5 Common Tourist Scams in Maldives & How to Avoid Them

Located between India and Sri Lanka, Maldives is a stunning island country in Asia. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations for its stunning beaches and broad coastal lines. Tourists flock to this country every year to spend quality time in the serenity of nature.

However, just like in any other country, some of the common tourist scams in Maldives can disrupt the cherishable moments as you fall prey to local scammers and fraudsters. So it is important to avoid the possibility of facing hassles in a foreign country.

Some of the most common tourist scams in the Maldives are listed below:

1. Liveaboard Scam

This is one of the most common types of scams that most tourists experience in Maldives. Scammers use fake websites where tourists sign up to make advance payments for booking luxury cruises that do not exist. 

Sometimes, they sell luxury cruises at a lump sum but later transfer them to low-grade boats upon their arrival. 

Common around: Across the country 

2. Booking Scams

Guest houses in the Maldives are in constant demand as tourists keep coming in throughout the year. There have been multiple instances whereby travel agents took money from tourists promising them accommodation. 

However, when they arrived at the hotel, they were surprised to know that they had no booking. 

Common around: Across the country 

3. ATM Scams

This is another commonly seen scam in most tourist destinations. If you ever encounter a problem with the ATM while withdrawing cash, you will witness friendly locals approaching to help you out. 

However, their intentions are cruel. They come with a card skimmer hidden with them to scan your card and memorise your PIN when you enter it. Later, they misuse the data to drain your account. 

Common around: Addu, Fuvahmulah and Malé

4. Taxi Scams

Travelling by taxi is common during a vacation in a foreign country, especially Uber, and its alternatives are not always available. However, there is a common scam whereby taxi drivers do not turn on the meters in their vehicles on purpose and overcharge the travellers. They might also hassle them to pay more by driving longer routes on purpose. 

Common around: Addu and Malé

5. Bar & Pub Scams

There are multiple bars and pubs across the Maldives, and travellers like visiting these during their vacation for relaxation. However, there might be scammers in these areas, who come as groups of locals, approaching tourists and trying to be friendly with them. They then order food and drinks and later pressurise the tourist to pay for all of them. 

Common around: Addu, Fuvahmulah and Malé

As you can see, tourist scams in Maldives can be dangerous and harmful, especially during your visit. You must purchase a policy for Travel Insurance to the Maldives to ensure safety and financial assistance in times of need. Apart from that, here are a few other tips for you to avoid scams when travelling across the Maldives:

• Always check the authenticity of a website before booking any services. Check its reviews from other sites or seek assistance from genuine travel agents. 

• Avoid making advance payments if you are not sure of the travel agents or agencies. 

• Choose reliable ATMs of well-known banks when withdrawing cash in the Maldives. If the ATM still malfunctions, visit the bank and seek assistance instead of accepting help from any stranger. 

• When travelling in a taxi, make sure that the driver is following the meter to calculate prices. Moreover, you can also turn on Google Maps on your phone to trace the direction and prevent the driver from taking unnecessarily longer routes. 

• When visiting bars and pubs, avoid groups of locals or strangers who offer to order together and split the bills. You should check the menu and prices first before ordering for others. 

• Avoid carrying your valuable belongings while on site-seeing as a caution against pickpockets. Here, getting a Travel Insurance Policy that offers emergency financial assistance can be helpful. 

• Keep your important documents and belongings safe. If you lose your passport or any other document that is pivotal to your stay, you can contact the High Commission of India in Maldives. 

The best way to deal with any kind of emergency in Maldives is by calling the Police. However, you can also call up the High Commission of India to seek assistance regarding any specific requirements. Here are some emergency contact details you should be aware of when visiting Maldives:

• High Commission of India in Malé: 00-960-3323015, 3323016

• Police: 119

• Fire: 118

• Ambulance: 102

That was our guide to some of the top tourist scams in Maldives that you should be aware of when visiting this country. As this article pointed out, such scams are not rare, especially for tourists visiting this country for the first time. Make sure to follow the tips mentioned here to avoid facing losses because of scams.