Common tourist scams in Ecuador and how to avoid them

Ecuador is a normal-travel-risk country for most visitors, but the scams here follow a few clear patterns. Almost all of them start with someone approaching you: a driver at the airport door, a stranger who wants to help at an ATM, a friendly local who points out a stain on your shirt. The single best defence is to keep moving and to arrange transport and money on your own terms.

Taxi scams are the most common. At Quito and Guayaquil airports, drivers outside the terminal quote flat rates far above the metered fare. Inside the terminal, official taxi counters and ride-hailing apps give you a fixed price. On the street, use an app or a licensed taxi with a working meter; if there is no meter, agree the price before you get in. A related risk is the express kidnapping, where a driver picks up extra passengers who rob you or forces you to withdraw cash at several ATMs. If a taxi stops to pick up strangers, get out in a public place.

Card fraud happens at ATMs and in restaurants. Skimmers and hidden cameras are the tools; the counter-move is to use machines inside banks or shopping centres during daylight, cover the keypad with your hand, and never let a stranger help you when the machine swallows your card. In restaurants, ask to walk to the card terminal yourself rather than handing your card to a waiter who disappears with it. Carry a second card and a small cash reserve in a different pocket.

Fake police and fake officials work on confusion. Someone shows a badge, says there is a drug check, and asks to see your wallet, your cash or your passport. Real officers do not inspect your money on the street, and you are not obliged to hand over your passport to a plain-clothes stranger. Offer to walk to the nearest police station. The same script appears as a fake hotel inspector, a fake tour guide or a fake charity collector.

Distraction theft is the low-tech one. On crowded buses, in markets and in Quito's old town, a bumped shoulder, a squirted sauce or a spilled drink is the setup while a second person takes your phone or wallet. Keep your bag in front of you, do not hang a phone around your neck, and treat any sudden physical contact as a signal to check your pockets. On overnight buses, keep your bag under your legs, not in the overhead rack.

Beach towns and party areas add drink spiking and inflated bar bills. Watch your drink being poured, do not leave it unattended, and check the bill against the menu before paying. In Montañita and similar spots, the same people who offer you a great deal on a tour or a hostel may be running a commission scam, so book through your accommodation or a licensed operator.

If you are scammed, report it. Call 911 for a crime in progress. For card fraud, contact your bank immediately and file a police report; the report number is what your insurer will ask for. For small losses, the practical move is to secure your remaining cards and cash first, then decide whether the paperwork is worth the hours.

Carry small US dollar notes. Ecuador uses the US dollar, and a $20 note for a $2 purchase marks you as a target and often cannot be changed.

Keep a decoy wallet with a few dollars and an expired card, and your real cash in a money belt or an inside pocket.

Photograph your passport and cards, and store the images in cloud storage, not only on the phone you might lose.

Use a bank ATM inside a mall or bank branch during the day; avoid machines on the street at night.

Set a daily withdrawal limit with your bank before you travel, so a skimmed card cannot be drained.

In Quito, stay in the busy parts of the old town and La Mariscal after dark, and take an app taxi rather than walking long blocks.

Learn the phrase no, gracias and keep walking; most scams need you to stop and talk.

If someone spills something on you, walk to a shop or hotel before cleaning up, and check your pockets first.