How to Spot the "Bar Tab" Travel Scam
The "Bar Tab" Travel Scam is a popular scam employed by thieves who attempt to take advantage of a lonely or friendly traveler. The scam begins after striking up a conversation with a stranger in a foreign country. Follow these tips to learn how to spot the "Bar Tab" Travel Scam.
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Instructions
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Notice if a stranger strikes up a conversation with you. The stranger will likely approach you at a safe, friendly place and the scammer can be in the form of an attractive person of the opposite sex, a fake tourist or a seemingly helpful local.
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Trust the stranger. The scammer can employ charm or your native language to help convince you that they are interested learning about you, your travels or your native country and its language.
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Get an invitation to go to a local bar and finish the conversation over some drinks. Sometimes, the bar will be in a disreputable part of town and look run down, but it can also appear to be an average, welcoming bar down the street.
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Think twice before going into the bar. If you go, you'll find a few people at tables who lift their drinks at you so that you will nod or smile in acknowledgment.
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Enjoy some drinks at the bar with the scammer.
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Realize that the scam involves overcharging you for your drinks. The bartender will claim that all of the drinks you ordered are listed at a very high price and that you are also paying for the drinks of the people at whom you smiled or nodded when you first walked into the bar.
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Understand that you'll be pressured into paying for the overpriced drinks. Bar keepers or owners may threaten you with violence or an arrest. Many travelers, wanting to avoid both, give in to the demands and pay the unfair bill.
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Tips & Warnings
Always confirm how much drinks cost before ordering them. Ask for menus or inspect price lists at the bar.
Don't follow strangers to unfamiliar locations.
Don't sit at bars or tables where empty alcohol bottles remain. Bartenders may try to charge you for the empty bottles, too.
Policeman that are called to the scene may also be in on the scam.
