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01-14-2004, 11:14 AM
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#1
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I tried finding a travel scam forum. However, I was unable to find one. Anyways, I been in europe for about three weeks and been scammed. Also, I am going to write about some scams that happened to people I met around my way.
Scam numero uno: ¨The lustful backpackper scam¨
This one happened on my first day in Europe. I was in frankfurk Germany, When a drop dead gorgous girl smiles at me. Thinking that I am going to get lucky on my first day in europe I stop to say hi. To make long story short she says she gets thirsty, we go to a bar I order water and then the bill comes to 30 Euros. After I pay the bartender she leaves. Later by digging around my hostel i found out that this is a very common scam. The pretty girls usually work for the bar and they take gulliable horny tourist for a ride. So guys watch out for this one.
Scam number two: "the friendly morrocan and aladin the carpet salesman scam"
This one was very subtle and perfomed with such finasse that even the most street smart person will far for it. I was in the southern spain ferry to Tanger, Morroco. Friendly guys comes over and talks to you as well as group of traverlers. Onced i arrived to morroco, he says lets go to diner(which i paid) and then tells you not to spent money on hotel and just stay at his apartment. To win you over your defenses he tells you he lives in front of a police station. Now this is the scam, He takes you sight seeing where the main attration is his carpet store. You´ll be subjective to so much high pressure sales pitch that i ended up comming out with a 20+ carpet which i am still carrying around my back.
theres more smaller scams like a lady giving a flower and when you accept, she grabs your hand and reads your palm, after she´s done. she demands money for her services. anyways, gotta go that´s it for now. I
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01-14-2004, 12:25 PM
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#2
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TPunk Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Canada
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Quote:
Scam numero uno: ¨The lustful backpackper scam¨
This one happened on my first day in Europe. I was in frankfurk Germany, When a drop dead gorgous girl smiles at me. Thinking that I am going to get lucky on my first day in europe I stop to say hi. To make long story short she says she gets thirsty, we go to a bar I order water and then the bill comes to 30 Euros. After I pay the bartender she leaves. Later by digging around my hostel i found out that this is a very common scam. The pretty girls usually work for the bar and they take gulliable horny tourist for a ride. So guys watch out for this one.
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Dude, I have heard of these, but not from anyone who has had it happen to them!! Thanks for the HUGE heads up on that one!!!
Quote:
Scam number two: "the friendly morrocan and aladin the carpet salesman scam"
This one was very subtle and perfomed with such finasse that even the most street smart person will far for it. I was in the southern spain ferry to Tanger, Morroco. Friendly guys comes over and talks to you as well as group of traverlers. Onced i arrived to morroco, he says lets go to diner(which i paid) and then tells you not to spent money on hotel and just stay at his apartment. To win you over your defenses he tells you he lives in front of a police station. Now this is the scam, He takes you sight seeing where the main attration is his carpet store. You´ll be subjective to so much high pressure sales pitch that i ended up comming out with a 20+ carpet which i am still carrying around my back.
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Dude, I have heard of these scams but never knew anyone they happened to, its always a friend of a friend that its happened to!! Thanks for the heads up!!
Quote:
I tried finding a travel scam forum. However, I was unable to find one
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I will bring this up with TP, might be a good idea...
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01-14-2004, 05:18 PM
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#3
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Hey Papi! I'm wondering if you might look a bit naive...
In Greece, we went into a small travel agency (there are at least ten in a row in each port there) to book for a hotel...The guy says we can't stay just one night as we intended to do because there are only a boat leaving every 2 days and gives us his prices, saying it's the best he can do...We decide to check that info out (My friend forgets her Lonely Planet on the guy's desk...) and find out a few boats leave each day from the Island! Then we find cheaper prices for what we are looking for and book through someone else...
The day after we are taking a day tour and our boat is leaving from the port, so my friend goes back there and asks for her book, but he says he doesn't have it...She insists and after a while, he gives it back...BUT he waits until he sees her boat (with me on it!!!) leave!!! What a mofo!!!! She was able to take the next boat but it was a close call!
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All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost. (J. R. R. Tolkien)
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01-14-2004, 05:40 PM
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#4
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TPunk Emeritus
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Quote:
Hey Papi! I'm wondering if you might look a bit naive...
