Other Tourist Scams in Aswan, Egypt
Timeshares, fake police, charity fraud, and miscellaneous scams targeting visitors. Below are the other scams scams reported in Aswan — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Cairo, Marrakech, and Hammamet.
Last updated: April 7, 2026
1
Other Scams Scams
12
Total in Aswan
How it works
Aswan has a dense concentration of essential oil and perfume shops — with names like Cleopatra Palace Perfume Bazaar, Elite Perfumery, and Essence of Life — that operate a systematic bait-and-switch scam reported extensively on TripAdvisor and Fodor's forums. Staff demonstrate a high-quality oil, filling the room with genuine fragrance, then package a different bottle of diluted glycerine or low-grade substitute for the customer to take home. Some shops perform a fake "water test" (dropping oil into water to prove authenticity), but glycerine also sinks — making the test meaningless. Tour guides who bring tourists to these shops receive commissions and are complicit in the fraud.
See all scams in Aswan
12 total warnings across all categories