Ah, Bali—warm weather, picture-perfect beaches, stunning culture, and smiling people.

Unfortunately, it also has a handful of scams waiting to befall unsuspecting tourists.

Don’t get us wrong; we’re not singling them out. This is the case with many overseas tourist hubs—criminals see ways to fleece people out of their money, they take it.

While we here at the SDC aren't encouraging you to shy away from seeing the world, it's important to always keep your wits about you–even if you're in an idyllic location.

Recently, an Australian woman who had chosen to holiday in Bali was keen enough to capture the swindlers trying to dupe a father and son out of their money and put out a warning for other unsuspecting tourists.

The concerned woman shared a photo of the trio–whom she said appeared to be of non-Bali descent–trying to get away with a sly scam.

An Australian woman has alerted fellow travellers after catching would-be thieves in the act. Credit: Facebook.

'These three walked past me and my husband and looked dodgy as,' the woman captioned the photo. 'Saw them approach a father and son, and I walked past to listen to the conversation.'

The method of the thieving trio? Pretending to be interested in understanding the foreign currencies of the unsuspecting tourists they encountered, they asked to see their money and further discuss its value compared to the Indonesian currency.

This distraction created an opportunity for one of the thieving cohorts to steal the belongings of the victimised tourist who was distracted by the conversation.

The sharp eye of the witness exposed the scandal and sent the trio to a hasty retreat.

'The lady was looking at me while I pulled out my big phone. Took a nice clear photo, and then they bolted out pretty quickly!' The witness said.

A number of tourists reacted online, commending the woman for her diligence in this matter. Sadly, it appears her suspicions were correct.

Many of them also seemed to recognise the faces in the photo, with one traveller saying, 'It's been going on for quite a while in Bali. They snatch and bolt out to a waiting car.'

Another traveller added, 'Yes, this is the couple that tried it on us. The third guy is the driver. Usually, he is nearby. If they see you have enough booty in your wallet, they swipe it and run off with it, separating. It then gets passed on to the driver nearby so that if they get caught, they don't have the evidence on them.'

If you're considering travelling overseas, Smartraveller–the Australian Government's official travel advice service–recommends being aware of the risks and keeping your eyes peeled in crowded public spaces.

The advice is to stay alert and treat any unusual event as a potential pickpocketing attempt. It also suggests putting valuables in pockets that are harder to access and using a tamper-proof backpack or handbag.

This way, if something does happen, travellers won't be left penniless and in a foreign far away.

Plus, when it comes to currency swapping, only go to authorised money changers. Unauthorised money changers have been known to scam innocent tourists, so be vigilant and well-researched before committing to anything.

Key Takeaways

• An Australian woman holidaying in Bali has warned others about a scam targeting tourists.
• She shared a photo of three individuals who approached tourists asking about international currencies and asking to see their home country's money.
• It's believed this is part of a scheme where one of the scammers steals belongings while tourists are distracted.
• Official Australian travel advice service Smartraveller has advised tourists to be alert in areas with known pickpocketing activity, treat unusual events as possible pickpocket attempts and secure valuables in tamper-proof backpacks or bags.

Members, if you're thinking of travelling anytime soon, just remember to know the risks, stay alert, and if something suspicious starts happening, act swiftly and contact the authorities. This way, you won't fall victim to scams.

Have you ever been to Bali? Have you had any similar experiences? Share them with us in the comments below!

 

[MariaG]

Very caring thing to do on the part of the witness.
I don't travel, however, have heard stories from acquaintances who have seen this kind of thing.

A friend of mine did an around the world cruise. When asked what was the highlight, he said Japan. They are very polite and don't take nonsense lightly, and, you feel safe walking about as a tourist. (that was years ago...don't know about things now).
The most disappointing was Egypt. Apparently there is a lot of poverty and tourists are targeted, sometimes quite aggressively.

I don't think it matters where you are. There will always be someone trying to take advantage of people.
Mind you. It can be in your own home with the internet the way it is.

 

[Shane/#]

Ah, Bali—warm weather, picture-perfect beaches, stunning culture, and smiling people.

Unfortunately, it also has a handful of scams waiting to befall unsuspecting tourists.

Don’t get us wrong; we’re not singling them out. This is the case with many overseas tourist hubs—criminals see ways to fleece people out of their money, they take it.

While we here at the SDC aren't encouraging you to shy away from seeing the world, it's important to always keep your wits about you–even if you're in an idyllic location.

Recently, an Australian woman who had chosen to holiday in Bali was keen enough to capture the swindlers trying to dupe a father and son out of their money and put out a warning for other unsuspecting tourists.

