Knowing about the tourist scams in this place will always help you. Given below is a list of 11 tourist scams you must know about to keep guard when visiting Australia:
1. Photography Scam
One of the most popular tourist scams in Australia is the photography scam. Here, a local will request you to take a picture of them. They will hand their camera to you. After you click their picture and try to return it, they will purposefully drop it and blame you for breaking it. Next, they will demand money for the same and harass you.
Common Around: Sydney and Melbourne
2. Friendly Local Scam
Another scam prevalent in Australia is the friendly local scam, where a local approach you under the guise of being friendly. This person will help you with suggestions for top attractions, restaurants and directions and convince you to be your guide. It is an attempt to get close to tourists and pickpocket or steal valuables.
Common Around: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and places with top tourist attractions.
3. Taxi Scam
One of the most dangerous tourist scams in Australia is the taxi scam, where a taxi driver will pick you up from your hotel or the airport and take you to a nearby ATM so you can pay by cash. They will tell you that credit cards are not accepted.
However, as soon as you get cash out of the ATM, they snatch the money and drive off without taking you to your destination.
Common Around: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and major airport areas.
4. Friendly ATM Help Scam
Another popular tourist scam popular in and around the country is the friendly ATM help fraudery. Here, a person will approach you at the ATM and tell you that they are helping you avoid the local bank fees.
However, they intend to scan your credit or debit card with a card skimmer and view your PIN so they can empty your account moments after you leave the ATM.
Common Around: Most of the ATM centres in Australia
5. Bar Friends Scam
While partying in Australia, beware of the friendly girls and boys who will suggest and invite you for a drink in a bar. They are already in collaboration with these bars. So, after a couple of drinks, you will end up paying more than usual.
If you fail to pay the money, the bar bodyguards will escort you to an ATM to withdraw large amounts of cash to pay the bill.
Common Around: Sydney, Melbourne and Perth
6. Guessing Game Scam
As you walk down the streets and alleys, you will suddenly see a person having three colourful boxes. You will also see a group of people around him trying to guess which box contains a ball.
As one of them in that group guesses the correct answer, the man gives him money as a prize. When you fall prey to this game and concentrate on finding where the ball is, the group members (who were part of the scam) quickly pickpocket your valuables.
Common Around: Sydney
7. Fake Police Scam
Fake police scam is common in Australia and other parts of the globe. Several tourists fall prey to such fraudery where they find police approaching them, and asking for ID or passport and then making up an issue to find them.
Some police will ask for a bribe in exchange for returning your ID or might misplace your passport.
Common Around: Sydney, Melbourne and most places in Australia.
8. Wi-Fi Scam
Public Wi-Fi connections are common around the world these days. However, they might become a potential risk for tourists travelling to these countries. Internet scammers often set up free Wi-Fi hotspots in popular tourist places.
If a tourist logs in and starts using the free internet, the scammers gather all personal details and passwords.
Common Around: Restaurants, pubs and other public places with Wi-Fi in Australia.
9. Staged Distractions
One of the most common staged distractions is the "spill" or the "bird poo" scam. As you walk down a busy street, you suddenly feel something spilling on your clothes from behind. Then, you will find a stranger approaching you for help, holding tissues.
As you are busy cleaning yourself up and are distracted, this scammer swipes your passport, purse and other valuables.
Common Around: Melbourne, Sydney and the alleys of cities in Australia.
10. Street Ticket Sales Scam
If you find someone selling tickets at unusual discounts, it could probably be a scam. Be it football games, parties, concerts or transport tickets, you will find these scammers approaching unsuspecting tourists almost everywhere.
Once you fall prey to such fraudery and pay the money, you will never find this person around!
Common Around: Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane
11. Fake Hotel Scam
Several scammers have been caught hosting fake profiles for properties in Australia that do not exist. These scammers fake hotel booking confirmations, track emails and hotel sales deals to scam customers.
With this, they steal customer details and send emails to customers pretending to come from hotel companies.
Common Around: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
