I Got Scammed in Bangkok (and Here's How You Won't)
Day one in Bangkok. Jet-lagged, excited, overwhelmed. I was standing outside the Grand Palace when a very friendly man in a polo shirt approached me and said, in perfect English, "The palace is closed today for a Buddhist holiday. But I know a beautiful temple that's open. My friend has a tuk-tuk."
I got in the tuk-tuk.
Twenty minutes later, I was in a gem shop in the middle of nowhere while a very persuasive salesman tried to convince me that buying Thai sapphires was an "investment opportunity." The tuk-tuk driver had been paid a commission to bring me there. The Grand Palace was not closed. There was no Buddhist holiday.
I didn't buy any gems (thank god). But I lost 2 hours and had to pay 200 baht to get a Grab back to my hostel. Not the worst outcome, but embarrassing for someone who thought she was too smart to get scammed.
Here's the thing: if I'd had working phone data, I would have spent 10 seconds Googling "Grand Palace hours today" and known immediately that it was open. Instead, my eSIM wasn't set up yet (this was before I knew about GOAN) and I was operating blind. If you're heading to Southeast Asia, get your eSIM sorted for backpacking the region before you land.
Lesson learned. Phone data is your scam shield.
The Most Common Travel Scams (and How Data Defeats Them)
The "It's Closed" Scam (Bangkok, Delhi, Cairo)
How it works: Someone tells you a temple, palace, or attraction is closed today. They offer to take you somewhere "even better." You end up at a gem shop, tailor, or souvenir store that pays them commission.
The defence: Google it. Takes 5 seconds. "[Attraction name] open today" will immediately tell you if it's actually closed (it almost never is).
The Taxi Meter Trick (Everywhere in SEA)
How it works: Taxi driver says the meter is "broken" and quotes a fixed price that's 3-5x the real fare. Or the meter is "running" but has been tampered with.
The defence: Check the Grab/Bolt app for the real price before you get in. If the taxi quote is more than double the app price, use the app instead. This requires data.
In Vietnam, I always opened Grab first to see the estimated fare, then negotiated with taxi drivers from an informed position. When they quoted 200,000 VND and Grab showed 80,000, I'd just open Grab and book it right there.
The Fake Police Scam (Latin America, Eastern Europe)
How it works: Someone in unofficial "uniform" stops you and asks to see your passport and wallet. They're not police. They're about to steal from you.
The defence: Real police won't approach random tourists on the street to check wallets. If it feels wrong, walk towards a busy area and call your hostel or emergency services. This requires a phone that works with a real number. Not a data-only eSIM. An actual number you can call from.
This is one of the reasons I switched to GOAN. It includes a real phone number. I can call local police, my hostel, or anyone I need to in an emergency. With a data-only eSIM, I'd have to find a Wi-Fi connection to make a WhatsApp call, which isn't going to happen in a street emergency.
The Currency Confusion Scam (Everywhere)
How it works: In countries with large-denomination currencies (Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia), vendors give you change in smaller bills that look similar to larger ones. Or they quote prices in a currency that sounds cheap but isn't.
The defence: Use a currency converter app. XE and Wise both work offline once loaded, but real-time rates require data. Before paying for anything, quickly check the conversion.
In Cambodia, prices are often quoted in both USD and Cambodian Riel. $5 USD vs 20,000 Riel sounds very different but is roughly the same. Knowing the exchange rate prevents you from getting confused.
The Free Bracelet Scam (Europe, North Africa)
How it works: Someone ties a friendship bracelet on your wrist (or puts a bird on your hand, or shoves a rose in your face), then demands money. Hard to refuse when it's already on you.
The defence: Walk away immediately. Don't stop. Don't make eye contact. Don't let them put anything on you. This one doesn't need data, just awareness. But knowing it exists beforehand (which you just learned from reading this blog) is the real prevention.
The Fake Wi-Fi Scam (Airports, Cafes Worldwide)
How it works: A fake Wi-Fi network named something like "Free Airport WiFi" or "Cafe_Guest" captures your data. Everything you type (passwords, banking credentials) goes through their server.
The defence: Don't use public Wi-Fi for anything sensitive. Better yet, use your own mobile data connection. Having a GOAN eSIM means you never need to connect to sketchy public Wi-Fi. Your data goes through the legitimate cell network, not some random person's laptop pretending to be a router.
How to Verify Anything in Seconds
The pattern in every scam above is the same: they work because you don't have information. The moment you can check something on your phone, the scam falls apart.
- "The palace is closed" > Google says it's open
- "The meter is broken" > Grab says the real price is $3, not $15
- "The exchange rate is 1:30" > XE says it's 1:35
- "This is a police checkpoint" > Google Maps shows you're in a residential area, not near any police station
- "Free Wi-Fi" > You don't need it because you have your own data
Your phone with working data is the best scam prevention tool that exists. Better than any guidebook, better than any advice from other travellers, better than "being careful." Information in real-time beats everything.
My Post-Scam Protocol
After the Bangkok gem shop incident, I developed a system:
Set up my eSIM before landing. Never arrive in a new country without data again. The install process takes 60 seconds from home.
Google everything in real time. Someone tells me something? I verify it on my phone while they're talking. Not rude. Smart.
Always check ride prices on an app first. Even if I end up taking a taxi, I know the fair price before negotiating.
Share my live location. My mum and best friend can see where I am at all times. If someone takes me somewhere unexpected, someone back home knows. This is especially important as a solo female traveller.
Never use public Wi-Fi for banking. My eSIM handles all sensitive browsing. Public Wi-Fi is only for downloading Netflix episodes.
Scam Hotspots by Region
| Region | Most Common Scam | Data Helps? |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | Gem shop redirect | Yes (verify attraction hours) |
| Bali | Tampered taxi meters | Yes (check Grab prices) |
| Hanoi | Overcharging at restaurants | Yes (check menu photos, reviews) |
| Cairo | "Closed mosque" redirect | Yes (Google hours) |
| Paris | Petition signers (distraction theft) | Awareness more than data |
| Rome | Fake gladiators (charge for photos) | Awareness more than data |
| Cartagena | Fake police | Yes (call real emergency number) |
| Marrakech | Aggressive carpet shop guides | GPS to navigate out |
The Mindset Shift
Getting scammed isn't about being stupid. It's about being uninformed. And the difference between informed and uninformed, in 2026, is whether your phone has a data connection.
I'm not bitter about the Bangkok gem shop. It was a $5 lesson (the tuk-tuk ride back) that taught me the most valuable travel hack I know: set up your phone before you land and verify everything in real time.
Scammers rely on you being disconnected, confused, and in a rush. Your phone with working data makes you connected, informed, and in control.
Don't repeat my mistake. Set up your eSIM before your flight, download your maps, and land ready. If it's your first time using an eSIM, our guide for first-time travellers walks you through everything. The gem shop guys will have to find someone else.
