This scam occurs primarily at land border crossings, but be aware of it at all
times. It is always best to exchange money at banks or branches of a bank.
Official exchange counters are also reliable. This scam is a union between
touts, which involves a group of people. You will be called into a shabby store
or restaurant, likely beckoned by your taxi driver or a friendly face seeking
to help you find a place to exchange your money. He or she will likely tell you
that you should change your money at a specific place, as any other place
collects an exchange tax that will cut your exchange rate by up to 25%. This is
untrue. If you are ever informed of any exchange tax, or a selective tax that
is collected only at specific banks or exchange counters, you are being
scammed. If you are out of cash and need money (i.e. you don’t have enough
local money to get yourself a taxi away from the border or to a neighborhood
with a bank), exchange only enough to get you away, because you are
getting ripped off.
Overnight Transit
The faults of overnight transit, especially on any kind of bus or train, are
obvious. Often you are forced to leave your bags on easily accessible racks or
cargo holds. But you don’t have enough money to fly, so what do you do?
The key to protecting yourself on overnight transit is to realize that the
cheaper the transit, the more likely you are to either be scammed or robbed.
Also, theft is more common if you are traveling with a private company. Public
and government transportation is always safer. If you find yourself with a lack
of options or money, and need to book a cheap bus overnight, there are a few
ways to minimize your risk.
First, lock your bag with a combination lock with four or more numbers
rather than a key lock. Key locks are easily picked, but thieves rarely have
enough time to try out the ten thousand possible combinations that would be
required to open your bag if you used a combination lock. Also, take everything
of value out of your primary bag prior to travel (travel documents, cash,
credit cards, cameras, etc.) and carry them with you in a day bag. Some buses,
trains, or boats have people stored in the luggage compartments, and they spend
the hours en route to the destination cramped below deck picking locks and
reaping the rewards. In most cases, having a locked day bag sitting between
your legs is safe, and if your primary bag is broken into, you won’t loose
anything more than a few pairs of socks.