The concerned woman shared a photo of the trio–whom she said appeared to be of non-Bali descent–trying to get away with a sly scam.

View attachment 28888

An Australian woman has alerted fellow travellers after catching would-be thieves in the act. Credit: Facebook.

'These three walked past me and my husband and looked dodgy as,' the woman captioned the photo. 'Saw them approach a father and son, and I walked past to listen to the conversation.'

The method of the thieving trio? Pretending to be interested in understanding the foreign currencies of the unsuspecting tourists they encountered, they asked to see their money and further discuss its value compared to the Indonesian currency.

This distraction created an opportunity for one of the thieving cohorts to steal the belongings of the victimised tourist who was distracted by the conversation.

The sharp eye of the witness exposed the scandal and sent the trio to a hasty retreat.

'The lady was looking at me while I pulled out my big phone. Took a nice clear photo, and then they bolted out pretty quickly!' The witness said.

A number of tourists reacted online, commending the woman for her diligence in this matter. Sadly, it appears her suspicions were correct.

Many of them also seemed to recognise the faces in the photo, with one traveller saying, 'It's been going on for quite a while in Bali. They snatch and bolt out to a waiting car.'

Another traveller added, 'Yes, this is the couple that tried it on us. The third guy is the driver. Usually, he is nearby. If they see you have enough booty in your wallet, they swipe it and run off with it, separating. It then gets passed on to the driver nearby so that if they get caught, they don't have the evidence on them.'

If you're considering travelling overseas, Smartraveller–the Australian Government's official travel advice service–recommends being aware of the risks and keeping your eyes peeled in crowded public spaces.

The advice is to stay alert and treat any unusual event as a potential pickpocketing attempt. It also suggests putting valuables in pockets that are harder to access and using a tamper-proof backpack or handbag.

This way, if something does happen, travellers won't be left penniless and in a foreign far away.

Plus, when it comes to currency swapping, only go to authorised money changers. Unauthorised money changers have been known to scam innocent tourists, so be vigilant and well-researched before committing to anything.

Key Takeaways

• An Australian woman holidaying in Bali has warned others about a scam targeting tourists.
• She shared a photo of three individuals who approached tourists asking about international currencies and asking to see their home country's money.
• It's believed this is part of a scheme where one of the scammers steals belongings while tourists are distracted.
• Official Australian travel advice service Smartraveller has advised tourists to be alert in areas with known pickpocketing activity, treat unusual events as possible pickpocket attempts and secure valuables in tamper-proof backpacks or bags.

Members, if you're thinking of travelling anytime soon, just remember to know the risks, stay alert, and if something suspicious starts happening, act swiftly and contact the authorities. This way, you won't fall victim to scams.

Have you ever been to Bali? Have you had any similar experiences? Share them with us in the comments below!

Last place I'd go too subcontinent hole 🕳

 

[Veggiepatch]

I've only been to Bali once and that was in 1981.The only scam I saw was actually quite funny. A Yank (possibly a businessman on holidays) was with two Javanese women at a beachfront bar at about 7 in the morning. He definitely had about six Wild Turkeys too many and was quite shattered.

The two women, who were either prostitutes or conwomen, took turns at giving the Yank a big sloppy kiss. Each time this happened, the non kisser would help herself to his almost inch high stack of 10,000 rupiah notes (at the time - about AU$14 each). I estimated that they fleeced him of several hundred dollars in the time I was there.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Last place I'd go too subcontinent hole 🕳

If you haven't been, how can you comment???

 

[mylittletibbies]

I've only been to Bali once and that was in 1981.The only scam I saw was actually quite funny. A Yank (possibly a businessman on holidays) was with two Javanese women at a beachfront bar at about 7 in the morning. He definitely had about six Wild Turkeys too many and was quite shattered.

The two women, who were either prostitutes or conwomen, took turns at giving the Yank a big sloppy kiss. Each time this happened, the non kisser would help herself to his almost inch high stack of 10,000 rupiah notes (at the time - about AU$14 each). I estimated that they fleeced him of several hundred dollars in the time I was there.

10,000 rupiah is only about $1, and was about the same back in 1981also when I was there. Did you mean 100,000 rupiah, about $10.

 

[Veggiepatch]

10,000 rupiah is only about $1, and was about the same back in 1981also when I was there. Did you mean 100,000 rupiah, about $10.

When I first cashed a traveller's cheque on that trip it was about 697 rupiah to the dollar. The exchange rate dropped severely over the next decade or so according to mates who subsequently travelled to Bali. Also, in 1981, the 10,000 rupiah note was the largest denomination in circulation.