India: High Risk — watch out for fake tourism offices & gem investment scams.
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High Risk: Fake tourism offices & gem investment scams. Unofficial "government tourism offices" near train stations redirect travelers to commission-paying travel agents, and gem shops sometimes push "investment opportunity" purchases that are worthless outside the shop. Book only through verified official channels, and agree on rickshaw/taxi fares before you get in.
India: High Risk — watch out for fake tourism offices & gem investment scams. Unofficial "government tourism offices" near train stations redirect travelers to commission-paying travel agents, and gem shops sometimes push "investment opportunity" purchases that are worthless outside the shop. Book only through verified official channels, and agree on rickshaw/taxi fares before you get in.
A well-documented, actively-run scam catches tourists here regularly — read the note above carefully so you know exactly what to watch for.
Agree on prices before getting into a taxi, be skeptical of unusually friendly strangers steering you somewhere specific, and never sign anything or accept food/drinks from someone you just met. The single biggest risk for this destination is noted above — general street-smarts cover the rest.
Not at all — millions of tourists visit safely every year. Knowing the one scam pattern that catches people most often is simply the best, cheapest defense there is, since it's designed specifically to look harmless until it's too late.
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