Around the world, unfortunately, there are a wide variety of scams targeted at tourists. Equipping yourself with knowledge about the three common scams listed below will help reduce the chances of you and your wallet running into unpleasant circumstances.
What It Is: Picture This: You’re fast asleep in your hotel room and suddenly woken up by the phone. It’s the front desk clerk. They profusely apologize for the inconvenient time of the call and explain that they’re having difficulties 
with the credit card on your account and could you provide the card number again. Half-asleep, you tell them the information. Soon after that, your credit card company tells you that your card has been maxed out. That call in the middle of the night? It wasn’t from a hotel employee…
Details: This scam is growing in popularity because the crooks intentionally call when you’re likely asleep and your common sense won’t likely kick into gear. They call hotels, request random rooms and have professional phone manners.
What to Do: If you receive a call like this, tell them that you’ll need to find the card and will call them back shortly. Hang up, call the front desk immediately and tell them what happened so that, hopefully, they can trace the calls and stop other travellers from being victims of this scam. Before your trip, call your credit card companies (I recommend travelling with two credit cards in case you run into trouble with one of them). Alert the companies when and where you’ll be so that they can place a note on your file and track any suspicious spending behaviour.
2) Incorrect Change Scam
What It Is: This is where cashiers take advantage of tourists unfamiliar with the local currency and hand travellers less change than is due. One of the families I lived with abroad advised me to count my change carefully at the grocery store I frequented because it was known to rip off travellers. And when I was in a market in another country, a 
foreigner I was shopping with realized too late that he’d been shortchanged by a vendor by about $40. I’ve heard of some currency exchange desk staff who count the bills back to you so quickly that they’re able to deceive you by secretly holding back money that should be yours.
Details: Getting shortchanged can happen in your own backyard but be particularly careful when you’re abroad. Cashiers seeking to take advantage of you may rush through the transactions and then try to hurry you along.
What to Do: Take your time and don’t leave the cashier until you’ve checked how much change has been given to you. Carry small bills so that there’s less room for error when you get change back. Also, before your trip, familiarize yourself with the currency of the place(s) you’ll be visiting.
3) Roaming Money Exchanger Scam
What It Is: In some parts of the world, you’ll be approached by people offering to give you sweet deals to exchange your money. As they punch the numbers into their calculators showing you how much you’ll save compared to if you go to a currency exchange counter, you think this just might be a good idea. A globetrotter friend of mine mentioned 
that in a large South American city he was in (I believe it was Buenos Aires), money exchangers wearing vests and government-issued ID who roam the streets are legitimate. Aside from there, I’d be leery about using roaming money exchangers.
Details: People who have used these exchangers have received money that is counterfeit, no longer accepted or even from another country. And those calculators? There’s a chance they’ve been rigged to make it look like you’re getting a better deal than you really are.
What to Do: Avoid roaming currency exchangers and instead, get cash from an ATM. Make sure the ATM is connected to a bank that is open so that if the machine is out of bills, you can approach a bank teller regarding the matter. Before your trip, check with your bank that your ATM card will work in the machines abroad and pick up at least three days of foreign cash (preferably in small bills).
Stay safe and alert but do enjoy your trip too!
