Mastercard: Tourists are most vulnerable to scams in Bangkok.

The Mastercard Institute of Economics has just released a report on the rate of travel scams in cities worldwide, with Bangkok, Thailand, having the highest rate.

Scams related to transportation services are recorded at the highest rate in Bangkok, Thailand - Photo: THE NATION

According to Thailand's Nation newspaper, on May 21, the Mastercard Institute of Economics announced that Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is one of the cities with the highest rate of tourists being victims of scams in the world.

Of these, taxis and car rental services were identified as the sector with the highest proportion, accounting for up to 48% of the total number of fraud cases reported by tourists in the Thai capital.

According to the report, the tourism industry is one of the most vulnerable to fraud, with a significant increase in the number of scams, especially during peak tourist season.

Services related to the tourism sector, such as booking tours or reservations through agencies, are four times more likely to be fraudulent than in other sectors.

A common scam involves requesting upfront payment for tours that don't take place, or are completely different from what was advertised, the institute said.

During peak holiday seasons, the rate of travel scams also tends to increase sharply: up 18% at summer destinations and 28% at winter destinations.

David Mann, chief economist for Asia Pacific at the Mastercard Institute for Economic Research, said the scale and nature of fraud can vary by region.

For example, in Los Angeles (USA), the majority of fraud cases involve food and beverage services, while in Phuket (Thailand) and Antalya (Türkiye), a large number of scams are related to hotel bookings.

In Bangkok and Jakarta (Indonesia), transportation services account for a large proportion of fraud cases. In Jakarta, issues related to taxis and car rentals surged to 66% of all fraud cases – the highest among the cities surveyed. This figure was only 2% in Hong Kong (China) and Barcelona (Spain).

In addition, other cities with some of the highest rates of tourist scams in the world, as mentioned by the institute, include Cancun (Mexico), Hanoi, and Dhaka (Bangladesh).

Conversely, the cities with the lowest fraud rates were San Francisco (USA), Dublin (Ireland), Seoul (South Korea), Budapest (Hungary), and Edinburgh (Scotland).

Mastercard's report serves as a warning to travelers visiting popular destinations. The institute advises travelers to carefully check services before paying, choose reputable providers, and be wary of overly attractive offers.

PUBLIC

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mastercard-du-khach-de-bi-lua-nhat-o-bangkok-20250521161943524.htm