Common tourist scams in India and how to avoid them

The scams that cost most travellers money in India are transport and ticket touts. A driver says your hotel is closed or full, a rickshaw meter is 'broken', or an agent near a station says trains are sold out and offers a 'confirmed' ticket at a markup.

The fix is a short list of habits, not local knowledge. Pre-book an airport transfer or use the official prepaid taxi booth. Use app-based cabs where the fare is fixed in the app. Agree the total fare before you sit down. Book trains and monument tickets only on official portals. Carry small notes so you are not dependent on a stranger for change.

If a price changes after you agreed, or a driver insists on a shop, emporium or 'friend's' travel office, end the trip and walk to a public place. That single move defeats most of the scripts below.

Scams in India cluster around three choke points: arrival, transport and shopping. At airports and railway stations, men in lanyards offer to 'help' with a taxi or a hotel booking and steer you to a commission property. The fix is simple: pre-book a transfer or use the official prepaid taxi booth, and never accept a hotel recommendation from someone who approached you.

On the street, the rickshaw or taxi meter is the classic lever. You are told the meter is broken, the destination is closed today, or the fare is 'per person'. Agree the total price before you sit down, or use an app-based cab where the fare is fixed in the app. If a driver insists on taking you to a shop, a 'government emporium' or a 'friend's' travel office, that is the scam, not the destination.

Ticket and booking fraud is the second family. Agents near stations sell 'confirmed' train tickets that do not exist, or claim the official counter is closed. Book trains and e-tickets on the official Indian Railways portal or app, and buy monument tickets at the official window or the ASI online site. Touts also sell overpriced 'skip-the-line' packages at major sites that include nothing you cannot buy yourself.

Shopping and 'investment' scams take longer to run. Gemstones, carpets, pashminas and 'antiques' are sold with a story about export duty, a family workshop or a guaranteed resale value. The rule is to buy only what you can inspect and value yourself, never as an investment, and never with a card swipe in a back room. Card skimming and ATM 'help' — someone offering to assist while watching your PIN — are the cash-side version.

Online, the risks are fake e-visa sites, fake hotel listings and phishing links sent by 'booking' messages. Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal, and book accommodation through platforms you can dispute with.

Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are less common than touting but real in crowded markets, on packed trains and at festival sites. Wear a bag across your body with the zip facing in, keep your phone out of your back pocket, and split cash between two places. On overnight trains, use a chain or lock for your main bag.

If something goes wrong, stay calm and get to a safe, public place. For card or online fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it through the official channels listed by your government's travel advice. For anything urgent, 112 reaches police, fire and ambulance.

None of this should stop you going. The overwhelming majority of trips to India pass without a single incident; the scams above are predictable, and once you know the script they are easy to spot.