According to statistics, 6 out of 10 tourists become victims of fraud while traveling by taxi abroad. Experts told Express the most common scams used by taxi drivers around the world.
A survey of 2,000 adults conducted by the British company Hoppa found that the most common type of fraud is the taxi driver taking a long route to get extra money from tourists. “Not all taxi drivers want to scam tourists, but being in a foreign country where you do not know the language or local customs can make you a potential target. Always research the situation and use only licensed taxis wherever you go. It's important to stay vigilant to reduce the risk of losing money on your trip to common scammers,” advised Matthew Hall, Managing Director of Hoppa.
The most common taxi scams include:
- choosing a longer route. To avoid falling into this trap, tourists can try to track the route using a GPS map. It's also a good idea to research average fares and best routes to your destination beforehand;
- fake surcharges. Taxi drivers can invent additional “city taxes”, surcharges for night trips and luggage transportation. To avoid this scam, you need to know the average taxi fares and not be afraid to challenge any suspicious extra charges;
- no change. Taxi drivers may not carry small banknotes or coins, and therefore refuse to give change. The way out of the situation is simple – tourists should take a change with them and accurately calculate the cost of the trip, or order a taxi through the application and pay with a card.
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