While travelling can be a thrilling adventure that opens doors to new sounds, smells, and sights, being new to an area can leave you an easy target for fraud.
Travel scams are at an all-time high, increasing by as much as 900 per cent over the past 18 months.
In 2024 alone, a total of £11 million was lost to holiday fraud – and it’s expected to be an even higher amount this year, with the rise in AI and opportunists taking advantage of last-minute cancellations due to the Iran war.
From new scams, to more sophisticated swindles, fraudsters are constantly refining their techniques to exploit tourists for easy money – leaving them without cash, identification, or access to funds during a trip.
With almost a third of adults having fallen victim to a scam on holiday, or know someone who has, we reveal the most common ones to watch out for in busy tourist hotspots around the world.
‘Friendly’ pickpocketers
Pickpocketing remains one of the most widespread travel scams globally, particularly in crowded tourist hubs like Barcelona and Rome.
Criminals often work in teams, using distraction techniques while an accomplice steals wallets or phones.
Pickpocketing remains one of the most common forms of travel-related scams
Tourists are especially vulnerable in busy areas like metro stations or tourist spots, where a moment of confusion makes it easy for thieves to slip away unnoticed.
But pickpocketing has become much more than a simple slip of the hand into someone’s coat pocket or bag.
Crooks will now trick tourists using a range of diversion techniques; spilling sauce or wine over them, dropping items, faking falling over or even throwing a cat or baby at them to cause immediate chaos.
‘Rather than outright theft, criminals may pose as friendly locals, unofficial guides or people offering assistance, making it easier to gain trust quickly,’ adds Tom Vaughan, travel expert at Confused.com.
Johan Siggesson, a travel expert and founder of My Safari Lodge, advises: ‘Stay vigilant in crowds, keep your belongings in a secure crossbody bag worn in front, and remain suspicious of any unexpected physical contact or sudden commotion.’
£1,500 kebab rip-off
Nearly 70 per cent of British travellers still use cash abroad, but debit or credit cards remain a preferred payment method for many due to tighter security, better exchange rates, and the ability to track spending.
However, this payment method could increase the risk of card PIN scams, which occur when customers are charged significantly more than the stated price at the point of sale.
A recent case saw an unsuspecting British tourist get charged nearly £1,500 for kebab on a beach in Copacabana, Brazil, after assuming he would only pay £1.50 for it, as reported by O Globo.
According to Rio’s Civil Police, the card machine used for the transaction was a tampered device, and the fraudster – thought to be part of a structured scheme targeting tourists with rigged machines – was subsequently arrested.
Another case in the same location involved an Argentinian tourist who was scammed into paying nearly £3,000 for a corn on the cob – which should have cost £3.
To avoid falling victim to such scams, experts advise travellers to avoid using card machines on the street and always check the payment terminal screen for the correct amount before entering your PIN.
If you believe you may have been scammed, it would be worth freezing your card and reporting the unauthorised charge to your bank or payment provider to start a chargeback.
‘Bird poo’ trick
The ‘bird poo’ trick, a classic distraction theft, is making a reappearance in cities like London
The ‘bird poo’ trick, a classic distraction theft, is making a reappearance in cities like London.
The scam involves dropping white, green or black paint or food onto a tourist to mimic bird droppings, followed by the appearance of a seemingly helpful stranger who offers assistance in cleaning it off – all while covertly stealing your valuables.
For scammers who carry out this trick, distraction and causing immediate disgust is key: victims focus on removing the mess as quickly as possible while their belongings are taken.
In some cases, a special paint is even used to replicate the smell and texture of bird droppings in an effort to further confuse targets.
Similar incidents have been reported across Europe in busy tourist areas, though London appears to be a prime spot due to its prevalence of pigeons and other street birds.
One woman recently claimed she was targeted in Trafalgar Square by having paint dropped onto a small section of her hair, before being offered wet wipes to remove it by two smartly-dressed men, as reported in Hull Live.
Although she quickly learned it was a scam, she has since warned travellers to be vigilant if they find themselves in a similar situation.
Photo helpers
In destinations like Marrakech and Cairo, it’s common for tourists to be lured into having their picture taken with animals or next to landmarks by select locals who then demand payment
At major attractions in countries like Egypt and Morocco, such as the Pyramids of Giza or Marrakech’s bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa square, locals may offer to take photos for tourists or allow them to pose with animals.
