My friend Jennifer was recently victim of a scam while traveling to Sri Lanka. I figured I should share some tips to help others who might fall victim.
Sri Lanka is rapidly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority reports that the number of travelers increased from 566,202 to 1,274,593 between 2004 and 2013. Unfortunately, criminals have started targeting tourists since they started to discover the quaint Southeast Asian country. Travelers should be aware of the scams and take the necessary steps to protect themselves.
Identifying Common Travel Scams
A number of scammers in third world countries like to target travelers from developed countries. Here are some of the most persistent scams in these countries.
Unscrupulous Cabbies
Cab drivers will often try to lure unsuspecting tourists into their cars to rob them. They may be unscrupulous drivers working for a company that doesn’t check up on them or simply scammers impersonating a local ride sharing company. You may want to read this story from This Way Paradise blog to get a sense of how these scams operate.
Either way, the MO is usually the same. They promise to take you to a popular travel destination that other drivers don’t know about. They will then drive you to an out of the way area and rob you blind. You should always be on your guard around cabbies and only go through drivers that have been recommended by a travel guide or someone that you have come to trust.
Faux Charities
Many scammers also pretend to represent fake charities. They know that most tourists don’t know which nonprofit groups are legitimate and may be more than likely to hand their money over. The scams are particularly common in Kandy, but happen in all major tourist cities in Sri Lanka. Massive floods strike the country nearly every year, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, which is something that scammers often use as leverage over well-intentioned, unwitting tourists.
Always authenticate any organization before giving money to them. You can research them at charity-charities.org.
Bait and Switch With Hotels
Many scammers will try to trick you away from your hotel and enrolling in a much costlier villa. They may casually strike up a conversation and ask where you are staying. They can then produce a business card they marked up from that hotel and claim that it is currently under renovations. They will then ask you to pay them a fee to stay in their villa. Of course, the fee will be much higher and they may try to rob you while you are there.
It is always important to stay in close communication with your hotel. Uga Escapes and other legitimate companies that offer accommodations will always notify people in advance if there are any problems, but will make sure that visitors aren’t inconvenienced unless a major problem arises. Ensuring high quality service to their hotel guests will always be their top priority, so be wary of anyone that claims otherwise.
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