Common scams in Peru

The scams you'll actually run into

1. Fake airport taxis

   Drivers inside Lima's arrivals hall offer rides at three to five times the fair price, and a few take detours to quiet areas for robbery.

   H.A.C.K. · Authority

   The move — Book an official airport taxi at the counters past customs (Green Taxi, Taxi Directo) or an app pickup. Don't take a car from someone who approached you.

2. “Brake check” / choke robbery in traffic

   In slow Lima traffic, someone reaches through an open window, or an accomplice “taps” your taxi from behind so you stop, then robs you.

   H.A.C.K. · Kill-Switch

   The move — Ride with windows up and doors locked, bag on the floor not the seat, phone away. Choose app rides over street taxis.

3. Inca Trail and Machu Picchu operator scams

   Cheap “Inca Trail” tours sold on Cusco streets may have no permit (the trail is strictly limited), substitute a different route, or collect deposits and vanish.

   H.A.C.K. · Hurry

   The move — Book months ahead with a licensed operator listed by the Peruvian authorities. A same-week Inca Trail offer on the street is not real.

4. Currency: fake notes and the “no change” switch

   You're given a counterfeit sol or dollar note in change, or a vendor claims no change and keeps a large note, or swaps your good note for a torn one.

   H.A.C.K. · Comfort

   The move — Check notes for the watermark and feel, carry small denominations, and count change before walking away.

5. Cusco “free” street gifts and blessings

   Women in traditional dress pose for photos or put a baby llama in your arms, then demand payment; “healers” offer a blessing and then a price.

   H.A.C.K. · Hurry

   The move — Agree a small price before any photo, or decline. Don't let anyone hand you an animal or an item first.

What these scams have in common

Most Peru scams lean on Hurry. Whatever the trick, the way out is the same three moves — Pause · Assess · Talk: stop before you pay, hand over a document or follow someone; ask what the request really wants; then say it out loud to someone you trust, or your bank on the number from your card.

Peru travel-scam FAQ

Official travel advisories for Peru

Fraud and scam wording pulled from the official Canadian and New Zealand travel advisories. Use the government sources for current travel decisions.

Scam guides for nearby destinations

H.A.C.K. — the four pressure tactics

Every scam on this page is tagged with the tactic it uses. Recognise the tactic, not the trick.

H Hurry

Urgency. A deadline, a countdown or a “right now” that leaves no time to check.

A Authority

Officialdom. A badge, a title, a uniform or an official-sounding request you feel you can't question.

C Comfort

Familiarity. A friendly local, a routine or an emotion that makes the request feel safer than it is.

K Kill-Switch

The cut-off. The moment you're pushed to pay, click, hand over a document or follow someone — before you can verify.

The way out of all four: Pause · Assess · Talk.