But what seems like a friendly gesture quickly turns into an aggressive demand for payment – or a ‘tip’ in some locals’ eyes.
Reports from Egypt show how ‘photo helpers’ often pressure visitors for money after the fact, catching them off-guard and creating a volatile atmosphere by involving fellow locals, essentially forcing the tourist to pay up to get out of the situation.
Grace Cheng, better known as @gracietravels, spent a week in northeast Africa visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza and other historical landmarks in 2023, but felt unsafe the whole time.
‘Don’t let anyone take a picture of you, don’t let anyone put anything in your hand, and don’t follow anyone if they have something to show you because they will demand money from you,’ Grace said.
She added how she ‘didn’t even feel safe’ even with a tour guide by her side. ‘Ours had a lot of friends in the area and they just kept offering us tons and tons of upgrades, like climbing a rock to get a picture with the background,’ she said.
Gracie said it felt ‘scary’ when she refused to pay the scammers and they kept demanding money.
‘That being said though, if you have a good tour guide they will know what’s real and fake when it comes to scamming. So for that you can trust them,’ she added.
Fake taxi meters and Uber ‘scams’
One of the most common hustles is taxi drivers lying about having a ‘broken meter’ and then overcharging for the ride
Various taxi and Uber scams are common worldwide.
Drivers may refuse to use the meter, claim it is broken, and take unnecessarily long routes to inflate fares.
And in some capital cities, fake rideshare drivers mimic legitimate apps, picking up passengers and charging inflated prices, while real drivers have been reported to deliberately cancel trips at the last minute, resulting in users having to pay a charge.
British holidaymakers have urged fellow travellers to ‘plan their European trips in advance’ after reporting a potential Uber scam that is affecting unsuspecting tourists in Romania and Portugal.
While on holiday in Bucharest, a seasoned traveller, who goes by Stacey Nuttall on Facebook, claimed her Uber driver suddenly pulled over when he realised she was English and informed her that the price on her Uber app – which would have been in English – was ‘incorrect’ – and demanded she pay him more in cash should she wish to proceed with the journey.
When Stacey refused to hand over the extra funds, she claimed she was instructed by the driver to ‘get out’ of the car, which she and her companions did.
Having left her cash at the hotel, the traveller relied on booking a taxi through an app using a digital payment method, but hesitated at paying extra for what appeared to be a fixed fare.
After attempting to book another rideshare through Uber, Stacey claimed she was approached by four different taxi drivers who’d asked her to pay for her journey using alternative methods, such as cash upfront, Apple Pay or Revolut.
Eventually, Stacey revealed that a taxi driver, who did not appear to be associated with Uber, agreed to take her to the hotel, where she would later pay for the journey using cash.
During the ride, the driver suggested she may have encountered issues in getting a cab home as the ‘government charges the taxi drivers tax, so they end up losing money’.
A spokesperson for Uber told the Daily Mail: ‘The behaviour that has been described is completely unacceptable. Uber has clear rules regarding payments and cancellations, and we will investigate and take appropriate action on any reports of this nature.
‘We always aim to deliver the highest standard of service to all riders and everyone should feel safe and welcome when riding with Uber.’
Another tourist who had been holidaying in Faro, Portugal, had a similar experience.
They said: ‘Another scam is them not coming to pick-up point and asking to walk to meet them eight to 10 minutes away… and then they are not there – you see them driving away on app.
‘Ended up taking the bus, but all this money was coming out for several taxis that played games..’
‘Free’ friendship bracelets
Redditors claim many scammers will insist on giving tourists bracelets – and then demand payment after strapping it on
Often seen in cities like Paris or Rome, there’s a scam that begins with a ‘friendly’ person offering a ‘free’ bracelet.
Once it’s tied to the tourist’s wrist, the scammer demands payment and may become aggressive, which, in essence, drives the victim to make a payment to escape the situation.
Italian tourist Fabrizio Moroni, who goes by @fabriziovmoroni on TikTok, warned of the terrifying scam after he fell victim to it in ‘broad daylight’ in Monmartre, Paris, in 2023, leaving him visibly shaken.
‘I see this man coming up to me and he was very kind of intimidating cause he was a very big tall man. He came to me and he said ‘take it, take it’ until he grabs my arm aggressively.’
After refusing to take the bracelet, the tourist continued: ‘By the time I said this there were literally six or seven men surrounding me and I was in the middle of them.
