travel scams

7 Travel Scams — and How to Avoid them

Published August 11, 2022 | By Clark Norton

ATMs are the best option for getting cash on the road. -- but watch out for fees.

I admit, as vigilant as I try to be, I’ve been an unwitting victim of a few travel scams over the years.

I’ve been taken for a ride (in more ways than one) by a tuk-tuk driver in Singapore. I’ve fallen for charming stories by a jewelry hawker on the beach in St. Lucia, and once got ripped off for some rupees by a “mind-reader” in India. I’ve even had to fend off fake police officers in the Dominican Republic.

Probably the most egregious scam was one my wife and I fell for in Shanghai a few years ago; it’s a long story, but involved some super-slick con artists who invited us to what proved to be a very expensive “tea ceremony,” which lightened my wallet considerably. The con artists were so engaging that we even debated for a day or so whether or not we’d actually been scammed. It… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, travel fears, travel finances, travel mishaps, travel mistakes, travel scams | Tagged ATM theft scams, baby boomer travel, con artists, Fake police officer scams, Public Wi-Fi scams, Ticket scams, travel scams, Tuk-Tuk scams, vacation rental scams | 1 Comment

My New Year’s Travel Resolutions

Published December 31, 2015 | By Clark Norton

Don’t forget to renew your passport if it expires within six months.

I WILL pack lightly enough to get all my clothes and gear into carry-on sized bags. That means eliminating the third pair of shoes I never wear, the extra shirts I bring “just in case” I might need them, and all the other extras that force me into larger suitcases. (This will be a challenge for Antarctica, where I’m headed in February, but if I have to wear three coats on the plane, so be it.)
I WILL buy one of those nifty, easy-to-maneuver four-wheeled suitcases (carry-on size, of course) that everyone in the world now seems to have but me.
I WILL get a new passport by October 2016, since my current one expires in April 2017. (Don’t ask me why so many countries now require your passport to have six months’ validity after your planned… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Blogging, Holidays, Packing | Tagged China, flights, flying, luggage, Mom's Restaurant, New Year's Resolutions, New Year's travel, packing, passport renewal, suitcases, travel scams | Leave a comment

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.