United States
Common tourist scams in United States and how to avoid them
The most common US tourist scams are fake ticket sellers, restaurant bill padding and tip-screen pressure, unlicensed airport and street taxis, rental-car damage claims, and card skimmers at pumps and ATMs. Pay by card or phone where you can, book cars through apps, and photograph the rental before you drive off. If you are scammed, dispute the charge with your card issuer and file a report with local police and the FTC.
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Key facts
- Highest-risk settings
- Times Square and similar squares, airport curbs, gas pumps, tourist restaurant strips
- Most common single scam
- Overcharging and bill padding at tourist restaurants, plus tip-screen pressure
- Card skimming
- Gas pumps and standalone ATMs are the usual targets; use chip or tap inside
- Fake tickets
- Buy from the venue box office or an official app, not street sellers
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance) everywhere
- Report a scam
- Local police non-emergency line; FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; card issuer for a chargeback
- Sales tax
- Prices are shown before sales tax; the total at the register is higher
Details by situation
Scams in the US cluster around three places: the tourist square, the airport curb and the rental-car desk. Each has a standard playbook, and each has a simple counter-move.
On the street, the classic is the CD or bracelet hand-off: someone presses an item into your hand, then demands payment. The counter is to keep walking and never take an object you did not ask for. Fake ticket sellers work the same squares, offering show or attraction tickets at a discount; buy at the box office or through the venue's own app instead. Three-card-monte tables and 'free' photo or caricature offers that end with a demand for cash are the same family of trick.
At the airport, unlicensed drivers approach arrivals and quote a flat rate that grows on the way. Book through a rideshare app or take the marked taxi rank, and confirm the meter or the app price before you get in. Rental cars are the other airport trap: damage claims for scratches that were already there. Walk the car with your phone before you leave the lot, photograph all four corners, the roof, the windscreen and the fuel gauge, and keep the timestamped images until the deposit is released.
At restaurants, the two recurring issues are bill padding (items you did not order, or a service charge added on top of an expected tip) and tip-screen pressure at counters. Check the itemised bill before paying, and remember that a sit-down tip of 18–22% is the norm while counter service usually needs nothing. Card skimmers sit on gas pumps and standalone ATMs; pay inside at the pump, use a bank-branded ATM, and cover the keypad.
Summary table
| Scam | Where it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| CD or bracelet hand-off | Tourist squares, stations | Do not take the item; keep walking |
| Fake tickets | Theatre districts, attraction queues | Buy at the box office or official app |
| Unlicensed taxi | Airport arrivals, station curbs | Use a rideshare app or the marked rank |
| Rental-car damage claim | Airport rental lots | Photograph the car before driving off |
| Bill padding and tip-screen pressure | Tourist restaurant strips, counters | Check the itemised bill; tip 18–22% only at sit-down meals |
| Card skimming | Gas pumps, standalone ATMs | Pay inside; use bank ATMs; cover the keypad |
| Fake charity or petition | Squares, transit entrances | Decline and keep moving |
Patterns vary by city; treat any unsolicited approach in a tourist area as a sales pitch.
Tips
Carry a card and a phone wallet as your default, and keep only small cash for tips. Most US transactions are tap-to-pay, which limits what a skimmer can capture.
Set your card's transaction alerts before you fly so an unexpected charge reaches you the same day. Disputes are easier with a timestamp.
If a price is quoted in cash only, or a 'discount' depends on paying outside the till, walk away.
Keep the local police non-emergency number saved, and use 911 only for emergencies. For consumer fraud, the FTC complaint form is the paper trail your card issuer will want.
Tipping is expected, not a scam: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis. Knowing the norm makes it easier to spot a padded bill.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What are the most common tourist scams in United States?
Fake ticket sellers, CD or bracelet hand-offs in tourist squares, unlicensed airport taxis, rental-car damage claims, restaurant bill padding and tip-screen pressure, and card skimmers on gas pumps and standalone ATMs. Most cluster around tourist squares, airport curbs and rental desks.
Is United States safe from pickpockets?
Pickpocketing is less common than in many European tourist cities, but bag-snatching and distraction theft happen in crowded squares and on transit. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket, and do not leave bags on chairs in busy cafés.
What should I do if I am scammed in United States?
Stop the transaction, note the time and place, and dispute the charge with your card issuer. File a report with the local police non-emergency line and a complaint with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For rental-car damage claims, send your timestamped photos to the company in writing.
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