What to do if you are a victim of fraud while on vacation? | Business

How to protect yourself from scammers targeting tourists and what to do if you fall victim to them while on vacation?

More vigilance in tourist areas

While there’s been a lot of talk about cyber scams lately, it’s worth keeping an eye out for scams targeting tourists when on holiday, such as fake taxi operators, where taxi drivers don’t turn on the meter or set an extremely high price and demand an exorbitant amount at the end of the trip.

According to Romo Chereshka, head of Citadele Bank’s Baltic funds management and trade financing department, tourists are faced with guides who offer free tours but ask for tips at the end. Most of the time, these people are not official guides, so they may be providing a poor quality service, and the self-proclaimed guide is unlikely to pay the fees.

“Scammers are still trying to extort money from travelers by selling fake travel tickets, renting out non-existent accommodation on various rental platforms. Therefore, it is important to buy travel services only from the official websites of well-known service providers, so that in case of problems you can contact the customer service team and find a solution”, R. Čereška advises.

Certain steps should be taken before the trip

Anyone, regardless of age or travel experience, can encounter scams when traveling. People traveling alone should be especially careful, because stressful situations also have to be experienced and resolved independently.

“After becoming a victim of fraud, the most important thing is not to panic – it is necessary to remain calm and assess the situation. The incident, whether physical or cyber, should be reported to the local police. And if the fraud is related to a bank account, it is necessary to immediately inform the bank employees so that they can block card payments and take other security measures”, says R. Čereška.

According to R. Čereška, it is worth taking care of your security even before the trip, for example, opening a separate account that will be used only during the trip, keep a smaller amount of money there and set lower payment limits. It is recommended that you consider taking out travel insurance and keep insurance terms and contact information in an accessible place.

“It’s also a good idea to explore the features offered by the bank’s mobile app. There, for example, it is possible to set the possibility to receive notifications when paying with a card or when money is withdrawn from an ATM, to block the card. Often, customers themselves inform the bank about the use of the card in a foreign country before leaving for a trip. In this way, the risk is eliminated that the client will not be able to make payments abroad if atypical activity is noticed”, says Romas Čereška.