Bangkok sees drop in scam-related incidents for British tourists

[snoop1130]

 

In a relief for British holidaymakers heading to Bangkok, the city is no longer the number one international destination for tourist scams. Bangkok has dropped from the first spot to the sixth spot in the global list of cities with the highest likelihood of scams or thefts.

 

The antivirus firm, McAfee, updated the list, showing the cities with the highest instances of tourists being cheated out of their money. The throne, previously held by Bangkok, has now been claimed by a popular Spanish resort.

 

Warning for tourists heading to Spain's sunny beaches! Benidorm, a well-loved resort in Costa Blanca, has sadly earned the title of being the top destination for tourist scams worldwide. This has disturbingly tarnished the holiday image of Benidorm, now recognized as the most dangerous place for tourists to lose their hard-earned money to tricky con men.

 

According to the list, cities such as New York, Dublin, and Berlin also pose a high risk for scams to holiday goers. They rank alongside a risky beach destination which tops the list.

 

Data from McAfee shows that British tourists were swindled out of an alarming £12 million due to holiday scams in 2023. As such, tourists are urged to use caution when choosing holiday providers, particularly when visiting the top 10 riskiest destinations listed.

 

Within these spots, including popular vacation areas, tourists frequently fall victim to money-stealing scams. Notably, Benidorm, Spain, visited by a significant number of Brits yearly, emerges as the top location where fraudsters cause the most damage. Costa Blanca is noted for a rise in deceptive websites and ads with scam offerings to unsuspecting targets.

 

Following Benidorm, Berlin takes the second place and Ibiza, the third place. Meanwhile, Bangkok drops from first to sixth place in this year's ranking, according to the Daily Mirror.

 

Vonny Gamot, McAfee’s EMEA head, urged holidaymakers to stay vigilant, stating, “Tourists should adopt an active approach to ensure the security, privacy, and online identity ahead of the peak summer holiday season. When a deal seems incredible, it’s best to refrain from clicking. Instead, go straight to the source and book with trusted companies.”

 

Visitors are also recommended not to rely solely on the professional appearance of businesses and their social media accounts. Distrusting reviews is also advised as certain sites manipulate their ratings by deleting negative feedback. Using third-party websites like Trustpilot to gauge a website's credibility is suggested.

 

The top 10 riskiest places to vacation are:

 

1. Benidorm, Spain.

2. Berlin, Germany.

3. Ibiza, Balearic Islands.

4. Valletta, Malta.

5. Albufeira, Portugal.

6. Bangkok, Thailand.

7. Maldives, South Asia.

8. Dubai, UAE.

9. New York, USA.

10. Dublin, Ireland.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-08-12

 

- Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

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[Will B Good]

Maybe the number of British tourists visiting BKK have dropped pro rata?

[Photoguy21]

We need to see the ratio of scams to population before any definitive reply can be made.

[steven100]

I would take that ranking with a grain of salt.  Thailand is #1 in my book .... at least they're good at something ...

[KannikaP]

29 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

 

In a relief for British holidaymakers heading to Bangkok, the city is no longer the number one international destination for tourist scams. Bangkok has dropped from the first spot to the sixth spot in the global list of cities with the highest likelihood of scams or thefts.

 

The antivirus firm, McAfee, updated the list, showing the cities with the highest instances of tourists being cheated out of their money. The throne, previously held by Bangkok, has now been claimed by a popular Spanish resort.

 

Warning for tourists heading to Spain's sunny beaches! Benidorm, a well-loved resort in Costa Blanca, has sadly earned the title of being the top destination for tourist scams worldwide. This has disturbingly tarnished the holiday image of Benidorm, now recognized as the most dangerous place for tourists to lose their hard-earned money to tricky con men.

 

According to the list, cities such as New York, Dublin, and Berlin also pose a high risk for scams to holiday goers. They rank alongside a risky beach destination which tops the list.

 

Data from McAfee shows that British tourists were swindled out of an alarming £12 million due to holiday scams in 2023. As such, tourists are urged to use caution when choosing holiday providers, particularly when visiting the top 10 riskiest destinations listed.

