Tourists warned to avoid using ‘public charging stations’
Tourists are often the target of holiday scams as they may be less comfortable in their surroundings.
While new scams can be very difficult to spot, there are a few precautions Britons can take to protect themselves.
Arran Rice, founder of EarthCurious, shared a few of the most common scams with Express.co.uk.
The travel expert explained how British tourists can protect themselves and avoid being scammed this summer.
From car rental tricks to phone charging scams, there are a few things to watch out for.
Don’t use public charging stations
Arran told Express.co.uk that one of this year’s newest scams is “juice jacking”. In a “juice jacking” scam, fraudsters tamper with a public USB charging point so it installs malware on a person’s phone.
The malware could lock the device or send data and passwords straight to the criminal’s device.
Arran said: “Make sure that you charge your phone overnight or before you go out so that you don’t have to use public charging stations.”
Tourists could also carry a small portable charging device to make sure they don’t run out during a day trip.
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Check the taxi fare
With transport strikes happening all over Europe, British tourists might find themselves needing a taxi this summer.
A driver could pretend that the taxi meter is broken in order to charge tourists an inflated fare for the journey.
Arran said: “To avoid this scam, first, you need to know how much a ride should cost. I always ask the hostel or hotel staff what a ride should be so I have a frame of reference.”
Tourists could also use a taxi app like Uber or Bolt which should tell them exactly how much the journey costs.
Take photos of a rental vehicle
Renting a car is a convenient way to get around but tourists could find themselves facing a hefty bill at the end of their holiday.
Scammers could try to charge tourists for damage that was already there before they rented the car.
Arran said: “Before you hire it, go around the vehicle with them and make a note of any defects and take pictures as evidence.”
Tourists should also make a note of how much petrol is in the car and try to replace it before getting back to the hire company as they may have to pay an extra charge if the fuel is low.
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