Knowing about these scams in advance is helpful to avoid making mistakes during the holiday. Here are some of the top tourist scams in Mauritius:
1. Booking Scam
There have been some instances whereby people fell victim to fake websites and agencies when booking hotels and guesthouses in Mauritius. While these websites usually look genuine, they ask you to pay upfront for advanced booking.
However, when you arrive at the hotel, you will find out that the booking was fake, and your money will not be refunded.
Common around: Across the country
2. Hotel Price Scam
Mauritius is filled with multiple hotels, guesthouses and resorts. While most of these are genuine, some are filled with scammers. You will experience overcharged bills for any small service. Even the price of bottled water can be triple the usual price.
Moreover, if you are choosing all-inclusive packages, there is a possibility that you are paying much more than what you had to pay if you went out for food and drinks.
Common around: Port Louis, Curepipe and Grand Baie
3. Taxi Fare Scam
There can be a few scammers among the taxi drivers in Mauritius, overcharging tourists on their trips. They avoid turning on the meters and asking for unfair charges by taking longer routes for set destinations.
Moreover, in some cases, they may drive you to certain shops and restaurants, forcing you to get their services, as they receive a commission from those places.
Common around: Port Louis and Curepipe
4. Shopping Scam
Mauritius is filled with multiple tourist shops that can be major rip-offs. While there are places for duty-free bargains, many of these like to scam tourists by selling fake brand labels. They often show clothes, shoes or bags with real brand labels, and it can be difficult to understand that they are fake.
Tourists pay large amounts to purchase these, only to find out the products do not belong to the real brands.
Common around: Port Louis and Curepipe
5. Entry Fee Scam
Art lovers prefer to visit the art galleries and museums in Mauritius. However, museums can be a huge scam for tourists. They charge an additional entry fee besides the regular sightseeing price simply for the tourists to see a small glass room or to get access to a privileged area.
This is a scam to extract money unnecessarily when tourists can explore the area without access to those places.
Common around: Across the country
6. ATM Scam
A stuck ATM is a common problem in any part of the world, and Mauritius is no exception. When trying to withdraw money, you might come across this issue. During this problem, you will see a friendly stranger approaching, offering to help with the issue.
However, they try to scan your card using a card skimmer they hide in their pockets and memorise your PIN as you enter it. They use it later to drain your account.
Common around: Across the country
