Argentina is a perfect place for skiing enthusiasts. This place is very interesting and like any other travel destination, Argentina has con-artists too that use every chance to hustle inexperienced tourists out of their money. There are many scams that happen with tourists in Argentina.
Taxi Scam
There will be taxis at all the tourist attractions. You may easily get scammed by them if you hop on a dishonest taxi. If you want a taxi service, it is recommended to book a taxi in advance. If you really need a taxi on the street, you should take those with a company logo on the taxi.
For the local people, most of them are using UBER. This is because UBER is very convenient and they can estimate the time and know the exact fare they need to pay with UBER.
So, if you want to reduce your chance of getting scammed by the taxi driver, you can download the UBER app and get the service when you are in any city in Argentina.
Traffic Police
Last year when I was enjoying my tour of this country, I got ripped off by traffic police. The amount that I paid to get out of that problematic situation wasn’t a huge amount but still, it was a scam that could happen with anyone, so it’s better to speak about it to inform other tourists that are planning their vacations in Argentina.
This particular scam happened with me when I was traveling back to my hotel at night and I was pulled over by cops. I was quite satisfied because I knew that I have all the required documents.
The officer asked me about my emergency triangular ticket and I showed that ticket to him. Then he asked me to show a second triangular ticket and I didn’t have it. He gave me a ticket and penalized me with $250 that is a substantial amount and I told him that I wasn’t aware that I need to have a second emergency triangular ticket too.
First, he said that there is no other way except paying off the penalty, then he asked me to follow him. He led me to a secluded place on the road and asked to pay for a drink and he would let me go without penalty.
It was a bribe without any shadow of a doubt. I had only $15 in my wallet because I don’t keep a heavy amount in the wallet at night times. I offered him that $15 and he let me go.
There are also many other things that you need to aware of when you are in Argentina.
Don’t Walk Alone in The City Especially At Night
There are several districts you should avoid especially at night but the city center like La Bocca and Palermo are pretty safe during the day as these are the financial district of Buenos Aires. There are a lot of people walking around during the day and most of the streets are pretty busy.
Another city which is the Booker is one of the most colorful and beautiful districts that you can walk alone without any issue. But bear in mind that nearby Booker is a place where the more unprivileged people live. Therefore, you are advised not to go on abandoned streets or walk into these districts because you can easily get targeted by these people.
If you want to be safe, you can choose to go on a free walking tour with a local who shows you around and tells you where to go and where not to go. Keep in mind that La Bocca is pretty safe during the day but as soon everybody is leaving you should leave – and that is around 5 or 6 p.m.
This place gets abandoned and pretty dodgy by then. There’s no police presence in the area and then it can be possible that you would be an easy target and spotted by some people who want to take advantage of your situation.
Pickpocket Scam
Even you are street-smart, you may inevitably fall prey into pickpocket when you are traveling to Argentina especially in the capital, Buenos Aires.
These pickpocket general work in a team of at least 2 people. One person will try to make a distraction and make a chance for another to steal your valuables.
Since most tourists are really absentminded, they tend to easily get scammed by this. Most of them are not paying attention and with certain distraction is enough to distract them.
Those who easiest to be the target of pickpocket are women. This is because men are more alert but women are more relaxed sometimes with their handbags open.
As informed by a local, some of these pickpockets are amateur and they only work on the weekend. They can do 4 to 6 lift per day.
What they normally do is they will watch on tourists when they open their wallets to buy something, then they will see how much the tourists have inside their wallets.
They generally go for the big fish. Therefore, if you open your wallet to buy something, and you actually have a lot of cash inside your wallet, you will become the target for the pickpockets.
They can make about 300,000 to 400,000 pesos per day. (Approximately USD $5,000 to $6,000).
The tactics that they use would be one will walk close to you and make an incident like bang on you and his accomplice will steal your wallet behind you.
Another tactic is one guy will come to you and point out that there is some dirt on your shirt. Then he will take out tissues and help you to wipe them out. When you are distracted, his accomplice will steal away your valuables.
Avoid ATM Scams
If you want to withdraw money from the ATM machine, it is recommended that you use the ATM at the banks. However, if it is weekend and those banks are closed, then you will not be able to withdraw from the Bank’s ATM anymore.
So what can you do? Well, there are also ATMs in the supermarket and they are safe places for you to get your money.
Try to avoid to get money from other places as you may get scammed by the fake ATM machines. Or your PIN is being watched by a hidden cam, your card may get a clone and you may be lost your money in your bank without your notice. When you find out later, it is already too late for you to do anything.
As there are some youtube videos claimed that Argentina is a very safe country for you to visit, don’t trust them. You are better off by having your own precaution if you are going to have a vacation in this country.