Siem Reap scams · Scams in Siem Reap

Scams in Siem Reap

Most local are decent people just trying to make an honest living but a few shady characters try every trick to take advantage of travellers good will. Be alert to deceptive dealers, but don't let suspicion ruin your trip. Convenience stores have been known to give incorrect change and pocket the rest. Check your change before you walk out of the store and point out any short changing. Most likely they will admit to their "mistake" and give you the right change. Street vendors and beggars in competition for generous travellers' handouts have developed cunning, if underhanded, techniques to get your attention (and money). The "beggar army" of young children will come up to you in the crowd and grab your hands, leading you to a store where they will then try and have you buy food/baby milk/water for them. Baby milk (infant formula) seems to be a popular one. It might sound like a more humanitarian way to help than simply giving them money, but once you leave the store the goods you bought for them are sold back to the store owners or to other locals and the cash goes to an adult. Young women with babies cradled in a krama perform a similar trick. Donation-collectors for orphanages may approach you in the street claiming to be volunteer workers, showing you convincing photos of themselves in the orphanage and a clip board listing the generous donations made by foreign travellers. Though these young adults may be well groomed and speak excellent English it's possible that your donation will go directly into their pockets. A donation (either of money, or your time) to a recognised Charity might be a better way to help.

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Siem Reap Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

Scams in Siem Reap