 

Within these spots, including popular vacation areas, tourists frequently fall victim to money-stealing scams. Notably, Benidorm, Spain, visited by a significant number of Brits yearly, emerges as the top location where fraudsters cause the most damage. Costa Blanca is noted for a rise in deceptive websites and ads with scam offerings to unsuspecting targets.

 

Following Benidorm, Berlin takes the second place and Ibiza, the third place. Meanwhile, Bangkok drops from first to sixth place in this year's ranking, according to the Daily Mirror.

 

Vonny Gamot, McAfee’s EMEA head, urged holidaymakers to stay vigilant, stating, “Tourists should adopt an active approach to ensure the security, privacy, and online identity ahead of the peak summer holiday season. When a deal seems incredible, it’s best to refrain from clicking. Instead, go straight to the source and book with trusted companies.”

 

Visitors are also recommended not to rely solely on the professional appearance of businesses and their social media accounts. Distrusting reviews is also advised as certain sites manipulate their ratings by deleting negative feedback. Using third-party websites like Trustpilot to gauge a website's credibility is suggested.

 

The top 10 riskiest places to vacation are:

 

1. Benidorm, Spain.

2. Berlin, Germany.

3. Ibiza, Balearic Islands.

4. Valletta, Malta.

5. Albufeira, Portugal.

6. Bangkok, Thailand.

7. Maldives, South Asia.

8. Dubai, UAE.

9. New York, USA.

10. Dublin, Ireland.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-08-12

 

- Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

What sort of scams are they talking about. Jet skis in Berlin? 

[spidermike007]

Most Thais are very cool and I found a lot of them to be very honest. However it's difficult to leave stupidity behind, so if you're not careful and you're not cautious and you're not using common sense at home, if you go anywhere else, the same is going to apply.

 

You just have to use common sense, especially with strangers and especially online. And that always applies when your offered something that's too good to be true! 

[ikke1959]

Less tourist is less scam... good move but not real and sixth is still very high

[smedly]

wow only number  6 now - they kept that quiet, what a relief 

 

comforting 

 

what hub would you call that

[smedly]

14 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

We need to see the ratio of scams to population before any definitive reply can be made.

what don't you understand 

 

6th ?, which I would challenge - just my opinion 

[smedly]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Most Thais are very cool and I found a lot of them to be very honest

you serious 

 

 

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In a relief for British holidaymakers heading to Bangkok, the city is no longer the number one international destination for tourist scams. Bangkok has dropped from the first spot to the sixth spot in the global list of cities with the highest likelihood of scams or thefts.

Never saw that in any brochures.

[hotchilli]

54 minutes ago, smedly said:

you serious 

 

 

Depends on location... hit the resorts or city centres then expect scams, out in the suburbs or sticks then things are different.

[ronster]

Would guess based on digital scams , ATM fraud etc.

Feet on the ground one to one scams interacting with people and involving actual cash I think the hub of bkk might still keep its crown .

[Emdog]

"Data from McAfee shows that British tourists were swindled out of an alarming £12 million due to holiday scams..."

I wonder how they come up with these numbers that are anywhere near a true amount....

As far as scams go, are double pricing structures at national parks, temples, etc counted?

[Photoguy21]

9 hours ago, smedly said:

what don't you understand 

 

6th ?, which I would challenge - just my opinion 

Obviously more than you do. A drop in any event could be due to a number of reasons. It could be tourists blindly accept everything they are told without doing their own research, it could be that the number of tourists to a particular area known for scams are not visiting there. It could also be less people visiting. If you cant understand that there are numerous factors that could affect this statistic then I cant explain it to you.

[tomacht8]

The question is what counts as a scam. If you count the number of taxi drivers who don't want to use the meter and always charge excessive fares, then Bangkok remains number 1. Thousands of passengers are ripped off every day by greedy taxi drivers. It has now become difficult to find a taxi driver in Bangkoks tourist areas who drives for the regular meter price.