Question 1

What is the "Armed robbery after a bank cash withdrawal" scam in Cuenca?

Accepted Answer

Cuenca police specifically warned that visitors who withdraw large amounts of cash are followed and robbed within a few blocks by two or three men, sometimes armed. In 2024 there were three reported cases, two involving foreigners, including people who had taken out cash for a real-estate closing and for visa attorney fees. Bank insiders or thieves posing as customers sometimes spot the transaction inside the branch. Police advice is blunt: never carry large amounts of cash. Withdraw modest amounts, use transfers or cashier's services for property and visa payments, vary your routine, and don't count or display money inside or just outside the bank. Take a taxi directly rather than walking off with cash.

Question 2

What is the "Counterfeit bills and short-changing" scam in Cuenca?

Accepted Answer

Ecuador uses the US dollar, and visitors are handed counterfeit notes or short-changed in fast cash transactions, especially when breaking a $20 at a market stall, taxi, or unofficial money changer. Tourists unfamiliar with the local mix of US bills and coins are easy to confuse during the handover. Pay with small bills to avoid needing change, count your change before walking away, and feel/check $10 and $20 notes. Avoid changing money with street vendors; use banks or established casas de cambio. Break large bills at supermarkets rather than market stalls.

Money & ATM Scams in Cuenca

Armed robbery after a bank cash withdrawal

Counterfeit bills and short-changing

Experienced a scam here?