Morocco: the most common scams spotted by travelers

A recent conversation on Reddit, titled "What’s the worst scam you’ve fallen victim to while traveling?", reveals common traps that tourists, especially those visiting Morocco but also other destinations, may face. Overcharging by taxis and tricks around banknotes are at the top of the list.

The problem of unscrupulous taxi drivers seems to be a recurring concern. Many internet users advise the utmost caution. In Morocco, for example, a Reddit user claims that many drivers "tell you their meter is broken and charge you high fees." He recounts: "I literally had to leave the taxis because they were always overcharging." A testimony corroborated by another: "Taxis in foreign countries can be a real scam, especially when they see you as a tourist." However, a glimmer of hope is brought by the advent of ride-hailing apps. This same user notes that "Uber has helped a lot, at least they have good customer service." An opinion shared by another, for whom "Uber and other ridesharing services have completely changed the game when they appeared."

Another source of misadventures for uninformed travelers: manipulation of the local currency. For those discovering Morocco, a good knowledge of the dirham is advised to avoid scams. User "Harperfin" had a bitter experience, explaining that the purple 20 dirham bill (about 1.80 euros) can be confused with the blue 200 dirham bill (about 18 euros). "A waiter in a restaurant scammed me by taking my money, then running out and insisting that I had mistakenly given him a lower-value bill. He distracted me by waving the money around and speaking quickly," he detailed.

This type of scheme is unfortunately not the prerogative of a single destination. User "NoStructure371" reports a similar misadventure that occurred in the Netherlands. "A similar thing happened to me in Amsterdam. A beer cost eight euros and I gave him 50 euros and the bartender gave me back a two-euro coin without it being serious, making me lose 40 euros thinking I wouldn’t say anything," he testifies.