A Little Learning… Avoiding the Most Common Tourist Scams in India

Last updated on August 2, 2025 by Shannon

When traveling in India, you have to be aware of the scams and avoid them at all costs. Many times, the scam starts off as a delightful opportunity to dive into the local culture—perhaps someone offers a chance to learn more about a cultural practice, or invites you to lunch. Sometimes, they’re offering a lot more than friendship.

The problem with tourist scams in a place like India is that so many people in the country are genuinely interested in cultural exchange. Talking and interacting with locals is the bedrock experience in any country, but especially so for tourists and travelers in India.

That’s why you should travel to India armed with the right knowledge, so that you can accept that offered chai tea with a new Indian friend, but not be pressured into parting with your money because of an unsuspecting “gift” that’s worth very little and turns out to be a common tourist scam in India.

Fortunately, I’ve learned how to spot the most common tourist scams now—even though I’ve been had for a few of them. That proved true for my time in India—multiple times!—but even in innocuous countries like Spain.

Most Common Tourist Scams in India

The Train Ticket Scam (Throughout India)

During my very first week in India, I fell victim to this common tourist scam. My cousin and I were leaving Mumbai and heading north to Ahmedabad, so we found a random hole-in-the-wall travel agent who offered to book our train tickets so we didn’t have to go to the train station to secure them ahead of time.

While he did actually secure us train tickets, it was only the next day when we were smashed 10 people deep in the train car that we realized that he charged us for tickets on a fast train in the first class car but gave us tickets on a local commuter train that stopped at every station and took hours longer.

What You Should Do

Use reputable travel agents if you need help booking trains. There are many in each town, and we eventually found a truly lovely man in Udaipur who sat down with us and helped us built a train route and timeline for our two months in India. He then booked all of our tickets and took a fair commission on it.

Scam Danger Level

You’re only facing wounded pride with this one, which both of us had since we were experienced world travelers but had somehow missed this tourist scam while it was happening.

The Fake Tour Guide Scam (Occurs Throughout India)

Many travelers are going to book tours either directly through their hotel, or through a service like Get Your Guide or Viator. But when you’re boots on the ground in India, it may be tempting to hire a local guide of some tourist site you thought would be easily understood on your own.

This could be a good idea! India is a fascinating place steeped in rich history and culture, and local guides can provide context that even a great guidebook cannot.

But also be on guard because fake guides are pretty common throughout India. Scammers pose as official guides or locals offering their services pretty agressively and usually at the entrance to a tourist site. These scam tour guides may also approach you at right outside an airport or train station.

What You Should Do

To identify legitimate tour guides, look for proper identification badges or licenses, which legitimate guides should have. Additionally, research reputable guides beforehand or ask your hotel for recommendations.

Scam Danger Level

With this tourist scam, you’re not usually in any real danger assuming its daytime and you’re in a popular tourist spot—they just take your money and offer you a tour of varying quality. There’s no telling how much they actually know about the site in question.

The Flower Tourist Scam (Pushkar, India)

Pushkar is built around the holy lake and it’s really quite pretty, and there are a surprising number of interesting things to do in Pushkar. Restaurants and hotels offer views of this lake and it’s lovely. But as a new tourist in the city, it’s impossible to make a quiet pilgrimage to the lakeside. Locals take the pilgrimage to the water’s edge, then they pray and dip themselves in the water. It would be a beautiful ritual to witness and partake in.

The priests make that impossible for tourists.

Dressed in white kurta pajamas, they have perfected the solemn, holy look. Yet they nab new and unsuspecting tourists by shoving small fragrant flowers in the palms of their hands. Never, ever accept a flower as this then gives them power to demand exorbitant sums. Once you’re holding their flower, they usher you down the steps and encourage you to sit near the water while they chant a prayer.

All of this is fine and dandy, it’s fun and interesting to witness. For about four minutes the “priests”—I use this term loosely since this is mostly a tourist scam prominent in this city in India—invoked all of the Hindu gods and goddess to pray for my family members, for my health, my wealth, my success in career, success in love, and all manner of positive things that I could bring into my life. Then they splash lake water on your head, grab your hand, and ask you for a donation.

