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COLOMBIA TOURIST SCAMS AND TRICKS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT FALL FOR
Colombia is a beautiful tourist destination, from its stunning beaches to the booming cities
of Cali, Medellin, and Bogota.
Despite Colombia's decades-long history in the illegal drug trade, there are plenty of
places that are just as safe as any other large city.
However, there are several situations to watch out for if you want your vacation to go as
planned.
Here are some tourist scams in Colombia that you shouldn't fall for.
Taxi services from around the world are plagued with scammers.
Taking advantage of a naive tourist with money is easy when they depend on you for transportation,
which is necessary during any vacation.
In Colombia, taxi scams can take a dark turn down a road you don't want to travel.
One scam involves an all-out fake taxi.
They wait for an unsuspecting tourist to hail a cab, then the scam is on.
They drive you into an alley and blindfold you, demanding that you withdraw cash from
a nearby atm.
They will rob you blind and drive off as if nothing happened in a matter of minutes.
There's no sense in trying to sugarcoat this one, and it's just plain frightening.
Chances are, however, that they are not looking to add evidence to their crime, so they will
probably not kill you outright.
This scam is by far the scariest on the list, but it is avoidable.
A tour guide is indispensable in places with scams like these.
The guide will know Colombia by heart and will be used to help tourists steer clear
of dangerous or unfriendly situations.
Another strategy is to avoid taxis at all, if possible.
Public transportation and car rentals are available as two alternatives to taxi services.
You may also be able to rely on local hotels to point out or call a reliable taxi service
for you since they will know which ones are legitimate.
At the time of this video, Uber is still available in some parts of Colombia.
This might seem like a bad idea at first, but Uber takes a lot of steps to ensure the
safety of its users so as not to be an attractive opportunity for
criminals.
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Don't go to buy drugs in the barrios or downtown where the tolerance zones are or red light
district in Medellin or Bogota; it is transforming nightly into a dangerous neighborhood where
prostitutes and drugs are being offered like candy to anyone passing by, many guys standing
on the sidewalk trying to lure you into the bars or discos where showgirls will try to
hustle you for all you got on you, so be cautious here in those establishments, also if you
go to any of these bars in that area never go alone and try not to stand out like a Tourist,
take all precautions necessary, so you don't get mugged or worse.
There's a familiar story about scopolamine in Colombia that goes something like this.
"I met two ladies last night, and they blew some kind of powder in my face; next thing
I know, I'm waking up in my hotel with nothing.
All my stuff was gone the next day!".
The people who tell this story may have fallen victim to a dangerous drug: scopolamine.
Reports from Colombian hospitals have reported as many as fifty thousand cases in a single
year related to scopolamine poisoning.
Stories of this "zombie drug" have reached across the world, and for a good reason: this
is genuinely one of the most dangerous drugs on Earth!
Although it can be true that stories get blown out of proportion, you certainly don't want
to find that out the hard way.
Avoiding this situation requires attention to detail and some discipline.
It is best to party with a group of familiar people to avoid getting caught up with strangers.
Also, it is a good idea to avoid prostitutes.
According to the stories, this is where most men get into trouble.
So if you do plan to party and go to clubs, be sure to keep yourself from getting too
wasted.
That way, you'll be in control of yourself and be able to stay out of danger.
Another good tip is to avoid drinks if you can't be sure they aren't drugged.
If someone hands you a drink and you didn't see where it came from, just politely decline
and go back to enjoying your night.
Be sure that you take at least one friend with you to any club; that way, you aren't
singled out for being alone.
Here's a scam that could leave you without your most valuable and familiar possession.
You're in a foreign country.
Your only connection to the world you know, your bank info, your travel itinerary, all
your contacts, are stored on one device.
You sit down for a quick bite to eat and perhaps some coffee.
While you're relaxing, someone comes up to you with a stack of magazines, places them
on your table, and asks if you'd like to buy one for a pretty good price.
You take a glance through the collection and pass on the offer, being as polite as necessary.
When you go to check your schedule, perhaps text a friend, you notice the phone you had
placed on the table next to your glass is gone!
They covered it up with the magazines while you focused on them, and with a smooth sleight
of hand, they took your phone!
This scam works based on one sole principle: the element of surprise.
The thief is counting on you not being aware of their ulterior motive, which of course,
has nothing to do with magazine sales.
Once you know what to expect, they no longer have power over you at all!
This scam can also be stopped dead in its tracks if you have a cell phone in a secure
place.
There is a myriad of cell phone accessories designed to keep your phone attached to you,
or you could just keep it in your good old-fashioned pockets when you're not using it.
There are also phone tracking apps that you can set up on your laptop or other devices;
although it might still be challenging to get your phone back, it will give local police
a chance to investigate.
A less dangerous but potentially frustrating scam involves a taxi driver who short-changes
you.
After handing them a large bill, they will take it, act like they are looking to see
if they have change, then hand you back a smaller bill while claiming that's what you
gave them.
Of course, when you point this out, they will simply act like they are in a hurry and you're
inconveniencing them by asking questions.
Before you know it, they're driving off with your large bill!
A variation on this scam involves them taking your large bill, digging through their money
for change, and then handing it back.
They will claim they can't break it, so they'll take a smaller amount.
Unfortunately, they have pulled a sleight of hand while they were digging for change.
That's a counterfeit bill you have now, and chances are you won't realize it till you
try to pay for something.
Avoiding this scam does take some planning.
It is best not to carry large bills, so if you need to hit the bank before heading out
on the town, it might just save you a fortune!
Again, it's always economical to use public transport, and they will only accept exact
change anyways, so you can rest assured you won't be handed a fake bill.
And of course, the bus or subway will always take you to your destination instead of a
dark alley!
One last taxi scam that's more annoying than anything.
The driver does their job but takes you all over town before finally arriving at your
destination.
This is a tactic used to drive up the price of each ride and can cost you as much as double
what you should be paying.
This scam can be very frustrating if you're on a schedule since it will take two or three
times as long as it should to arrive at your destination.
The extra cost is no laughing matter, as many tourists are actually budgeting their vacation
so that they can get the most fun out of their money.
One ride may not be a big deal, but those extra costs can add up throughout your stay.
And if you're like most tourists, you'd rather that money go towards having fun or at least
food.
This scam is really only avoidable through public transportation services.
Once you're in a taxi, the driver is in control of the route, so there's not a good way to
ensure this doesn't happen once you've hailed a cab.
Renting your car can be a solution, but the road rules in Colombia are very likely to
be different from what you're used to at home.
Another drawback is that you might get lost if you're unfamiliar with the city.
This could lead to spending extra money on gas and being late for your events, so be
careful if you choose to rent your own car.
The bus will travel to all the popular tourist destinations and is the cheapest form of travel,
so don't be shy!
Those are the top things to watch out for in Colombia.
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