For those of us lucky enough to be traveling to foreign lands for the festive season, here are a few tips on how to stay safe while abroad.

Good Samaritans
A Good Samaritan is a compassionate person who selflessly renders aid to strangers in distress. When in an unfamiliar country or city, thousands of miles away from home, you might be in need of help. A Good Samaritan may give you a hand in finding your way, however, you might end up duped, tricked, and plain cheated, as well.
The truth is, con artists are innovators in street crime. This is why there are many variants of Good Samaritan scams. The most usual trick relies on two confidence tricksters working together. One poses as a mugger who grabs your wallet. The other one acts as a Good Samaritan who will chase his accomplice down. To express your gratitude, you reward the false Good Samaritan with some money, and later he shares it with his partner.
Avoid it by: Staying alert. When traveling, you won’t be seeing anonymous do-gooders every time you turn around. In fact, you’re pretty much left to your own.
Zig-Zag Scam
Some tourist scams are downright dangerous. This one involves corrupt authorities and is frequently reported at the duty-free section at Bangkok’s international airport.
In multiple specific cases of this outrageous travel scam, travelers got arrested on false accusations and then forced to hand over thousands of dollars to the conspirators in order to win their freedom. Apparently, these vacationers paid no attention to demarcation lines between shops and stalls, took items from one shop’s area to another, and got accused of shoplifting.
For instance, a Sydney school teacher was accused of eating a doughnut before paying for it and ended up locked up in Thailand. An Irish scientist had to leave the country after being accused of stealing a low-priced eyeliner. Then, there was a woman who was accused of stealing a beer mat and spent four nights in Thai prison because of that.
Avoid it by: Keeping yourself away from any danger spots. It’s also beneficial to have a trusted tourist guide, since this holiday-spoiling scam can practically happen anywhere in the world!
Gem Scam
The infamous jewellery scam has ruined the holidays of many travelers. This scam can happen near any tourist attraction; however, it’s particularly rife in Southeast Asia and India. In fact, each year gem scams prompt more than a 1,000 complaints to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Operating for the past 20 years, the gem scam has become so sophisticated that anyone can fall for it. Essentially, the gem scam goes like this: you accidentally meet a smartly dressed man who chats with you and discusses some cultural activities you may be interested in. Eventually, the man mentions an annual jewelry sale and comes up with an elaborate set of lies. At this point, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as Gem Warehouse, or Gem Education Center, or Thai Export Office (the name may vary).
Usually, gem dealers offer some flawed or poorly cut stones claiming that one day you could make a fortune by selling them back at home. In reality these stones are worthless paste or even glass.
Avoid it by: Using your common sense and not buying unusually cheap gems.
Rosemary Lady
Supposedly, rosemary is a sign of friendship. This is why a woman who smiles at you sweetly, and offers a sprig of this aromatic herb seems harmless. You are clueless, though, who she actually is and what her genuine intentions are.
Avoid any eye contact, refuse to accept the sprig, and confidently say: “No, thank you!” Otherwise, she’ll grab your hand and the next thing you know she’ll be reading your fortune. Of course, she’ll demand payment. If you show unwillingness to pay for her service, she’ll loudly express her displeasure. Without question, she’ll make a lot of fuss to attract unnecessary attention.
Since, your embarrassment is inevitable at this particular moment, the best thing you can do is pay up and disappear from the spot with high speed.
Avoid it by: Confidently walking in the opposite direction as soon as you come across some rosemary ladies.
Security Checkpoint Scam
Getting through airport security as quickly and painlessly as possible is not an easy thing to do. In case you’re taking your laptop on holiday, the whole procedure can get a bit trickier. Believe it or not, scam artists like to prey on unsuspecting travellers precisely at the security checkpoint.
This is vital information to know! Security checkpoint scammers usually work in tandem. One of them walks through the metal detector effortlessly, and the other one deliberately sets it off. You thought that everything would run smoothly, so you previously placed your tray of valuables on the conveyor belt. Unfortunately, by the time you go through, the scammers have already picked them up.
Here’s a tip for you! Do a quick scan of your surroundings when you approach the security checkpoint and make eye contact with anyone nearby. This will boost your confidence, and give a sure sign to the scammers that you’re not intimidated by anything.
Avoid it by: Placing your belongings on the conveyor belt only when you are ready to go through the metal scanner. Always keep an eye on your belongings as they come out the other side.
Compensation Claim Scam
When a stranger bumps into you in a crowded place and drops their bag, it takes just a split second to realize that it wasn’t an accident.
Upon closer inspection of the bag the stranger immediately feigns horror and throws numerous accusations at you. Namely, a precious souvenir is broken into pieces. The stranger yells and wants you to pay for damages.
You don’t want your holiday to be spoilt by an unpleasant incident, so you give some cash as compensation. This is how some confident tricksters collect hundreds of dollars per day!
Another version of the scam involves pedestrians bumping into your car! Pretending to be injured, they’re moaning in pain, while a hostile crowd asks for compensation. There were several incidents of this type reported in some African countries. Stay calm if you ever find yourself in a situation like this. Most probably, you’ve been fortunate enough to meet a con artist who’s willing to risk their life for a handful of money. Exciting, isn’t it?
Avoid it by: Not giving a penny! Instead, offer to call the police. The con artist will give up on the whole trick in no time!
The Flirt
It’s easy to get caught up in romance while traveling. Traveling is supposed to be relaxing, and the experience of another culture makes us more open to many things, including love!
You may have wondered whether vacation flings can turn into real love. To be honest, one of the most common tricks played on travelers is flirting. This is why using traveling as a proven dating strategy is absurd, especially if you’re a lone traveler!
Basically, what happens is that the victim, a solo traveling male, and the scammer, a gorgeous woman, meet on the street. There’s a quick introduction, and then you end up at a nightclub (one that she’s chosen) that has expensive drinks and a pretentious menu!
Avoid by: Resisting the temptation. In case you don’t want a lavish and expensive fling without a happy ending, never go out for a drink with someone you just met!
STAY SAFE AND ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS….