Skift Take
Destinations have downsides for locals and tourists alike, but the latter have a habit of leaving their inhibitions at home and act like everyone around them is also on a merry break.
All over the world, tourists are easy prey for scammers and street criminals. Statistics are notoriously difficult to compile because the vast majority of victims don't want to take time out of their holiday to report what is often only classed as "petty crime". But some do.
Last year the police in Barcelona, one of Europe's top 10 holiday destinations, were told about more than 100,000 individual thefts. Figures in Britain show that pickpocketing has risen 17 per cent in the past two years.
I've just returned from five months travelling around the world making a television show, Scam City, for the National Geographic Channel. In each episode I went undercover in a different city to investigate the criminal gangs that prey on tourists and travellers. I wanted to find out who these people are and, more importantly, to document how they operate. Here are the most common scams to which travellers fall prey – and some advice on how to avoid them.
Bangkok gem scam
A must-see tourist stop in Bangkok is the temple at Wat Pho. The scammers are wise to this and take up positions 500 yards or so from the entrance. As you arrive they helpfully inform you that today the temple is closed, even though it i