I’m not heartless either, this sort of ritual and small acts have been a constant part of traveling India these past week. And the man did bless my family and perform a very enthusiastic ritual. The issue is the high pressure for large sums of money. I offered the man 50 rupees (about $1) for his puja and prayers. But he had immediate and aggressive righteous indignation at the amount. He then requested as much as USD $100 and tried to intimidate us with threats.

What You Should Do

My cousin was standing nearby with another priest and we linked hands and fled. The men followed in rapid pursuit and they had multiplied. As we shoved our shoes back onto our feet, we had to physically push between the men thronging us and trying to intimidate us into paying up.

If you’re visiting Lake Pushkar, just do no engage even one little bit with anyone trying to bless you via flowers and prayers. It’s best to keep your hands in a fist and don’t make eye contact.

Scam Danger Level

This scam is unpleasant and can be a little scary as some of the priests even threaten police action. But it’s a total scam targeted at tourists and if you stay calm and disengage, they should do the same. Even at a nearby temple, the scam plays out similarly. Don’t accept any flowers, strings, or ribbons tied to your wrists.

The Bracelet or Bindi “Gift” Scam (Throughout India)

To that end, even though the flower tourist scam is unique to Pushkar, this type of scam is super common all over the world. In crowded tourist areas, scammers—often young children or women—approach you and insist on tying a bracelet or applying a bindi (a decorative forehead mark) as a gesture of goodwill or cultural tradition.

Once the bracelet or bindi is on you, the scammer demands payment, often at an exorbitant price. Just last year when my niece was visiting me in Barcelona, Spain we had to fend off this tourist scam when I was showing her the vibey Las Ramblas walking street. So it’s really common and you should, as a force of travel habit, never allow this scam to unfold, even if it seems innocuous.

What You Should Do

To avoid this scam, politely decline their offer and walk away. If they persist, firmly but politely refuse and keep moving. If you already somehow allowed the scammer to tie it to your wrist (as my niece had on the Ramblas), you can offer a fair price ($1-$2) or invite them to cut the bracelet from your wrist, or remove the bindi.

If you stand firm and offer a small bit of cash, they may accept it and stop hassling you. That said, it’s best to completely avoid this simple tourist scam because it’s sometimes a precursor to theft.

Scam Danger Level

It’s a pretty innocuous tourist scam most of the time—the scammers may be aggressive and adamant that you pay, but they won’t do you physical harm. But in some parts of the world (Paris and Barcelona come to mind), this scam is actually just a way to get you stationary amongst a crowd so that an accomplice can pickpocket you while you’re distracted.

Given that most travelers have expensive smartphones, wallets full of cash, and more—give this tourist scam a wide berth.

The Closed Tourist Site or Ticketing Office (Northern India & Throughout)

While certainly not isolated to India—you can find this tourist scam rampant in Bangkok—it’s fairly common for newbie travelers in India to fall for this one. Scammers may approach you near popular tourist sites or ticketing offices—usually just before you turn a corner and can actually see the site—claiming that the attraction or office is closed for the day.

They will then offer an alternative site, or even suggest purchasing tickets from a different location. Alternate versions of this are that they claim your pre-purchased tickets are fake, and of course they’re ready to sell you new ones.

What You Should Do

To avoid this scam, always verify the operating hours of tourist sites in advance through official sources—the website for the tourist spot—or reliable websites. If you want to purchase tickets ahead of time, do so directly from authorized ticket counters or online platforms like Get Your Guide or Viator. And know that the site you want to visit is almost surely open, so unless you’re dying for a multi-hour detour, just push on to the place you’re going.

Scam Danger Level

This is almost always just a way to get some money from you before you partake in a touristy site. You may even buy a legitimate ticket from the fake ticket office, but you can bet it’s at a highly elevated price. And if they tell you they’ll take you to another temple, they probably will—and they may even drop you back off hours later at the place you intended to visit in the first place!

The Poo on Your Shoe Scam (Throughout India)

This scam involves someone intentionally smearing a substance resembling feces on you without your knowledge, often in crowded areas. Then, another person poses as a good Samaritan and offers to help clean you up. Once they have “assisted” you, they demand money for their services.

