As travelers continue to flock to Mexico’s finest coastlines, two of them are seeing increasingly common scams.
Cancun and Cabo tourists are being warned not to become victims when booking their dreamy beach getaway.
These scams range from hotel fraud to beggars. Travelers need to be vigilant and not allow themselves to fall for fraudulent activity.
With so many people vacationing in Mexico this year, without proper knowledge, it can be easy to become a victim.
While the following scams have become commonplace in Cancun and Cabo, they can happen anywhere.
Here is what travelers should know:
Cabo’s Fake Listings
According to Good Morning America, Cabo has been targeted as a destination with an influx of fake hotel listings.
Fraudulent sites are accepting payments for hotels that are not open yet or may not even exist at all.
Scammers are using the names of hotels currently being built and listing them as if they are open for business.
Travelers are falling for this scam since there are articles about the new resorts, but not doing quite enough research before booking.
A little extra digging online will go a long way! It’s not just fancy hotels and resorts either. It’s also vacation rentals.
Airbnb and other big-name platforms tend to be safe for bookings. If a website doesn’t sound familiar, it is best to do more research before going any further in the booking process.
Especially if a “host” reaches out for advance payment such as credit card, Venmo, PayPal, or any type of wire transfer. That’s the ultimate red flag.
Be Wary Of ATM Use In Cancun
Travelers should always be wary of ATM scams no matter where they are in their travels. Unfortunately for Cancun tourists, ATM scams have become more popular as of late.
It’s always best to use an ATM at a bank when possible, as these are far less likely to be tampered with.
There have been increased reports of skimming devices, which steal confidential information from debit cards. But these are most often when the ATM is not inside a bank.
Travelers should know not all ATMs are not operated by banks. Ones that are run by small businesses tend to have an exchange rate not as friendly for your wallet.
It’s also wise to never use an ATM after dark unless absolutely necessary. You never know who is watching.
Unwanted Friends In Cancun
Many come to Cancun to relax at one of its many luxurious resorts, but everyone needs a night out too!
Travelers might stumble upon one of the most common scams when enjoying a night out on the town and running into some friendly people at a bar or nightclub.
Perhaps a little too friendly. After a few drinks, your new friends will encourage you to go somewhere else with them.
Everyone is having a good time, so why not barhop across town, right? The problem is your new friends at the new bar will keep the drinks flowing until a bill arrives with some extra zeros in the total.
Congrats, you have just been scammed by your new friends with extremely inflated prices! All without a chance to look at the menu.
Help! I Lost My Passport!
Common in Cancun right now, the “robbed tourist” scheme targets tourists to pull at their heartstrings.
Someone will approach an obvious traveler begging for help because they lost their wallet, passport, or both.
Instead of going to the nearest embassy like any traveler should, they will beg for financial help, hoping to gain the trust of a fellow traveler.
Rather than assist them financially, it’s best to point them in the right direction of the embassy, as this is the proper protocol for this situation if it is indeed a real scenario.
Can Taxis Be Trusted?
There has been ongoing Taxi vs. Uber battles in Mexico for years. Taxis also do not have the best reputation for honesty and trust, just about anywhere from the classic “my meter is broken” trick to what is not being reported in Cancun of inflated prices at the last minute.
What will generally happen is you think you are agreeing to a ride for 100 pesos (roughly $5), but when it comes time to pay at the end of the ride, the driver demands $100 USD.
Big difference! Travelers should know that no ride should be anywhere in this ballpark for pricing.
Haggling for pricing and confirming a clear understanding is the best option before taking off to your destination.