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I don't think its a matter of being neive, I think as trav'las we have to give peeps the benifit of the doubt, the last thing we wanna think is that this person we just met who seems really cool is out to scam us. I would prop have fallen for the same scam, i wanna meet people so bad, that sometimes I let my guard down.
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01-15-2004, 10:13 AM
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#5
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An Optimistic Realist.
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I agree CD, the adventure of wanting to meet new people could lead you down the wrong path. I suppose as long as they don't kill you or anything it wouldn't be that terrible.
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2009-2014: February - Mexico (Cancun x 3, Cozumel x 1, Mazatlan x 2
2014 : Europe: Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Czech Rep, Germany, France, England
2015 : US:Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Joshua Tree NP, Salton Sea, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Mt. Rushmore. 20 states. Europe: Stockholm, Barcelona, Madrid, Prague, Krakow, Warsaw, Ireland (month driving around), Northern Ireland, Edinburgh.
2021: Europe?
Need a Railpass for that Trip to Europe?
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01-15-2004, 10:20 AM
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#6
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Quote:
Originally posted by Canadian Dude@Jan 15 2004, 01:40 AM
Quote:
Hey Papi! I'm wondering if you might look a bit naive...
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I don't think its a matter of being neive, I think as trav'las we have to give peeps the benifit of the doubt, the last thing we wanna think is that this person we just met who seems really cool is out to scam us. I would prop have fallen for the same scam, i wanna meet people so bad, that sometimes I let my guard down.
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You right, Sometimes you HAVE to let your guard completly down. Otherwise, You´ll be completly miserable if you think every person you meet is out to get you. Paronoid people after all cant backpack. That´s why most people in the states are terrified with the idea of sleeping in a room with 8 strangers while for most Europeans is no big deal.
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01-15-2004, 12:19 PM
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#7
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TPunk Emeritus
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Hey Papi! I was just kidding!!!
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All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost. (J. R. R. Tolkien)
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01-15-2004, 02:21 PM
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#8
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TPunk Emeritus
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The hard ones are when you are in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and are getting a cab ride or tour package. You may have no assurance that you're going the shortest way or are going to get what you pay for. Sometimes then, you have no choice but to go by your gut. And pray.
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01-15-2004, 02:38 PM
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#9
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TPunk Recognized
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That happened to me. I was in Goa at the time, and I had made friends with one of the cab drivers outside my hostel/b&b. This one time, I decided I'd go for another cab driver, who was very pushy. I got in and he charged me tons to go to the market, which was about 10 minute drive maybe. I later told my usual cab driver how much he charged me, and he said he does it to all the tourists, scams a lot of them by taking them long routes. The good thing was that my usual cabbie went up to him the next day and demanded my money back! So, I got my money back for that journey! So, there are some really nice people, and there are some complete a'holes out there too.
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01-15-2004, 07:36 PM
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#10
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I always make sure I know how to ask 'how much' in the local language, and always ask for the price BEFORE entering a Taxi...If it's too expensive I walk away. I also take all my stuff BEFORE I pay for the ride...
An australian guy we met in Greece told us that when he arrived in Italy, a taxi driver (with a friend in his Taxi) took him to a deserted road after driving for about an hour and then stopped, and asked him to pay for this ride they had forced him to take!!! They got out of the taxi, and the guy told them that his money was in his backpack (which was in the trunk)...So he took his backpack and threw it away in some bushes, and told the Taxi driver and his friend he was ready to fight....heheh! They left, but he was stuck on this road in the middle of the night...I think someone picked him up...
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All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost. (J. R. R. Tolkien)
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01-16-2004, 05:20 AM
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#11
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^ Yeah, but if you just get somewhere and are disoriented and ask them to take you to a certain hotel - how do you know if they're taking the "scenic" route or not? This happened to us once in China when he took us for a loop from the airport - when in fact the hotel was just a mile or 2 from the airport. Granted, it was still so cheap that it would have passed for a normal fare elsewhere in the world - but the point is that we did get still taken for a rideeeee...
Oh well, I guess we did get a tour of the city, lol.
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01-24-2004, 11:49 PM
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#12
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From all the reading that I have done Moca is right...always negotiate the fare before accepting the ride. That way they are more inclined to take the most direct route to your destination. You can also ask at your hostel/hotel what the 'going rate' is before you venture out, that way you can make sure you dont get ripped off.
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