Money & ATM Scams in Amritsar

Short-Change and Counterfeit Notes at Informal Money Exchange

Amritsar sits near the India-Pakistan border and is a point of entry for many international visitors, making informal currency exchange a recurring hazard. Unauthorized money changers operating near the Golden Temple, Katra Jaimal Singh market, and around the railway station approach tourists offering better exchange rates than banks. Once the exchange is made, tourists discover they have received counterfeit notes, short-changed amounts, or notes in denominations that local shops refuse. The BSF and Amritsar police have repeatedly seized fake Indian currency notes (FICN) smuggled across the border, some of which enter street-level circulation.