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18 Aug, 2014

Tourist-Targeting Scams and How to Avoid Them

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (PRWEB) August 15, 2014 – When it comes to travel-related scams, they are almost always geared towards distracting tourists. More often than not, these scams also occur in places where there are lots of activities going on, such as a town square, marketplace or busy sidewalk. In order to help travelers stay safe, the Grand Solmar Timeshare Scam Reduction Team is sharing these top tips.

1. Dropped wallet scam: A commonly used tactic in Europe, an empty wallet will be planted on the street. Worried that it could be their wallet, travelers will pat their pockets and take out their wallet, just to make sure that it is there. Travelers beware, however. While the worried traveler is looking through their belongings or patting their pockets to find the wallet, a scammer is watching them, pinpointing the exact location of where the real wallet is stashed in order to snatch it later on down the road. The best way to avoid this scam is to never to keep one’s wallet in pockets and always to be aware of one’s surroundings.

2. Street performers and games: Distractions are easier in a group of people, especially if something is going on in front of them. Street performers and street games are the perfect opportunity for pickpockets to “work the crowd” while interested viewers are mesmerized. In fact, scammers will plant accomplices into the crowd who act just as amused as the tourists and go through the group, pickpocketing as they go.

3. Stained jacket scam: Once again, this is another scam that centers on distraction, but this time, it involves a much more aggressive form of distraction. While walking down the street, a scammer will purposely spill something on a tourist (it can literally be anything from a drink to ketchup). Another variation of this scam is when a person will accidentally bump into the traveler and spills something “on accident.” As soon as the spill has occurred, they will apologize profusely, furiously wiping the person’s jacket with a handkerchief that they have procured, all the while fishing in the person’s pockets for whatever they can.

The Grand Solmar Scam Reduction Team knows that by keeping a vigilant eye on one’s surroundings, travelers have a much better chance of not being targeted by a scam. For more information on how to travel safe, visit http://grandsolmarresort.com.