Tourist Scams in Colombia

Unofficial taxis and pre-arranged robbery vehicles operate extensively in Cali, particularly near the bus terminal and airport. Victims are driven to a secondary location where armed accomplices board the vehicle and rob them of cash, phones, jewellery, and bank cards. Forced ATM withdrawals under armed escort have been reported to police.

How to avoid: Only use InDriver or Cabify apps, which assign a registered driver with a tracked vehicle. Never hail taxis from the street, accept rides from strangers offering lifts, or use taxis that approach you outside bus terminals or clubs. If the driver takes an unexpected route, keep calm and contact someone.

Thieves on motorcycles or on foot target pedestrians using smartphones in the Chapinero neighborhood, particularly along Carrera 7 and around the Chapinero Alto and LGBT-friendly bar strip on Calle 62. The snatch typically happens in seconds — a rider pulls alongside the sidewalk, a passenger grabs the phone, and the motorcycle accelerates before the victim can react. The area sees heightened incidents on weekend nights when foot traffic and distraction levels are high.

How to avoid: Keep your phone out of sight or in a front pocket when walking on busy Chapinero streets. If you must use your phone, step into a shop or doorway. Never walk while looking down at your screen near the road edge. Use navigation via earphones with the phone stowed rather than holding it up. Stay on well-lit central stretches of Carrera 7 and avoid side streets after dark.

In El Poblado's bar district — particularly along Calle 10 (Parque del Poblado area) and Carrera 37 — tourists' drinks are spiked by bar staff or strangers while their attention is diverted. Unlike street scopolamine encounters, this version occurs inside legitimate-looking venues; victims often do not realize what has happened until they wake up having lost cash, cards, or valuables. The US State Department and UK FCDO both flag Medellín specifically for drink-spiking incidents in nightlife settings.

How to avoid: Never leave your drink unattended at a bar table or dance floor. Accept drinks only directly from a bartender you have watched pour them. If you feel unexpectedly dizzy or disoriented after just one or two drinks, immediately tell a trusted companion and leave the venue. Avoid accepting drinks from strangers or new acquaintances in nightlife areas.

Thieves riding motorcycles — often with a pillion passenger acting as the grabber — cruise slowly along pedestrian-heavy streets and snatch phones, bags, and cameras directly from pedestrians' hands or shoulders. The attack is over in seconds before any reaction is possible. Phone theft from pedestrians increased significantly in 2023–2024 with motochorros accounting for a large share of reported street robberies. The attack is most common on Calle 10, Avenida El Poblado, and any street where tourists walk close to the kerb while looking at phones.

How to avoid: Walk on the inside of the pavement away from the kerb. Keep your phone pocketed when walking outdoors; check maps only inside shops or cafés. Carry bags on the shoulder away from the street. Use crossbody bags with anti-slash straps.

A highly organized crime scheme where gang members — sometimes posing as rideshare or taxi drivers — select victims in popular tourist areas like Parque Lleras and Provenza, with the help of accomplices inside bars and restaurants who tip off the gang about targets flashing valuables. Victims are lured or forced into a vehicle, then driven around while being robbed of cash, bank cards, jewellery, and phones under threat of firearms or sharp weapons. The gang "Los Calvos" was arrested in May 2025 after victimizing at least 23 tourists from seven countries including the US, Australia, and Germany. Losses exceeded 600 million pesos across confirmed victims.

How to avoid: Never enter an unmarked vehicle or accept an unsolicited ride from someone who approaches you outside a bar. Use only pre-booked, tracked rideshare apps (Uber, Cabify, InDrive) and confirm the plate before entering. Avoid showing expensive items — watches, cameras, laptops — inside El Poblado nightlife venues.

Scopolamine, known locally as burundanga, is used in Cali to incapacitate victims who are then robbed, forced to withdraw cash from ATMs, or assaulted. The drug is colourless and odourless and can be slipped into drinks, food, or applied to skin through physical contact. Victims have no memory of events while incapacitated. This is a documented, recurring danger in the city nightlife zone, not a rare occurrence.

How to avoid: Do not accept drinks, food, cigarettes, or any consumable from strangers. Be cautious of anyone being overly friendly or insistent. Avoid leaving drinks unattended at bars. If you feel suddenly confused or unable to make decisions, alert a trusted person immediately.

Taxis in Santa Marta regularly quote tourists flat rates in US dollars or at inflated peso rates for journeys to El Rodadero beach resort and Taganga fishing village. The run from the bus terminal to El Rodadero should cost approximately 8,000-12,000 COP but is frequently quoted at 30,000-50,000 COP to tourists arriving by bus or plane.

How to avoid: Use InDriver, which operates in Santa Marta and provides quoted fares before the journey begins. Ask your hostel or hotel for the current going rate to your destination before hailing a street taxi. Negotiate in Colombian pesos rather than US dollars — drivers who quote in USD are pricing for tourists.

In Santa Marta, tour operators without official certification sell day and multi-day tours to Tayrona National Park at prices below licensed operators. Groups arrive at the park entrance to find their guide lacks the required environmental certification to enter protected areas, they are turned away, and refunds are refused. Some operators run genuine but illegal tours inside the park that carry a fine for participants if caught.

How to avoid: Book Tayrona National Park tours only through operators listed on the official Colombia travel registry or recommended by Parques Nacionales de Colombia. Ask to see the guide environmental licence before paying any deposit. Registered operators can be found through the Santa Marta city tourism office on Calle 10.