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| Scams To Watch Out For |
Most Indians are friendly towards foreigners and will go out of their way to help someone in need. But, this is a large country with all kinds of people. So, please keep up your alert just as you would in any big Western city. If you stand out as an obvious foreigner or tourist, you will be evaluated a potential target. To prevent this, stay alert and keep all your belongings within sight and your most important handbag in contact. We have listed some common scams:
Look ma, no hands!
This is a scam that is run all over the world, be it London, New York or New Delhi. Imagine that you and your friend are tired after a long journey and waiting for your cab or resting at the hotel café while your room gets assigned. A group of con artists will work at distracting you. They may employ a variety of tactics….ask for directions, someone may drop something they were carrying or in case you are in a public place, a bunch of kids may start performing in the public place. These are tactics to get you distracted long enough for someone to grab your bag or purse.
This may seem too simple but trust me it works! I consider myself somewhat savvy but I have fallen victim to this in New York and several other veteran travelers have fallen victim sometime or the other. Its easy to get distracted for the fleeting moments that it takes for a professional to grab your belongings and hand them over to someone else.
The only precaution is to be aware of this and actually make sure that you hold on to your most precious belongings (passports, licenses, tickets, credit cards etc) at all times. Trust me, this is easier said than done when you have landed at one of India’s chaotic airports in the dead of the night after a long flight several time zones away.
Some other tactics that frequent travelers adopt include tying a bright ribbon around the handle of your bag and looping a string or fishing line through all your bags while you wait at a train station or airport to make it more difficult for someone to walk off with a bag.
But we are closed now!
This too is a truly international scam that is practiced with great regularity on tourists all over the world. It varies in form and style but the basic premise goes something like this….you are all excited that after years of planning, you will finally see the Taj Mahal (or any other landmark or monument). As you are within easy distance, a friendly local will approach you and let you know that the monument is closed to tourists for a few hours due to a VIP visit, a religious event or because the US President is in town (whatever the flavor of the month!). As you look surprised and somewhat disappointed, he will offer to take you to a souvenir shop or an alternate landmark. No matter where he takes you, the objective is to get you to buy something from which he will get a commission. After a while when you refuse to make any further purchases, your "guide" will then inform you that the Taj Mahal has opened again for tourists. You will then blissfully be on you way!
I want to be your friend!
It is virtually impossible for an obvious tourist (someone who is of obvious non Indian origin) to go to any Indian city and not be accosted at the airport, train station or bus terminus by several young men offering to be your tour guide for that city. (Often at no cost….pay what you want they will tell you!). Some will also show you official looking tourist licenses. This person will really make his commission by taking you to all the predetermined tourist shops and the predetermined hotels. So, if you are in a particular city for a short time, it may not entirely be a bad idea to hire one of these young men but be aware that the prices you get in the stores and hotels you visit with them may not be the most favorable. Of course, you do get the services of a local and a chance to see the city or attraction from a local’s viewpoint. Besides, isn’t it better that these enterprising young men choose the tourism trade rather than being unemployed or worse?
At its worst, most scams often pull the unsuspecting traveler in over the course of several days and begin with a new "guide" who offers to show the traveler the sights so that the "he can practice his English." Offers of cheap lodgings and meals also can place the traveler in the physical custody of the scam artist and can leave the traveler at the mercy of threats or even physical coercion. Use your best judgment and under no circumstances take food or drink from strangers. Blame your sensitive stomach. While this is being too cautious, there have been cases where the food and drink have been tainted.
Like in any major city in the world, be alert! If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is!
A special price for you!
Since as a foreigner you are perceived by most to be significantly wealthy, shopkeepers will sometimes try to add a few extra rupees to the price that they charge the Indian customers. Actually, to be fair, the same foreigners will also try to overcharge Indian tourists that they feel are well off. Many prepackaged goods in India now have a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) printed on them. Sometimes you have to squint and turn the item over to read the price but, simply pointing out the discrepancy will ensure that the shopkeeper will claim he made a mistake.
Are we there yet!
But what about the goods and services that don’t have a MRP printed on them. Well, you may end up paying a few rupees more but you can get a broad idea by asking someone if this is a good price. For example, as much as possible try and pre-negotiate the price of a taxi or auto rickshaw. Ask at your hotel for a range on how much it should cost. Even if the driver wants to use the meter, try to insist that he give you a fixed rate. Often the meters have been known to be fixed. Broadly speaking, it’s also a matter of demand and supply. While traveling in Southeast Asia (where my Indian looks identify me as a tourist), I have often taken a transport from my hotel to a club or to a night market but had to pay double to return. At night, the rates will increase. Know approximately what a good fare is and then adjust it depending on the supply situation at that time.
Many hotels offer free and secure transportation to/from the airport. Take advantage of this service when possible even if there is a charge. At least when you first get to India, request your hotel or hospital coordinator to arrange a pickup for you at the airport. There will be plenty of time to get adventurous later.
If you must travel to/from the airport by taxi, arrange a fixed-price taxi with one of the taxi services with offices inside the airport terminal. Travelers are encouraged to ask for the taxi’s registration number and compare it with the number of the actual vehicle being used.
Let me take you to the approved agent!
A western tourist recently described this scam to me. He had just arrived at a train station and was looking for a ticket window for the ongoing journey. A young man with some sort of "official" identification offered to guide him to an "official" ticketing office. They took a cab ride for a couple of hundred rupees and ended up at a small office that actually had a sign proclaiming that it was the "official" ticketing office. The guys at the office pretended to make the travel arrangements and our tourist friend ended up wasting a couple of hours there. The more time he spent, the more he was hopeful that these guys could help. Anyway, finally when he thought he had enough, the travel agents “found” some last minute tickets that could be had for a small extra payment in foreign currency! Our tourist friend was just to happy to get any tickets at this point….he did not have the time now to hunt for another ticket window in time for his ongoing journey.
The young man who brought him to the so called official agency very smoothly removed our tourist from the train station where he might have had the option of looking around the corner and finding the real ticketing booths.
How about a drink!
Good and cheap food is one of the main pleasures of a trip to India. Alas, it often is also one of the main causes of illness among tourists. While you cannot completely guarantee that you will not get some form of stomach upset, you can take some precautions.
- Always try to eat heated food. Let the server know that you have a sensitive stomach and would like mildly spicy food.
- Resist eating from the open street vendors. If in doubt, ask any reasonably well dressed person if its safe to eat from the particular restaurant.
- More than the food beware of the water that you consume. Be almost fanatical about water.
All that sparkles!
This scam is traditionally initiated when someone makes a casual acquaintance. The person may even spend a few days getting friendly with you and even invite you to dine or stay with his family. Casually they will bring up the subject that someone in the family has a gems export business and has to pay a 250% tax to export to your country. They may even claim to have a jewelry store in New York or London. As per the scam, a tourist may buy gems or diamonds for personal use and either carry them or have them shipped overseas without paying the tax. All you need to do is arrange for some gems to be shipped to you in your home country. You will need to sign a credit card voucher to prove a fake purchase for the paperwork. Someone will then collect the package from you in your home country and pay you a good sum in cash. Of course, they will promise to rip the credit card voucher that you signed.
This really sounds like easy money and person selling this to you would have gained your trust. Needless to say, your credit card will be charged and the gems that you receive in a package overseas will be glass or of very low value. Just say no!
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