Looking for participants for a TV series about travel scams
Oct 21, 2011, 4:55 am
#76
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,638
bali money-changing scam
These little exchanges are always set-up with a higher counting shelf and then, there is a shelf below it in the back that is not visible to a person standing in front of the counter. There are multiple techniques involved in shorting the exchange, but the primary one involves laying out stacks of 10 to 20 bills, correctly counted initially, next to each other. As the victim watches each stack being counted, each of the previous stacks will have bills slid away that fall onto the hidden platform behind during the counting process, either through palming at the start of the count for the new stack, or through an exaggerated counting motion, whereby the previous stack is covered by a bundle of bills in the scammer's hand and he flourishes his count hand outward and up to the top of the source stack, or by several other techniques, such as a faked mistake, requiring a recount or correction. They do all of this in a very choreographed manner like they have all gone to school for it.
my travel guides and my indonesian friends warned me never to go money-changing by myself, but they never specifically identify the trick.
Oct 21, 2011, 12:09 pm
#77
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ORD
Posts: 869
In my opinion there's an ongoing scam in every UK airport. When traveling to the continent I tend to purchase Euro notes from travelex cash machines located in the departure halls at LHR. To make such purchases I use an e-wallet card issued in USD. Whenever I buy Euro I get a screen giving me the option to accept travelex best exchange offer (fully detailed) or accept the card issuer offer (no details).
I always chose the card issuer offer. One day I took note of the "best offer" of travelex to compare it to my issuer once the charge posted. Guess what? On a 500 Euro withdrawal my card issuer charged me $98 LESS than Travelex "best offer". That would be 14% on the total amount withdrawn
I believe this is a commercial scam, because the way the screen appears to the user, it greatly induces to accept the travelex offer which happens to be MUCH WORSE than the card issuer one.
I checked in four more occasions and all four times the travelex exchange rate, advertised as "best offer" was at least 12% more expensive than the card issuer.
I would have no problem if the screen you see wouldn't induce you to take the worse offer by making it so appealing. I call spade a spade and, in my humble opinion, this is a full blown scam.
I always chose the card issuer offer. One day I took note of the "best offer" of travelex to compare it to my issuer once the charge posted. Guess what? On a 500 Euro withdrawal my card issuer charged me $98 LESS than Travelex "best offer". That would be 14% on the total amount withdrawn
I believe this is a commercial scam, because the way the screen appears to the user, it greatly induces to accept the travelex offer which happens to be MUCH WORSE than the card issuer one.
I checked in four more occasions and all four times the travelex exchange rate, advertised as "best offer" was at least 12% more expensive than the card issuer.
I would have no problem if the screen you see wouldn't induce you to take the worse offer by making it so appealing. I call spade a spade and, in my humble opinion, this is a full blown scam.
Oct 21, 2011, 12:34 pm
#78
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,766
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/mediacen...is.asp?ID=1248
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/mediacen...tsheet1105.pdf)
Non-UK credit cards can be charged DCC in UK http://www.psel.co.uk/pdf/articles/a...ity.pdf#page=7
Against issuers, FT China Ambassadors Moondog http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...on-13.html#184 and anacapamalibu http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...l#post16321925 discussed pursuing US card issuers for allowing DCC - Moondog said he contacted a trial lawyer handing another credit card class action the issuer is not the right defendant, anacapamalibu was moderated for being too speculative http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...on-22.html#323
We didn't consider pursuing the merchant acquirer banks, who, IMHO, are perpetrating the fraud - class action lawsuits are very limited in China (think the only case I know is the Melamine case and the government ended up arresting all the parents who tried to sue). Further, many of the acquirer banks are Chinese state banks which are even harder to sue in the courts. We didn't consider UK or US acquirer banks - perhaps the problem's not so bad there.
Oct 21, 2011, 7:42 pm
#79
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
Oct 22, 2011, 4:53 am
#80
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,766
I always chose the card issuer offer. One day I took note of the "best offer" of travelex to compare it to my issuer once the charge posted. Guess what? On a 500 Euro withdrawal my card issuer charged me $98 LESS than Travelex "best offer". That would be 14% on the total amount withdrawn
Dec 3, 2011, 9:02 pm
#81
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Very similar to the friendly street salespeople in Fiji - they ask your name, and quickly carve it on a wooden sword, which now of course has been "personalized" and is "yours". No "bula".
Dec 5, 2011, 7:25 pm
#82
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Programs: Emirates Silver, BA, Flying Blue, Virgin, IHG
Posts: 950
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but prevalent all over SE Asia - duped into going to visit someone's house only to get caught up in a gambling scam - not sure how it would have worked (but it is well documented on the internet as a warning) as I got out of there quickly. In my defence (and I still can't believe I fell for it) the person duping me befriended me over several days in my hotel (where she claimed to be a guest although she turned out not to be) and (of all places) after mass at the Catholic Cathederal (and it was my first visit). Claimed to be Malaysian working in London and only visiting with relatives in the city. Having been in the city working and eating every meal alone I was glad for some company - started out as we could have lunch together in a restaurant which soon (and I'm not sure how) morphed into having lungh with relatives. Apparently there are various stories to get you to go to their house the most popular of which is to ask where you are from and then say my niece/sister is going there to study and my sister/mum is worried - could you come and tell us about the town.
