Other Tourist Scams in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Timeshares, fake police, charity fraud, and miscellaneous scams targeting visitors. Below are the other scams scams reported in Kandy — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Kochi, Udaipur, and Bengaluru.
Last updated: April 4, 2026
2
Other Scams Scams
14
Total in Kandy
How it works
The scenic train route from Kandy to Ella is one of the most popular tourist journeys in Asia, and organized scalping operations buy up all available first-class and observation deck tickets seconds after they open online, then resell them to tourists at 3–5 times the official fare. Tourists who cannot book directly through the Sri Lanka Railways website often encounter sellers on social media, WhatsApp groups, and through guesthouse staff who charge LKR 10,000–16,000 for seats that officially cost LKR 2,800–8,000. Sri Lankan authorities arrested a suspect in January 2025 and the Criminal Investigation Department has opened investigations into the organized network.
How it works
A well-dressed local, often posing as a tea planter or plantation family member, befriends tourists in Kandy cafes or near the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and claims to offer 5 kilograms of premium Ceylon tea to be shipped to the tourist's home address for free. The tourist is told they only need to pay a small export tax or customs clearance fee upfront, which typically amounts to LKR 10,000–30,000. Once payment is made and the home address is provided, the contact disappears. No tea is shipped, and the personal address may be used for follow-up fraud.
See all scams in Kandy
14 total warnings across all categories