‘I ran for my life, I literally ran without even looking back. So please, please be careful if you ever go to Monmartre.’
To avoid getting caught up in the scam, John, from My Safari Lodge, suggests: ‘The best defense is to avoid eye contact, keep your hands close to your body, and firmly say ‘no’ while continuing to walk.’
Fake lodging scams
Advances in AI have made fake booking sites and reviews offering attractive deals more convincing, making it harder to distinguish legitimate listings from scams.
Travellers have often been paying deposits for properties that don’t exist or arriving to find their bookings are invalid.
The financial loss can be significant, with last-minute scrambles for alternative accommodation only adding to loss.
‘Be wary of multiple reviews using repetitive language, or clusters posted around the same time, as this could indicate they’ve been faked,’ says Rory Boland, travel editor of Which?.
‘We’d also advise filtering reviews by ‘most recent’ as it’s possible to miss warnings when sorting by ‘most relevant’. Only pay using the platform’s own payment systems: never be tempted to send money by bank transfer for a discounted rate – this is often a sign of a scam.’
Fake tour guides
At major tourist sites, particularly in destinations like Egypt, Jordan, individuals posing as official guides offer tours with convincing stories and authority.
These ‘guides’ may provide incorrect information or lead tourists to overpriced shops, demanding large fees afterward.
Tourists not only lose money but also miss out on genuine cultural experiences.
A couple visiting Thailand warned on Reddit that they’d fallen foul to a scam like this.
They wrote : ‘We really wanted to go on a boat tour around some islands. I remember I was thinking ‘be careful, there are a lot of scammers who will tell me a random price’, [so] I chose this elderly man who looked really innocent and sweet.
‘He said that the price of this tour for the two of us would be around £130, which sounds pretty fair for a whole day’s tour with lunch and a few snorkelling stops along the way. We reserved our seats, paid everything and patiently waited for tomorrow.
‘As tomorrow comes we go to the ‘meeting point’. After waiting… we went looking for that man, but his ‘place’ was empty and locked, so naturally we asked other sellers where that man was. One said: ‘Sadly [he] passed away late last night.’
‘Now the best part of the story. Three days after that ‘passing away’ news, we were walking around that same spot and we see him there! I couldn’t believe my eyes. So moral of the story, don’t trust anyone – even sweet-looking elders.’
Fake tickets
Nine people were arrested following French police smashing an £8.7million false ticket racket at the Louvre
Fake tickets for attractions, transport, or events are a persistent issue.
In destinations like Italy and France, where tourists tend to pay to access sites like the Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower and the Vatican, fake ticket sellers and intermediaries are known to approach tourists directly, claiming official status.
Victims often discover the fraud only at entry points, losing both money and access in the process.
In February 2026, nine people were arrested in Paris, following an £8.7million false ticket racket at the Louvre, which lasted over a decade.
Employees were among those said to have been providing fake entry tickets to thousands of mainly Chinese tourists.
‘If you plan to visit the opera, a museum or a monument on your trip to Italy, make sure to ‘book on the official website’, warns Italian Reddit user u/_Giulio_Cesare.
Currency switching
Scammers may try to swap banknotes or claim the tourist handed over the wrong amount
Money-switching scams typically occur during cash transactions, where a scammer subtly swaps banknotes or claims the tourist handed over the wrong amount.
This tactic is common in markets or taxis, especially where unfamiliar currencies are involved.
The confusion of exchange rates and foreign cash makes it easy for scammers to manipulate the situation, leaving tourists out of pocket without realising immediately.
Reddit user ‘Harperfin’ experienced this in Morocco, where he pointed out the purple 20 Moroccan Dirham (£1.60/$2) note looks similar to the blue 200 Dirham note (£15.90/$20.40).
They explained: ‘A waiter in a restaurant scammed me by taking my money, then running back out and insisting I’d mistakenly given him a smaller value bill. He distracted me by waving the money all around and talking rapidly.’
‘NoStructure371’ added: ‘A similar thing happened to me in Amsterdam. A beer was eight euros and I gave him 50 euros and the bartender gave me back a two euro coin like no big deal, shortchanging me by 40 euros thinking I wouldn’t say anything.’
When it comes to protecting yourself against these scams, Confused.com’s Tom says: ‘Stay aware to avoid spoiling your trip. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and walk away.
‘A little awareness can go a long way in avoiding unnecessary stress and expense while abroad.’