyages, they feel themselves distressed after |
| like you very much and I want to give you a | | | | having similar situations and often blame the tour |
| present" and gave me a handful of marijuana. In | | | | operator. Sometimes their touristic complaints are |
| an hour when I was going back to the hotel I | | | | really weird. |