Vietnamese girl "exposes" sophisticated scam traps when traveling abroad

(Dan Tri) - Having visited many countries, Ms. Thao Van (Hanoi) witnessed many sophisticated scams in famous cities on the tourist map.

" Tourist paradise" is a hot spot for scams

Bangkok - the city known as "Asia's tourist paradise" - has just been announced to be at the top of the list of places with the highest rates of pickpocketing and fraud in the world . This result comes from a survey by the UK travel insurance company Compare The Market.

Accordingly, Bangkok (Thailand) recorded an average of 2.8 pickpocketing cases and 6.9 scams per 1,000 tourist reviews, topping the list. Followed by Paris (France) and Prague (Czech Republic).

Thailand tops the list of cities with the highest rates of pickpocketing and fraud in the world (Photo: TL).

These figures show that the more famous and crowded a city is, the more likely it is to become a “fertile ground” for scammers. For those who love to travel, encountering scams on their travels seems unavoidable.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Ms. Thao Van ( Hanoi ) - a tourist who has been to many countries - said that traveling helps people see the beauty of the world, but also exposes the "dark side" that if you are not alert, you will lose money, lose things, and even lose the joy of the trip.

Ms. Van said that places considered "tourist paradises" also have less beautiful hidden corners (Photo: Facebook character).

In videos recording her travel journey, Ms. Van shared that the first time she went to Europe, she immediately encountered a famous scam called "free bouquets of flowers".

“That day, while I was walking, a woman suddenly approached me, smiled, handed me a bouquet of flowers, complimented me on my beauty and wished me a good day. Just a few minutes later, she started following me and asked for 20-50 euros (about 600,000 VND to 1.5 million VND),” Ms. Van recounted.

She said that if tourists refused to “donate” money, they would make a scene in the middle of the street, making them embarrassed and forced to take out their wallets. The lesson she learned from that incident was to never accept anything from strangers, even if they said it was a gift and completely free.

In Milan, typically right in front of the Duomo Milano, a similar scam appears. While tourists are visiting, a man will come up and put a handful of corn kernels in their hands to feed the birds.

"Giving" a handful of seeds to feed the birds is one of the money-grabbing tricks tourists may encounter (Photo: Screenshot).

At that time, the flock of pigeons immediately flew over to perch and eat the corn, creating a beautiful scene. However, this person would ask for 10-20 euros (300,000-600,000 VND) as a "service fee".

“At that time, you couldn’t run away, nor could you return the corn kernels because the birds had already eaten them,” Ms. Van said sadly.

When Compassion Becomes a Trap

In addition, there will also be many tricks that play on the politeness and sympathy of tourists. These situations often appear on crowded streets. In Rome (Italy), Ms. Thao Van once saw an old woman sitting on the side of the road with a plastic cup containing a few coins, placed right at the foot of a pedestrian.

“If you accidentally kick the glass, the money will fly out. You will reflexively bend down to apologize, help pick it up and pay a few more coins. Otherwise, they will show their displeasure and force you to pay,” she said.

A transparent cup was placed in the middle of the road to "trap" passersby (Photo: Screenshot).

Ms. Van said it was a small “drama,” but it made anyone who witnessed it feel guilty and take out their wallets. According to her, this scam is very difficult for tourists to avoid, because the cup containing the coins is transparent, very small and always placed very cleverly, right at the path people often pass by.

“In Paris, tourists are likely to encounter the “signing support” scam. A group of people, usually young women, will hold a piece of paper asking you to sign in support because they are fighting for their rights or for something. Once you sign, they immediately ask for “donations” and even follow you for a long distance until you pay,” she said.

Not stopping there, when she went to Barcelona (Spain), Ms. Thao Van almost had her pocket picked in the middle of a crowded square. “A strange hand gently touched my jacket pocket, luckily I reacted in time,” she recalled.

At Cairo Airport (Egypt), a man wearing an “airport staff” uniform appeared very professional when he proactively pushed the luggage cart for her. However, immediately after, this man raised his hand and demanded 20 USD (about 520,000 VND) for the service.

“The walls are full of warning signs not to give money to support staff, but everything still goes smoothly like a legitimate service,” Ms. Van said.

Ms. Van said that Egypt has many unique beauties, but there are also many things to note (Photo: Facebook character).

Ms. Van also reminded tourists that in Egypt, every service seems to require a tip, from small things like giving directions, opening car doors to taking photos.

In Türkiye - a country famous for its hospitality - Ms. Van was "persuaded" to buy a carpet worth nearly 30 million VND after an enthusiastic presentation about traditional patterns and handicraft culture.

“They even tactfully asked me to turn off the camera “to make it easier to talk”. Luckily, I used the excuse that my husband was waiting outside to escape,” she humorously said.

Despite having encountered countless funny and sad situations, Ms. Thao Van still cherishes the trips and new lands because, according to her, when you step out of your comfort zone, to a place where the language, lifestyle, and perspective are all unfamiliar, unexpected things are inevitable.

“As long as I return home safe and sound, that's enough,” she said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/co-gai-viet-boc-me-nhung-bay-lua-dao-tinh-vi-khi-du-lich-nuoc-ngoai-20251102025126782.htm