You may not even think there is a great possibility of being scammed in well-renowned places like airports. However, scammers only look for such places, and the more careless you become, the greater your chance of being tricked. You may lose hundreds or thousands of dollars or even essential information and stuff in the hands of these thieves in the blink of an eye in these scams, so your awareness is highly recommended at every place. Therefore, to reduce the chances of being scammed, this article provides some insightful information that will help you understand how these scammers make your money of their own and the efficient ways to avoid such circumstances.  

What Are The 6 Common Airport Scams, And How Can They Be Avoided?

Temperament With Airport QR codes

Scams, known as QR code phishing or quishing, involve scammers replacing the original QR codes with their fraudulent ones in popular airport locations, including parking lots, restaurants, and shopping centres. When you scan these codes, your device will be directed to malicious websites that can steal your personal information, redirect payments into a false account, or install malware on your device.  

• How to avoid it—Normally, the temperament of the original QR code is changed by adding a sticker, which can be felt by touching it. You can even use an alternative payment method or visit the website directly to make the payment and avoid being conned by thieves.   

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Hacking of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Networks

Airports offer free Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which are more convenient to use but are more prone to scams. Fraudsters may create a new Wi-Fi network with the same name as the airport or make a familiar Bluetooth device, and when you connect to those networks, your personal data is attacked.   

• How to avoid it—You can easily avoid getting hacked on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth by verifying the original airport device from the staff or pairing your Bluetooth with familiar devices only. Moreover, you can rely on your personal data for more safety and avoid connecting to public networks.  

Helpers or Fraudulent

Sometimes, you may find helpers at the airport trying to help you carry your luggage or push your trolley out of the airport. But are they a helper or a fraudster? You may find those people generous and helpful, but they can be con artists who will ask for a fee to carry your stuff and keep those as hostages till you give them money.  

• How to avoid it—To avoid being scammed, you can carry your own luggage, be careful that it doesn't fall into the hands of unknown people, and don't let your luggage out of your sight even for once.  

Fake Airport and Airline Staff

You can get dupped by deceivers acting as an official staff of the airline. They are just required to wear fake uniforms and badges to make you feel like a real one. They are also pros at creating fake companies' websites and creating their social media account. They can deceive you and ask you for money and personal details. 

• How to avoid it—Being scammed by an impersonate person can be avoided with a bit of awareness, like visiting the airline's official website and looking for the contact details or even going personally to their workstation and communicating with their staff.    

Scams During Currency Exchange

Scams at currency exchange kiosks in airports are frequent, where vendors often provide poor exchange rates or try to shortchange customers. Moreover, certain vendors might hand out counterfeit bills in return for genuine currency.  

• How to avoid it: You can exchange your currency from your local bank or ATMs beforehand, so you won't need to rely on airports.   

Scams By Car Rentals And Taxis

When you are tired of long-haul flights, you are more prone to being scammed by fraudulent car rentals and taxis. You may get overcharged by taxi drivers, or they can steal your luggage or skim through your payment cards. However, you have to pay unexpected fee hikes through car rental companies. 

• How to avoid it—To prevent being tricked by car rentals and taxis, you should check whether the vehicle you are riding in is licensed, verify the driver who came to receive you by checking the details he provided about himself and his company and look for the already damaged parts of the car so that they can't overcharge you for such damages.  

Fraud With Travel Documents

It may be appealing for you to post your photo and boarding pass on social media. But do you ever realise that through it, you are gaining the attention of lots of scammers towards you? Your boarding pass, which contains information like your name and booking reference number, deceivers will get your personal details. They may even attack your house as it signals that it is already vacant. 

• How to avoid it- You must protect your travel information from being shared with others and avoid posting it on social media so that no stranger will know about your itinerary and personal details. 

USB Charging Attacks

You may unknowingly plug your phone chargers with the public USB port at the airport when their battery runs down. The port can be compromised with malware, leading to undetected data breaches of your connected device. This is one of the most common scams at the airport and is known as “juice jacking.”   

• How to avoid it- You can bring your charger and power banks, use power USB cables instead of standard USB cables, or use a USB data blocker to protect your device from such cons.  

Luggage Fraud

The fraud with the luggage varies from fraudster to fraudster. The scammers may meet you as strangers and claim to be on the same flight as you. After that, some may steal your bag, or others may plot something in your bag. Some may even ask you to carry their checked-in baggage to avoid excess fees, and once you agree to do so, they will disappear when their luggage passes through the airport scanner, which may carry illegal drugs. 

• How to avoid it- You must carry just your luggage and say no to others, even if you don’t like to say it. Moreover, keep an eye on your luggage and avoid handing it over to any stranger.  

Scam With Your Lounge Pass

Nowadays, almost every airport provides lounge services for travellers, which offer them a comfortable resting area and various services like food, beverages, and other amenities. Lounge pass apps may be required to access some of the lounges. Thieves use this opportunity to create a fake app and steal your personal information and money. 

• How to avoid it- Ensure you download lounge pass apps from the official sources only, and be cautious while permitting the app to grant access to your device.