Mastercard: Tourists most vulnerable to scams in Bangkok

The highest rate of scams related to transportation services is recorded in Bangkok, Thailand - Photo: THE NATION

According to Thailand's Nation newspaper, on May 21, the Mastercard Economic Institute announced that Bangkok (Thailand) is one of the cities with the highest rate of tourists falling victim to fraud in the world.

Of these, taxis and car rental services were identified as the sector with the highest proportion, accounting for 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 sectors to fraud with the number of scams increasing significantly, especially during peak tourist seasons.

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

A common scam involves asking for advance payment but the tour never takes place, or is completely different from what was advertised, the institute said.

During peak holiday seasons, travel scams also tend to increase sharply: up 18% in summer destinations and 28% in winter destinations.

The extent and type of fraud can vary from region to region, said David Mann, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Mastercard Economic Institute.

For example, in Los Angeles (USA), the majority of frauds are related to the food and beverage sector, while in Phuket (Thailand) and Antalya (Türkiye), a large number of frauds related to hotel reservations are recorded.

In Bangkok and Jakarta, Indonesia, transportation services account for a large proportion. In Jakarta, taxi and car rental issues spiked to 66% of all frauds, the highest of any city surveyed. In Hong Kong, China, and Barcelona, ​​Spain, the figure was just 2%.

In addition, other cities with the highest rate of tourists being scammed in the world mentioned by the institute are Cancun (Mexico), Hanoi and Dhaka (Bangladesh).

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

Mastercard’s report is a warning to travelers heading to popular destinations. The institute recommends that travelers double-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