International financial scams

Travelers can become victims of scams at home or abroad. There are many different types of scams and each country may have a different one, but they all share a common goal: to take your money or personal items.

Do not underestimate scammers, many have developed sophisticated scam mechanisms and operate more cunningly every day.

Get to know some of them.

Romance scam:
• Someone you have not met in person quickly offers you friendship, romance and/or marriage.
• Be skeptical if the person asks you for money to pay for hospital bills, visa fees or legal fees and/or seems to have a lot of sudden problems abroad.

Grandparent/Relative Scam:
• A person contacts grandparents or other relatives posing as a grandchild, niece, nephew, or other family member to express that the traveler needs money immediately.
• The scammer usually asks the person contacted to keep it a secret.
• Immediately and directly contact the family member who allegedly needs money to verify the situation.

Drug trafficking scam:
• The scammer makes contact by phone or email and offers a job abroad, the opportunity to do charity work or asks someone to transport documents/items for them.
• These scams often begin as romantic relationships.
• Typically, the scammer offers to pay all travel expenses and offers free luggage and/or asks the person to stop in a third country to pick up something. The luggage/items will contain drugs and the victim may face arrest at the destination.
• If you are traveling, be careful if someone asks you to care for or transport something to another country and report it to border and airline authorities before you travel.

Lottery scam:
• The perpetrator promises a large cash prize, but the recipient must pay taxes and other processing fees in advance to win a foreign lottery.
• If he did not buy a lottery ticket in this foreign country, it is very unlikely that he will be able to win a prize.

Wallet delivery/money delivery scam:
An unsuspecting tourist sees a wallet or a bundle of cash on the ground. The scammer picks it up and asks if it belongs to the tourist, showing a wad of cash, and tries to get the tourist to touch it. Another person approaches and claims the wallet belongs to him, then accuses the tourist of trying to steal it. The two scammers then threaten to call the police unless the tourist pays them so as not to involve the police, or they ask to see the visitor's money to prove that he didn't steal theirs. When the tourist takes the money from him, they grab him and run away.

Teahouse/restaurant/bar scam:
A young "English student" or attractive woman offers to show a tourist around the city and then invites him to enjoy a meal or drink at a nearby establishment. The visitor is often taken to a dimly lit back room and given a menu with small print. Sometimes visitors' drinks will have drugs to impair vision and/or judgment. When the bill arrives, they try to force the visitor to pay an exorbitant bill before leaving the premises or suffering an attack.

Rug/arthouse sales scam:
A young "art student" will approach a visitor (often at large tourist sites) and ask if she likes artwork created by local students. The student invites the visitor to view the artwork in an art studio or gallery and will serve him tea and provide refreshments while he presents the art. The art student will then pressure the visitor to purchase artwork and demand compensation for the hospitality shown. The same scam is used by carpet sellers in many countries.

Airport scam/”bag surveillance”:
A friendly stranger asks someone to watch her purse or suitcase. The stranger leaves and returns with a police officer or someone pretending to be one. The bag may contain drugs or other illegal items. The perpetrators then extort money or other valuables to avoid problems with the police.

Cup/card games:
Scammers organize a game on the crowded sidewalks of very touristy areas. They use three cups with a small ball under one. They move them and then stop, asking the public to bet which one the ball is under. His accomplices in the audience guess correctly the first few times and then let the regular tourists get involved. They allow tourists to win and place higher and higher bets, until the scammer takes the ball and makes the tourists lose, sometimes hundreds of dollars.

Tips to protect yourself (and your money) from scams:
• Never send or give money to someone abroad if you have not met them in person, especially if you have only met them online.
• Do not reveal personal information over the phone or online, even on your social networks.
• Instruct older adults to travel abroad for tourism or personal reasons.
• Before traveling abroad, research your destination.
• Be wary of everything that seems

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