7 Common Tourist Scams to Avoid in England

England, located in the United Kingdom, serves as a popular tourist destination for being one of the spectacular sites for those of cultural interest. 

From visiting famous cities like London, Manchester, and Liverpool to exploring its ancient architecture, national galleries, museums, food, etc., England offers a plethora to its tourists. Despite being a peace-loving place and its impeccable beauty, tourists may fall under the influence of scams in England. 

So, we have listed down some scams to create awareness among tourists and help them avoid the same. 

List of 7 Most Common Tourist Scams in England

1. Taxi Overcharging Scams

Overcharging by taxi scams is globally prevalent, where taxi drivers charge extra from tourists, much more than the stipulated fare. To avoid this scam, tourists can choose to book Uber or other online car hire applications where transparency is maintained in terms of fair calculations. 

Furthermore, if no substitutes are available other than booking a taxi, ensure that the driver turns on the metre in order to calculate the fare. 

Common around: London and Liverpool

2. Restaurant & Pub Scams

One of the popular scams in England, restaurant or bar scams, can be carried on by the reputed ones. Here, mostly the bartenders or attendants charge extra for drinks and food or even sometimes alter orders just to increase the price. Tourists visiting any part of England must be careful and ask for a menu card before ordering any food. 

In addition, you can check the prices of food and drinks at your preferred place online well in advance to avoid any confusion. 

Common around: Across the country

3. Fake Theatre Tickets

If you are visiting Leicester Square in London, beware of the scammers who try to sell fake theatre tickets to tourists. To avoid this, buying the tickets from the licensed box offices or the theatre booth is better. 

Common around: London

4. Pickpocketing & Bag-Cutting Scammers

Pickpocketing and thieves who will cut your bag or snatch any valuables are prevalent in London and other famous cities in England. Moreover, while visiting any tourist place in the country, be extra cautious if you are carrying any valuables like cash, a camera, or expensive mobile phones. 

Common around: All over the country

5. Counterfeit Designer Product

Being tagged as one of the famous frauds in England, different store owners sell fake designer products, which mostly include bags, wallets, shoes, belts, and other accessories. The replica of the original designers' bags and shoes are extremely similar,, so tourists are fooled by it. 

Hence, before visiting any store selling designers' products, verify the original brand's logo and tagline from the internet. 

Common around: Manchester, Liverpool, and London

6. Borrowing Phone Scam

Scammers often borrow phones from tourists by giving them a sob story like the loss of their phone or a bag being stolen. While you trust them with your phone, these people often run away with the device, which becomes a challenge to trace them later. 

Hence, if you offer your phone to any strangers, ensure they stay within your sight. 

Common around: Across the country

7. Fake Tickets of Music Venues & Festivals

It is the dream of many to visit music or cultural venues or attend the festivals of their favourite artists. However, scammers take advantage of this excitement and sell fake tickets for the show, stating that these are the last set of tickets left for the show. 

You can avoid this by firmly saying no or ignoring the stranger and verifying the authenticity of the show online. 

Common around: London and Manchester

To ensure optimum safety and security, tourists must purchase comprehensive Travel insurance in England offering a wide range of coverage. Moreover, adopting the following tips while travelling to England can save you from different scams in England: 

• Try to opt for Uber while driving from one part of the city to another, as it will reduce the chances of overcharging by taxi drivers. 

• Check the authenticity of the website and hotel reviews before booking, as there can be different hotel scams. You can visit reliable websites to check the customer feedback about their staycation in a particular hotel. 

• Avoid carrying valuables like jewellery or cash to tourist places due to the chances of pickpocketing. Getting travel insurance that offers financial emergency cash is quintessential to safeguard from this effect. 

• Keep a close eye on your valuables and travel documents while travelling from one place to another. In case of loss of passport, immediately inform the Embassy of India in the United Kingdom for further support. 

• Skip the interaction of over-friendly strangers while visiting any restaurants or pubs. In addition, politely decline any offer made by the stranger as it can be a way of robbing you of some pounds.

The police authorities and the Government of England are always an extra step ahead to ensure the utmost safety and security of the tourists in the country. Here are some of the important helpline numbers in England that tourists must consider: 

• Indian High Commission in the UK : 0044 (0) 020-783691147

• Emergency Helpline Number : 999

• Non-Emergency Helpline Numbers : 101

• Ambulance : 112 

Thus, as you can see, the scams in England can bring the tour to a halt. If you are planning to spend your upcoming vacation in England, knowing these scams and various measures taken to avoid them can be beneficial. Hence, this article caters to all the necessary tips required to avoid any tourist scams in England.