Taxi from airport (from the official stands not the guys who approach you as you come out) - around $10 to city centre. On my most recent trip I offered to share my taxi with an English couple who I had been chatting to - no loss to me as I was on expenses and I figured it would save them. Taxi driver tried to charge me $30 because there were 3 people. Hadn't pulled up into hotel drop off area - pretended to have missed it and pulled over on street just past (in the rain). Obviously he didn't want to hotel staff to see him trying to scam me. I just gave him $12 and said give me my bags (which he did) - accepted it when I suggested we got the police to sort it out. Meter was showing about $60 so obviously set to run fast.
Other big scam is internet charges in hotels - how can backpacker / budget places do it for free and hotels where you are already paying $150 manage to charge another $10-20 a day (and some try to charge you per device). Travelling for work I have no choice but to pay but on holiday I rely on free wifi in cafes or manage without.
Taxi from airport (from the official stands not the guys who approach you as you come out) - around $10 to city centre. On my most recent trip I offered to share my taxi with an English couple who I had been chatting to - no loss to me as I was on expenses and I figured it would save them. Taxi driver tried to charge me $30 because there were 3 people. Hadn't pulled up into hotel drop off area - pretended to have missed it and pulled over on street just past (in the rain). Obviously he didn't want to hotel staff to see him trying to scam me. I just gave him $12 and said give me my bags (which he did) - accepted it when I suggested we got the police to sort it out. Meter was showing about $60 so obviously set to run fast.
Other big scam is internet charges in hotels - how can backpacker / budget places do it for free and hotels where you are already paying $150 manage to charge another $10-20 a day (and some try to charge you per device). Travelling for work I have no choice but to pay but on holiday I rely on free wifi in cafes or manage without.
Dec 6, 2011, 12:30 am
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,401
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but prevalent all over SE Asia - duped into going to visit someone's house only to get caught up in a gambling scam - not sure how it would have worked (but it is well documented on the internet as a warning) as I got out of there quickly. In my defence (and I still can't believe I fell for it) the person duping me befriended me over several days in my hotel
...
...
they were sucked in by this... got taken for many many thousands of dollars. they were escorted to an ATM to withdraw cash, then when those cards reached their limit they were taken to a gold shop where another several thousands US worth of gold was 'purchased' (the value was just given to the thugs in cash but the store owner).the japanses consulate offered no assistance, just saying they knew the scam was common.
the worst part, and I have posted this elsewhere, was that despite a olive report of the robbery, Vietnam airlines refused to change the ticket back home, demanding USD600 for a one way ticket back to Tokyo.
this is a terrible scam, no one can believe people would get sucked in to going to someone else's home, but they are very clever.
I am thankful you escaped unscathed.
Dec 16, 2011, 5:02 pm
#84
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: UA Gold 0.66MM, MR LT Titanium, IHG Platinum, Hertz PC
Posts: 740
I had typed up a long explanation of the Fes/Marrakech carpet scam, which I recently managed to avoid, but accidentally closed the window and lost it all. See the links below for the general idea:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelbl...?destId=355511
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/1e7cef/
http://cstampher.blogspot.com/2009/0...rpet-scam.html
OP - I'll be glad to provide more info if needed
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelbl...?destId=355511
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/1e7cef/
http://cstampher.blogspot.com/2009/0...rpet-scam.html
OP - I'll be glad to provide more info if needed
Dec 17, 2011, 11:06 am
#85
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Programs: Emirates Silver, BA, Flying Blue, Virgin, IHG
Posts: 950
[QUOTE=LHR/MEL/Europe FF;17574352]unfortunately my friend was not so lucky they were sucked in by this... got taken for many many thousands of dollars. they were escorted to an ATM to withdraw cash, then when those cards reached their limit they were taken to a gold shop where another several thousands US worth of gold was 'purchased' (the value was just given to the thugs in cash but the store owner).QUOTE]
I've just come back form another trip to Vietnam (when apart from a couple of attempts by taxi drivers to rip me off I had no problems) and saw the hotel manager who I spoke to after my lucky escape. he told me that I had indeed been very lucky as another guest got stung a couple of days after me for AUS$500.
I'm sorry your friend got stung. I didn't go to the British Embassy as I was flying home that night but I am not surprised that the embassy weren't very helpful. I have also read on the internet that local police are complicit.
they were sucked in by this... got taken for many many thousands of dollars. they were escorted to an ATM to withdraw cash, then when those cards reached their limit they were taken to a gold shop where another several thousands US worth of gold was 'purchased' (the value was just given to the thugs in cash but the store owner).QUOTE]I've just come back form another trip to Vietnam (when apart from a couple of attempts by taxi drivers to rip me off I had no problems) and saw the hotel manager who I spoke to after my lucky escape. he told me that I had indeed been very lucky as another guest got stung a couple of days after me for AUS$500.
I'm sorry your friend got stung. I didn't go to the British Embassy as I was flying home that night but I am not surprised that the embassy weren't very helpful. I have also read on the internet that local police are complicit.