Most tourists find Buenos Aires one of the most charming cities they have visited. But a small portion of visitors leaves Argentina’s capital with a bad taste in their mouths. This is usually because they have the bad luck of falling for some of the tourist scams that lurk on the city’s streets.
To ensure you don’t fall for the same tourist scams in Buenos Aires, continue reading to find out the most common ones and how to avoid them.
Money Switch
People who use the “money switch” scam rely on the fact that many tourists are not quite familiar with Argentina’s currency and banknotes. The scammer, usually a taxi driver or street vendor, will tell you that the money you handed them is fake. They will return the bill and ask for a “genuine” one. However, there is a pretty big chance your money was real, and they just switched it with a fake one while you were not looking.
Mustard Scam
This is a popular scam operated by pickpocketers that have several iterations in Buenos Aires. In most cases, you will be approached by an individual who will tell you that you have a mustard stain on your clothes. While you try to figure out how it got there, their accomplice will come from behind and try to steal your valuables.
Fellow Tourist in Trouble
This type of scam is usually operated by foreigners who live in Buenos Aires. The scammer will approach tourists and introduce themselves as fellow tourists in trouble. They usually say they are robbed and need some emergency cash until their family sends help or something like that. However, in most instances, these “tourists in trouble” are unfortunately just scammers looking to get your money.