What to Do If You Are Scammed While Traveling: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Do Not Escalate Confronting a scammer aggressively in their home territory rarely results in recovery of money and can create safety risks. Note what happened, stay calm, and leave the area.

Step 2: Document Everything Immediately While details are fresh: note the time, location, description of the person or establishment, any transaction references, and what was said. Take photos of any receipts, signage, or the location if safe to do so.

Step 3: Contact Your Bank If a card was used fraudulently, call your bank's international number immediately to freeze the card and dispute the transaction. Most banks have 24/7 international lines. Credit cards offer stronger protection than debit cards for dispute resolution.

Step 4: Report to Local Police A police report creates an official record useful for insurance claims and card disputes, even if local police are unlikely to investigate the scam. Ask for a copy of the report (denuncia) with a reference number.

Step 5: Contact Your Embassy or Consulate If your passport was taken or you need emergency funds, your embassy can issue emergency travel documents and sometimes facilitate emergency loans from home.

Step 6: File an Insurance Claim If you have travel insurance, contact your provider as soon as possible. Keep all documentation — police report, bank statements, receipts. Most policies cover theft and fraud with appropriate evidence.

Step 7: Report the Scam Report to the local tourist police (if available), the platform where a fake listing was found, and to your home country's travel advisory service. This helps protect future travelers.