What You Should Do

To avoid falling victim to this scam, be cautious of strangers who approach you with offers of help. If someone tries to clean you or your belongings unexpectedly, firmly refuse their assistance and move away quickly.

Scam Danger Level

They’ll hassle you hard and follow you for sometimes 5-10 minutes after you refuse to pay for their services, but if you stay calm and firm, they usually do too.

The Luggage Assistance Scam (Throughout India)

Along those same lines, here’s another time you should refuse assistance. This one is super common and if you’re spending any time in India you’ll have a chance to flex your scam-avoidance muscles. Scammers offer to help carry your luggage, particularly at train stations, bus stops, or airports, even without your request.

Once they have your luggage in their possession, they demand money in return for their “service,” often demanding an inflated amount.

What You Should Do

To avoid this scam, be firm and decline any unsolicited assistance. If you genuinely need help, seek assistance from official porters or authorized personnel and always confirm the price before allowing anyone to take possession of your belongings.

If the bus assistants have placed your bag on the ground near the bus, be aware of your belongings and keep a close eye on your luggage at all times so no one can scoop it up to “help” you.

Scam Danger Level

Given that the person has possession of something important, it’s a tricky situation when you’re working out how to avoid getting scammed once they already have your luggage. The reason this scam is so prevalent is precisely for that reason: most tourists pay something to the scammers to get their luggage back, and you can guarantee it’s far more than they would have paid to have a porter actually help them.

This is a scammier one than most and you should be on guard not to accidentally fall for it.

The Hotel Recommendation Scam (Throughout India)

If you’re traveling India overland, then you will undoubtedly encounter individuals on the streets offering you accommodation for the night. These touts usually represent the hotels and it’s safe to go with them and check out their hotel.

The scam comes into play if you already have a hotel booked and a scammer claims your hotel is closed or fully booked—and of course they offer alternative accommodations. These alternatives might be subpar or even non-existent. Or they may be exorbitantly overpriced because the scammer receives a fat commission.

What You Should Do

Always contact your hotel directly to verify any claims before making changes to your reservations. And if the scammer offers to call for you, don’t allow it! You should surely have a local SIM card for your phone, so to be sure that you’re actually speaking to your hotel, use the phone number associated with your booking.

Scam Danger Level

This scam can cost you a pretty penny if the scammers take you to an upscale hotel instead of your more budget accommodation. And it’s even worse if they take you to a place in a sketchy area, which you might not know because you haven’t been able to research it ahead of time. The vast likelihood is that your hotel is open, so find someone else who can help take you to it.

The Counterfeit Goods & Jewlery Scam (Throughout India)

In popular tourist areas, you may come across vendors selling counterfeit goods, including clothes, accessories, and electronics. Be cautious when purchasing items, as the quality may be poor or they may not function as expected. These goods are often cheap knockoffs that will far apart immediately, and there’s no chance you’ll be offered a refund.

Along those same lines, you may encounter people offering deals on gems or jewelry, claiming they are high-quality or have significant value. Exercise caution, as the vast majority of these “deals” turn out to be scams with inferior or fake products. Same goes for gold or silver jewelry when shopping in local markets.

What You Should Do

Stick to reputable stores or markets and compare prices before making a purchase. And always purchase gemstones or jewelry from certified dealers. You should even go so far as to get an appraisal before making very expensive purchases.

Scam Danger Level

Considering how much money you could drop on some of these items, this could turn out to be a very expensive tourist scam if you’re not aware of it before hand. While your physical safety won’t be impacted, your pride might be.

The “Local” Price on a Rickshaw Scam (Throughout India)

Auto-rickshaw or cycle-rickshaw drivers usually overcharge tourists—this is to be expected given that tourists rarely receive the actual “local” price of anything in India. But if the driver senses you’re completely unfamiliar with the local fares, they could really rip you off far more than the usual slight price increase I think of as a fair “tourist tax.”

What You Should Do

To avoid this, always negotiate the fare beforehand or insist on using the meter. To even know where you should be starting from in your negotiations, I always ask my hotel beforehand an average price I should aim for in my price haggling. And then I follow the rickshaw route on Google Maps, because I can’t tell you how many times the driver insisted they knew exactly where I wanted to go, but actually had no clue.

