Popular tourist scams for backpackers to be aware of

Ah, the good old-fashioned Tourist Scam. Fun aren't they. Most backpackers are sensible, wary folks but if you're a new traveller or just generally having bad luck you can fall victim to one of these very quickly. 

If you do plan on backpacking, especially if you plan to travel to Thailand, it's important to be aware of the tourist scams you may face. So, for both amusement and advice, here are a couple of the popular ones you may encounter and will hopefully now know to avoid. 

The "It's closed for lunch/naps/prayer" scam (popular in Thailand)

Upon approaching one of the main sites in Bangkok (most commonly the Grand Palace), you will probably start to hear this phrase a lot from "helpful" locals. Someone will ask what you're heading towards and upon being advised they will tell you it's currently closed. But never fear, they can help you! You can go visit a few other sites instead and it will only cost you 20 baht for the Tuk Tuk! Wonderful! Not so much. If you get in this Tuk Tuk, you will instead be driven well out of town to visit a gem shop or tailor for a lengthy sales pitch. 

Key things to watch out for: The phrases "Happy Buddha Temple" and "Sleepy Buddha Temple", 20 baht Tuk Tuk rides (never in a million years) and of course "It's Closed!"

The "Can I take your photo?" scam (popular in Europe and particularly Rome) 

An "oldy but a goody" scam that's been updated to keep up with the times. Someone posing as a fellow tourist will offer to help you out by taking your picture for you in front of whatever monument you're visiting. They'll then take off with your camera. Simple, right? It's making a comeback at the moment in many places. 

Key things to watch out for: Fellow "tourists" carrying very, very cheap, disposable cameras. 

The "Money and Passport" scam (popular everywhere - currently big in Vienna) 

A pair or group of police officers will ask to see your passport and money. They then examine it and return it to you, minus half your cash. Refuse? Threats of fines and arrest. The best solutions is offering to walk with them to a police station or threatening to scream loud for actual police. They'll let you be on your way.

Key things to watch out for: This should be obvious. If they want to see your passport and money? They're not real police. Real undercover police officers in "plain clothes" will have better things to do than stop tourists for ID. 

The "Donation" scam (popular everywhere) 

Oh god, this one. You can even get done by this in your home country. Someone will approach you on the street, in a bar, etc and ask for a donation for a charity. The reason it works is that we all feel too awkward and rude to check whether or not the charity actually exists. It's almost always bogus. If you want to be a good person, donate to registered charities via their websites or do a general donation to Amnesty or Oxfam.

Key things to watch out for: a person actively targeting tourists (real charities avoid tourists) or a sign-on sheet showing what other people have donated as a "guide."

The "Wrong Ticket" scam (popular in European metro stations)

This one's difficult to anticipate or avoid as it's usually done by actual station staff. When heading for an exit, you'll be stopped by security and asked for your ticket. You'll then be told it's the wrong ticket or invalid for travel and told there's an on-the-spot fine. Even worse, they'll often not speak English but just say "wrong ticket" and just tap a sign. The fine is usually 40 euros. This is exactly what happens when you do have the wrong ticket so it's sometimes difficult to know if you're being scammed or are actually in the wrong. 

Key things to watch out for: Nothing, unfortunately. Best thing to do is be super careful when buying your ticket and remember to validate it. If you know you're right, stand your ground. 

Single White Female Syndrome

I suppose I get a slightly sick thrill from being able to induce panic attacks in others just by answering enquiries about my travel plans with “No, I'm not travelling with anyone else I'm just going by myself.” For some reason this inspires images of my brutally murdered body being dug up by corrupt police after I've been mugged and tortured by drug lords. You know, after they've pulled my hair and kicked some puppies. Meanies.

Even in modern times when every uni student tells their parents they're leaving for Amsterdam/Russia/Uruguay for a week, the idea of a woman travelling alone is enough to make caring relatives flinch. If I were travelling to warzones I could understand their fears but the reality for most countries is that as a solo female traveller I'm actually often far safer than many of my fellow backpackers. Allow me to explain.

Older travellers stand out as tourists and easy marks for theft. Experienced male travellers are more likely to risk going into the dodgier ends of town in their search for the “authentic” cultural experience. Young women travelling in groups rely on each other to watch handbags and drinks and young men in groups seem to stumble into more fights than any other backpackers. And god knows a single male 18-25 yrs old will undoubtedly end up in a city's sleazier venues (yes, I'm a little sexist). There is of course an inherent vulnerability that any solo traveller faces, but the terror friends and family imprint into young women make them some of the most cautious travellers you will find.

When travelling, I'm never the one who leaves a hostel room unlocked (whether I'm in it or not). I always travel in guided tours if I'm warned a location is dangerous and I keep a strong hold of my handbag. I've still wound up in some uncomfortable situations but the same can be said for most backpackers. The key thing, though, is that as a single, female traveller; I recognise the risks I'm placing myself in and try and account for them accordingly.

Here are my tips for women travelling alone.

1. Don't just hang your handbag over one shoulder and let it bounce behind you. Pickpockets know an easy target. Carry it over the opposite shoulder so the strap crosses your chest and rotate it so the bag sits in front of you, not behind you.
   
   
2. Don't be afraid of staying in dorm rooms, but always choose the female only dorms, no matter how liberal you are. It doesn't matter if you've only met nice, friendly male travellers- it only takes one person to get the wrong idea and take a situation too far. Add in the element of alcohol and suddenly you'll find yourself in very risky accommodation.
   
   
3. Drink and smoke if that's your thing, but keep in mind that in a lot of other countries the alcohol is stronger and the tobacco is unfiltered, so you can find yourself affected a lot faster than you'd expect. Any stronger drugs should be avoided altogether since you'll not have any idea of what you're actually being given and with no companion traveller to recognise ill effects... well, you can guess what could happen. If a guys offers you cocaine for $5 (hello Cambodia), chances are that whatever it actually is; it's not going to sit well with you.
   
   
4. Think very carefully if you decide to... (how shall I put this delicately) temporarily share your accommodation with someone else. Not necessarily a bad idea, but it relies a lot on personal judgement of character. Keep in mind that harassment and rape laws are very different in many other countries. Some hold the woman at fault automatically.
   
   
5. For the love of god, don't ever drink from a glass you've taken your eyes off, even if you haven't left your seat. This should apply everywhere, but somehow we still have problems with drink spiking world over.

So those are my tips but keep in mind that this advice is to protect you from unlikely events. It's a precaution for things you will hopefully never encounter. Always be cautious but don't let it put you off solo travelling. Not only will you meet more people (you're forced to hang out with other travellers if you want company), but you'll also get to do exactly what you want without ever having to take anyone else into account. I don't know about you guys but that holds great appeal to me.