Common Scams & How to Avoid Them in Pensacola, Florida, United States
1. Beachfront Scam
Fraudsters offer to find you a lost valuable at the beach and ask for compensation. Avoid by not handing over money until you're sure the item is truly lost.
- Unsolicited Finders: Stranger finds your valuables, claims to return it only if rewarded.
- Public Beach Area: Beaches in Pensacola are public, making it common for finders to appear.
- High-value Items: Valuables such as jewelry or electronics targeted.
2. Parking Lot Scam
Scammers offer to watch your car while you shop, then disappear with your belongings. Avoid by parking in attended lots or keeping valuables hidden.
- Valet Service Imposter: Person posing as a legitimate valet service to steal your belongings.
- Public Parking Spots: Parking lots near popular tourist attractions often targeted.
- Valuable Items in Sight: Scammers look for visible valuables to target.
3. Fake Tour Guide
Unlicensed guides approach tourists offering sightseeing tours. Avoid by booking through reputable agencies or using maps provided by the city.
- Unauthorized Guides: Individuals without proper licensing offering tours.
- Attractive Offers: Tour offers seem too good to be true, often underpriced.
- Popular Tourist Spots: Scammers operate near well-known attractions.
4. Fraudulent Ticket Vendor
Counterfeit ticket sellers offer tickets to events and attractions. Avoid by purchasing from official box offices or authorized vendors.
- Counterfeit Tickets: Tickets are fake, allowing scammers entry instead of ticket holders.
- High-demand Events: Scammers capitalize on events with high attendance and demand for tickets.
- Unfamiliar Vendors: Sellers not associated with official venues or vendors.
5. Taxi Scam
Drivers charge inflated fares or drive long routes. Avoid by using licensed cabs or ride-sharing services.
- Inflated Fares: Driver charges a higher price than the actual fare.
- Long Routes: Driver takes a longer route to increase the fare.
- Unlicensed Cabs: Cab without proper licensing or identification.
6. Souvenir Shop Scam
Overpriced or fake souvenirs sold. Avoid by researching prices beforehand and shopping at reputable stores.
- High Prices: Prices for souvenirs are significantly higher than average.
- Fraudulent Items: Souvenir is fake, not as described or of poor quality.
- Unfamiliar Shops: Shops not associated with reputable brands or chains.
7. Restaurant Scam
Fraudulent restaurants serve small portions or overcharge. Avoid by researching prices and reading reviews before dining.
- Small Portions: Portion sizes are much smaller than expected.
- Overpriced Meals: Prices for meals are significantly higher than average.
- Poor Reviews: Restaurant has consistently negative reviews or poor ratings.
8. Accommodation Scam
Rental properties advertised as high-quality but are substandard. Avoid by booking through reputable platforms or contacting the property owner directly.
- Subpar Accommodations: The rental is in poor condition, not as described.
- Fraudulent Listings: Listing misrepresents the property or its quality.
- Unfamiliar Platforms: Rental platform not well-known or reputable.
9. ATM Scam
Skimming devices attached to ATMs steal your card information. Avoid by using ATMs located inside banks or familiar establishments.
- Skimming Devices: Device captures card data during transactions.
- Isolated ATMs: ATM is located in an isolated or unsupervised area.
- Unfamiliar Machines: ATM not associated with a reputable bank or financial institution.
10. Wi-Fi Scam
Public Wi-Fi networks allow hackers to access your personal information. Avoid by using a VPN or cellular data when connecting to unsecured networks.
- Unsecured Networks: Wi-Fi network is not password protected or encrypted.
- Hackers Intercepting Data: Hackers can intercept data transmitted over the network.
- Free Wi-Fi Spots: Public areas or businesses offering free Wi-Fi are often targeted.
11. Charity Scam
Fraudulent collectors pose as charity workers to solicit donations. Avoid by researching charities before giving and confirming their legitimacy.
- Unverified Charities: Charity is not officially registered or recognized.
- High-pressure Tactics: Collector uses pressure to solicit donations quickly.
- Avoiding Questions: Collector is evasive or unable to provide information about the charity.
12. Timeshare Scam
Salespeople pressure tourists into purchasing timeshares with false promises. Avoid by politely declining and reporting any aggressive solicitation.
- High-pressure Sales Tactics: Salesperson uses high-pressure tactics to convince you.
- False Promises: Promises of substantial returns on investment or luxury accommodations.
- Aggressive Solicitation: Salespeople are persistent and aggressive, following you to harass.
13. Car Rental Scam
Rental car agencies charge for damages that were already present or inflate the cost of repairs. Avoid by thoroughly inspecting the vehicle before renting and taking photos as evidence.
- Preexisting Damages: Rental car has existing damages not disclosed at the time of rental.
- Inflated Repair Costs: Cost of repairs is significantly higher than average.
- Unfamiliar Rental Agencies: Rental agency not well-known or associated with a reputable chain.
14. Carnival Scam
Game booth operators manipulate games to ensure you lose and spend more. Avoid by playing only games where the outcome is based on skill or chance.
- Manipulated Games: Game operator manipulates game or rigs outcomes.
- Prizes of Low Value: Winning prize is much less valuable than the amount spent.
- Excessive Spending: Spending large amounts of money with no hope of winning.
15. Street Performance Scam
Performers ask for payment after a seemingly free performance. Avoid by not paying unless you are satisfied with the performance.
- Unexpected Payment Request: Performer asks for payment after a supposedly free performance.
- Low-quality Performances: Performance is of poor quality or not as described.
- Busy Streets and Tourist Areas: Street performers often operate near popular tourist attractions.