Alternatively, use ride-hailing apps like Uber or Ola, which provide transparent pricing, zero haggling, and you get to input your destination right there in the app.

Scam Danger Level

You may actually be none the wiser that you fell for this common tourist scam in India until days or weeks later when talking to another traveler about what they paid for a rickshaw ride.

The “Picking Up a Friend” Scam (Throughout India)

This scam is a tactic employed by some dishonest taxi or rickshaw drivers. The tourit scam usually starts innocently, with you hailing a taxi or rickshaw and the driver agreeing to take you to your destination. However, during the journey, the driver may claim the need to make a quick stop to pick up a friend, family member, or associate. This unexpected passenger is often used as a distraction in the upcoming scam.

Once the additional person enters the vehicle, things can take an unpleasant turn. The driver may start driving in a different direction or take a longer route, intentionally increasing the distance traveled and ultimately inflating the fare.

This manipulation of the situation is designed to extract more money from unsuspecting tourists. In some cases, the newly boarded passenger may also engage in conversation with you, diverting your attention from the driver’s actions.

These are the best case scenarios for this scam, because it can also take a darker turn, particularly for solo female travelers, when the friend is there to help the driver rob you and ditch you on the side of the road.

What You Should Do

To avoid falling victim to this scam, it’s crucial to take certain precautions. First and foremost, choose reliable modes of transportation such as licensed taxis or authorized ride-hailing services like Uber or Ola. These options often have more accountability and safety measures in place.

When getting into a taxi or rickshaw you hail on the road, negotiate and agree upon the fare in advance, or insist on using the meter to ensure transparency.

During the journey, if the driver suggests picking up a friend or making an unplanned stop, politely decline and firmly request to proceed directly to your destination without any detours. Follow the route on your smartphone, and if you notice the driver deviating from the expected route without a valid reason, question them or ask to be taken back to the original route.

If none of this is working, and you’re in a populated area, consider just bailing on the ride and using a ride hailing app to finish your trip.

In addition to these precautions, keep emergency numbers handy, such as the local police or tourist helpline. If you ever feel threatened or uncomfortable during the journey, don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance.

Scam Danger Level

This scam is almost always about extracting more money from you, either through simple distraction, which inflates your metered fare, or through intimidation when the “friend” is there to help rob you of your belongings.

Always, always follow your route on a map on your phone, and trust your instincts if things start feeling fishy. Get out of the vehicle immediately if you are still in a well populated area.

The Begging for Essentials Scam (Throughout India)

Look, if you’ve seen Slum Dog Millionaire (and you should if you haven’t!) then you’re already familiar with the fact that beggars are not always what they seem at first blush. One common class of scams you can find in India—and in places like Siem Reap, Cambodia—are the begging related ones.

This is a big racket in many towns, and usually takes place in towns/cities that have a very clearly backpackery/travel area of town. And it’s effective because it targets tourists by exploiting their goodwill.

How it plays out is this: Scammers approach tourists in crowded areas or popular tourist spots, pleading for the traveler to purchase essential items like food, medicine, or baby formula. They often create a sense of urgency and play upon the sympathies of tourists—and bypass your scam spidey senses because they ask you to purchase it for them! That sounds like a win, right?

However, the necessities you buy them are immediately turned back into cash. Women begging for milk or diapers usually have a deal with a local shopkeeper—tourists are charged large sums for the purchase, which the women later return and split profits with the shopkeeper.

What You Should Do

To avoid falling victim to this scam, support reputable charities by researching and donating directly to established organizations that work to provide assistance to those in need. By doing so, you can ensure your contribution is used effectively. Additionally, consider volunteering your time and skills with legitimate local organizations to make a direct and meaningful impact on the community.

While it is important to have compassion, it is equally crucial to exercise caution and make informed decisions when it comes to providing financial assistance to strangers. By being vigilant, supporting reputable charities, and offering assistance directly, you can contribute positively while minimizing the risk of falling victim to the “Begging for Essentials” scam.

Scam Danger Level

All they want is your money, so if you’ve already parted with it then they’ll leave you be.

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The fact is, most scams in India are all about getting your money, and very few threaten your safety. That said, where and when the scam is taking place can largely impact how it escalates—be extra cautious at night, or in places with few people nearby.