Theft
From GopStopTravel
These scams are outright theft, pickpocketing, and robberies. They involve putting you in a position where someone can take your money by force or without your knowledge. The spectrum of these scams is very wide as the scammers keep constantly reinventing themselves.
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Pickpockets
Everybody know what is a pickpoketer, but if you need another reminder or tips on how to protect yourself from such, see Pickpockets.
Credit card skimming
In this scam, you use your card to pay in a bar or restaurant. However, while your card is out of your sight, it is swiped not only in the machine that sends the information to your bank for approval, but in a second machine which copies the card's identifying information from the magnetic strip. The copy of the card, or the number, are then used by the third party to buy goods. Often this is an "inside" job: employees of the outlet are either using the information themselves or being paid to acquire it.
The best way to prevent this scam is to keep your card in your sight at all times. Unfortunately the typical restaurant custom is to let the restaurant staff take your card away and bring you back a receipt to sign: insisting on observing them while they handle your card may make you unpopular.
Otherwise, you can limit the damage done by credit card skimming by keeping receipts when you use your card and checking them against your credit card statement. Make sure the amounts match up and make sure there are no additional purchases you didn't make. Report any discrepancies to your credit card company: the liability rests with them not with you, as long as you report fraudulent transactions as soon as possible.
Credit-card skimming has sometimes gone a little bit more high-tech than this. Criminals have fitted several Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) in at least Dubai and Australia with card-readers so that card numbers were recorded when the card owner made a legitimate transaction with a bank-owned ATM. In this case, your best chance is likely to be simply checking your statement and reporting and disputing fraudulent transactions.
Distraction
Distraction thefts take a variety of forms. Generally the thieves work in groups: one will distract you and the other will rob you while you're distracted. Sometimes a single thief will rely on a ready-made distraction like a busker or a departure board. Sometimes the distraction can be pleasant, such as having an attractive accomplice talk to you, but sometimes it's very nasty, such as throwing rotten eggs or faeces over you and robbing you while you panic or clean yourself up. On some Asian beaches, fake drownings are used. You plunge in to help and your belongings are rifled.
It's best to be aware of what's going on around you in any public place and to be a little suspicious of strangers who appear to be trying to single you out. If you are the victim of a minor assault, suspect that it's the prelude to a robbery attempt and if you feel safe enough, try and get in a position where you can look after your belongings. Unfortunately you may need to refuse the help of concerned onlookers; it's common to have an accomplice pose as a concerned onlooker.
Streetwalkers
Sexually attractive people are a fine distraction, and conspicuously available ones even more so. However, sampling the local streetwalkers puts you at risk of crime. Prostitutes can be used as bait for a variety of scams:
- leading you into an armed robbery
- having a confederate go through your clothes while you are out of them
- a bogus "outraged family member" (or cop) appearing and needing to be bought off
- hidden cameras and eventual blackmail
Even if you do not allow them to lead you anywhere, streetwalkers can be dangerous. A person who brings one to his hotel is quite likely to miss his watch or wallet in the morning.
If you are willing to take the health and legal risks of hiring a prostitute, go to a "massage shop", "sauna" or whatever the local euphemism is. These establishments are significantly safer than the street workers.
References
Wikitravel.org Common Scams
