New Delhi Scams to Avoid in 2026 (India)
New Delhi is notorious for tourist scams including fake government tourist offices, closed monument cons, prepaid taxi fraud at the airport, and persistent commission-seeking guides.
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Last updated: April 2, 2026
Fake Government Tourist Office
Near Connaught Place and the railway stations, official-looking offices display Indian Tourism signs and approach tourists with offers of help. They sell overpriced tour packages, bogus train tickets, or simply collect money for services never delivered.
📍Near Connaught Place on Janpath and the surrounding lanes, outside New Delhi Railway Station at Paharganj Main Bazaar, and along the approach to Karol Bagh market
How to avoid: The official India Tourism office is at 88 Janpath. Any other "government" tourist office is likely a scam. Book trains on the official IRCTC website or at the International Tourist Bureau at New Delhi Railway Station.
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New Delhi · India · South Asia
Open map →📍Where These Scams Are Most Active in New Delhi
Specific areas and landmarks with the highest concentration of documented incidents.
Fake Government Tourist Office
Near Connaught Place on Janpath and the surrounding lanes, outside New Delhi Railway Station at Paharganj Main Bazaar, and along the approach to Karol Bagh market
Fake Train Booking Office
On the street directly outside New Delhi Railway Station's main entrance at Paharganj, and in the lanes of Paharganj Main Bazaar within a short walk of the station
Closed Monument Scam
Near the entrance roads to the Taj Mahal in Agra, outside the Red Fort and Qutub Minar in Delhi, and at the Humayun's Tomb and Lotus Temple approach roads
Hotel Redirection Scam
Outside arrivals halls at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, and the taxi rank on Ajmeri Gate Road outside New Delhi Railway Station.
Gem Export Investment Scam
Around Connaught Place in central New Delhi, near New Delhi Railway Station at Paharganj, and along the approach roads to the Red Fort at Chandni Chowk
Auto-Rickshaw Meter Refusal
Auto-rickshaw stands near New Delhi Railway Station on Paharganj, at Connaught Place in central Delhi, and near tourist sites including the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, and the Lotus Temple
These areas are safe to visit — knowing the setups in advance makes them far easier to recognize and avoid.
Transport is the primary risk in New Delhi
3 of 12 documented scams involve taxis or transport. Always use app-based rides (Uber, Grab, or local equivalent) and confirm fares before getting in.
How it works
Near Connaught Place and the railway stations, official-looking offices display Indian Tourism signs and approach tourists with offers of help. They sell overpriced tour packages, bogus train tickets, or simply collect money for services never delivered.
How it works
Near New Delhi Railway Station, unofficial travel agencies display professional-looking signs mimicking the official Indian Railways booking office. Staff tell tourists their intended train is full and sell them overpriced tickets on private buses or inferior services, sometimes issuing completely fake rail tickets that are rejected at the platform.
How it works
A person near the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, or Qutub Minar tells tourists the site is closed today due to a government function, religious holiday, or maintenance. They offer to take tourists to a nearby "better" sight instead, earning commissions.
How it works
Taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers collecting tourists from Indira Gandhi International Airport or New Delhi Railway Station claim that the hotel the tourist has booked is closed, flooded, under renovation, or has lost its license. The driver may even pretend to call the hotel and hand the phone to the tourist — the call is actually to an accomplice posing as hotel staff who confirms the false story. Tourists are then taken to a commission-paying property in Paharganj or Karol Bagh that is typically lower quality and overpriced.
How it works
Friendly strangers or hotel staff claim there is a government gem export scheme where tourists can buy precious stones cheaply and sell them at home for huge profit. The gems are worthless glass or synthetic stones.
How it works
Auto-rickshaw drivers in Delhi almost universally refuse to use the meter with tourists, insisting on a negotiated fixed fare that is typically two to three times the metered rate. Some drivers agree to the meter but then dispute the reading at the destination.
How it works
Auto-rickshaw drivers outside major hotels offer tourists a free sightseeing tour of Delhi. The tour systematically visits multiple government emporiums, carpet shops, and gem stores where the driver earns a commission per visit regardless of whether the tourist buys. Pressure inside the shops can be intense.
How it works
Auto-rickshaw drivers claim their meter is broken or refuse to use it, quoting flat rates far above the metered fare. Some drive tourists to shops for commissions instead of the requested destination.
How it works
Organized groups using children approach tourists claiming to be fundraising for schools or food. The children are controlled by adult minders nearby and proceeds rarely go to any legitimate cause. Some use distraction while accomplices pickpocket.
How it works
When paying with large-denomination rupee notes at markets, souvenir stalls, or informal restaurants, vendors rapidly palm your note and replace it with a smaller denomination or a counterfeit, then insist you gave them the inferior bill. The switch happens while making change, and the vendor's confident manner makes tourists doubt their own memory. This is especially common in cash-heavy markets around Paharganj and Chandni Chowk.
How it works
A man dressed as a sadhu or Hindu holy man approaches tourists near temples or monuments and offers a free blessing — placing a red tilak on your forehead or tying a saffron thread around your wrist without asking. Once the blessing is given the individual demands payment, often becoming aggressive or following tourists who refuse. Accomplices nearby create social pressure to pay. This scam operates heavily around Laxmi Narayan Temple on Mandir Marg and near Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.
How it works
At temples and mosques where shoes must be removed, individuals offer to "guard" footwear for a fee. Some take the shoes entirely and demand a ransom, while others claim official shoe-keeping status but charge excessive amounts.
New Delhi Safety — Frequently Asked Questions
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If you're visiting more than one destination
Similar scam patterns are active across the South Asia region. Before visiting Goa, Varanasi, and Maldives, review each city's guide — tactics vary and local setups differ even for the same scam type.
Editorial note: Scam warnings for New Delhi are compiled from government travel advisories (US State Dept, UK FCDO, Australian DFAT), verified news sources, travel community reports, and traveler-submitted incidents. All entries are reviewed for accuracy and local specificity before publication. Read our full methodology →