Travel scamsAirport and border
Airport scams
32 reported in 28 countries. How each works and how to avoid it.
- TürkiyeOccasionalAirport touts steering bus passengers into taxisTaxi touts tell you that no bus leaves from that spot. That statement is true, but they use it to steer you into a taxi instead of helping you find the actual bus stop.Antalya
- ThailandOccasionalDuty-free shoplifting accusation and bail demandA visitor is accused of shoplifting after crossing an unclear shop boundary with goods or accepting a supposed free gift. Threats of a long prison sentence are followed by a large payment demand described as bail.Bangkok
- VietnamOccasionalAirport SIM card markup before immigrationSIM cards sold before immigration are described as costing more than those sold after immigration and baggage collection.Ho Chi Minh City
- IndonesiaOccasionalBeing tricked into carrying drugsA stranger asks you to bring an item into Indonesia, sometimes for money. Drugs may be hidden in ordinary objects, luggage handles or cereal sachets.
- JordanOccasionalGoods confiscated at Aqaba airport securityTravellers are warned that many types of purchased goods may be confiscated at departure security. The exact goods and circumstances are not specified.Aqaba
- ArgentinaOccasionalTheft from checked luggageAirport security workers were reported stealing electronics, sunglasses and jewelry from checked bags in 2007. The guide says there have been no further reports since then.
- ColombiaOccasionalAirport bag helpers expecting paymentSomeone offers to lift your bags into a taxi or car, then expects payment for the help.Bogotá
- CambodiaCommonBorder bribes and extra processing feesBorder officials may seek bribes. On journeys from Banlung to Four Thousand Islands, officials on both sides may demand passport-stamping processing fees. An inflated arrival fee may also be demanded on the Lao side.
- LaosCommonAirport taxi overcharging and false pickup claimsTaxi touts push an expensive prepaid ride. They also claim that rideshare drivers cannot collect passengers at the airport.Vientiane
- LaosOccasionalBorder helper selling unmade boat and hotel bookingsAn agent offers help with forms, a slow-boat ticket and a hotel in Pak Beng. He overcharges and does not make the promised reservations. A premium room payment may lead to a room without windows or water.Huay Xai
- TunisiaOccasionalDeparture dinar surrender without a receiptTaking Tunisian dinars out of the country is forbidden. Travellers found with remaining dinars after passport control may be told to return landside to exchange them, then asked to hand some or all of the money to a uniformed official instead. Refusal to provide a receipt makes this look like an unofficial payment.Tunis
- TunisiaOccasionalForeign currency returned short after a customs countCustoms agents may ask how much foreign currency you have and take you to a private office to count it. Travellers have reported receiving substantially less money back than they handed over.
- UruguayOccasionalAirport shuttle unavailable, expensive taxi offeredA private company offers both taxis and a shuttle that supposedly leaves when enough people buy tickets. The shuttle is described as repeatedly unavailable, leaving the more profitable taxi as the offered option.Montevideo
- GuatemalaCommonBorder-area robbery and ransom demandsGangs target passing vehicles. They may rob people at gunpoint, take hostages and demand ransom. Foreign-registered vehicles stand out.
- BangladeshOccasionalAirport 'domestic terminal closed' bribe demandAn airport official tells a transferring passenger that the domestic terminal is closed. They make the passenger sit down, then try to demand a bribe.Dhaka
- PakistanCommonAirport taxi and room toutsTouts approach arriving travellers and offer taxis or rooms. Pressure at arrivals can lead you to book transport or accommodation before checking the price or choosing where you want to stay.Lahore
- PakistanCommonAirport porter pressure and unclear tipsPorters compete to carry arriving passengers' bags. If you accept help without agreeing the tip, the amount may become a dispute later. Porter help is a paid service; the risk is an unclear charge.Karachi
- GambiaVery commonBorder passport-stamping bribe demandsMilitary personnel may demand a bribe to stamp your passport. Refusing can lead to insults or further pressure.
- Guinea-BissauVery commonAirport bribe requestsVarious airport officials ask arriving travellers for bribes. A polite refusal is described as enough to stop further pressure.Bissau
- Burkina FasoCommonUnwanted paid luggage helpUniformed men offer to carry your luggage out and expect payment. The uniform does not mean that this help is free or required.Ouagadougou
- BeninCommonAirport baggage-claim bribe demandsYou are expected to show the sticker identifying your checked bag before leaving baggage claim. Security guards may seek a small bribe, making a missing sticker a point of pressure.Cotonou
- DR CongoCommonAirport bribe demandsCorrupt officials or police ask travellers for bribes during airport procedures. These demands are separate from airport charges that come with receipts.Kinshasa
- DR CongoCommonUninvited airport bag helpersVolunteer 'helpers' crowd around arriving passengers and offer to carry bags. They expect tips, even when the traveller did not clearly request a paid service.Kinshasa
- GuineaCommonAirport security requests for a giftAirport security may ask travellers for a "gift". This is an informal demand for money or another benefit.Conakry
- NigerCommonPersistent airport portersPorters insist on carrying bags and may try to take them from your hands. Accepting help creates an expectation of a tip. Porter services are not themselves a scam, but unwanted help can create pressure to pay.Niamey
- TajikistanCommonAirport official scamsDeparting passengers report scams involving corrupt airport officials. The exact demands and methods are not described.Dushanbe
- CameroonOccasionalUnwanted paid luggage helpAirport staff or people hanging around offer to help with luggage, then ask the traveller for money. They may seek euros or dollars.
- MoldovaOccasionalBorder guard demands a bribeA corrupt border guard may try to extort money. No specific pretext or payment amount is described.
- MozambiqueOccasionalTheft during airport security checksSome airport security personnel have reportedly taken cash, cards or other valuables from travellers' belongings while using their position to gain access.
- NicaraguaOccasionalBorder toll presented as a visa feeBorder guards may describe a border toll as a border-crossing visa fee, even for travellers covered by the regional crossing arrangement. The stated purpose of the charge can be misleading; a border payment alone does not prove fraud.
- SudanOccasionalExtra departure-tax demandDeparture tax is described as included in the ticket price, so a separate demand should be questioned. This is a possible overcharging issue, not an established frequent scam. Khartoum Airport is described as closed because of fighting.Khartoum
- SenegalOccasionalFake airport staff and hotel-lure extortionPeople claim to work for the airport and say they need no payment. They take your bags and lead you to a restaurant, where they surround you and demand money before releasing you or your luggage. Another version offers an affordable hotel, then involves locking themselves in the room with you and demanding money with threats.Dakar
Reviewed by @snuck