What are the dangers of travelling abroad without accommodation booked? Follow the story of Monica Gieslova, whose visit to India ended in intimidation and theft.
A long, relaxing journey from Peru into Ecuador turned into a nightmare for Dave Donohoe. A careless chat at a bus queue left him open to a sinister scam.
When troubles started between militants and the army in Kashmir, tourist numbers dropped, leaving residents to turn to desperate scams to supplement their income.
Follow the story of an organised gang of thieves working in Ecuador who prey on 'obvious' tourists with a few simple squirts of tomato ketchup.
Thailand is known to many as a paradise, with friendly, smiling people and fantastic food. But Bangkok's infamous gem scam has ruined the holidays of many visitors.
Spain is a popular holiday destination. Millions of tourists arrive each year ready for their well-earned vacation, but so are the scammers.
Karen and Darren Wilde couldn’t believe their luck when they realised they’d won a holiday for life. A couple of euros spent on a scratch card led them to believe they had won what seemed like the chance of a lifetime. The scratch card scam in Spain is one scam that has been perpetrated over and over again. The charm and persuasion of the con artists is such that their offers are hard to resist. It usually begins on the beach of a resort . Strolling along the seafront you are handed a scratch card offering you the chance to win a free holiday. To your delight you see that you've won a prize. However, in order to claim your 'free' holiday you will be asked to attend a short presentation or take part in a survey. You will be told emphatically that this is NOT a timeshare sales pitch. It's a 'holiday club' giving you lifelong access to discounted holidays. Three hours of hard sell later you hand over a hefty membership fee to join this club, only for the promised holiday deals never to materialise. When you follow it up the company mysteriously disappears too.
This story is typical of the gambling scams that operate in Malaysia, Bali and Thailand. John Fells had left his home in Australia to find adventure and culture in South East Asia and had stopped off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a couple of days of sightseeing. The gambling scam usually begins with the first hustle – a friendly local ‘bumping’ into you and striking up a conversation. A couple of innocent cups of teas later and you know all about his family and in particular his daughter or niece who will be studying – coincidentally - in the country you are from. The chat progresses to an invitation to the local man’s house to meet his family and more importantly to talk to his relative about the prospects of studying abroad. Not wanting to refuse such warm and friendly offers of hospitality, the scam continues at the man’s home. A friendly gamble is suggested and as the game progresses, money is introduced. You are urged to get out more money from your account – things may even get heated. John Fells lost thousands of dollars in this scam and has been left wondering whether he’d ever let his guard down again when travelling abroad.
Follow the story of Paul Rabe, a retired traveller who was the victim of identity fraud while on holiday in America.
Eric Zeliff was on holiday in China when he found out at huge cost what a bogus traditional Chinese tea ceremony consists of.
Single and on holiday in Turkey? Be wary of the lothario love rats who woo you, say they love you and then steal all your possessions. Alison Connolly tells her scam story.
Ever dreamed of giving it all up and moving to a warm retreat in the sun? Discover the mortgage scam that stung Roger Snelling when he thought he had bought a house in Cyprus.
Follow stories of telephone conversations which are tapped by fraudsters.