Planning a trip to the Philippines left me feeling strangely suspended between a sense of modernity and tradition. On one hand, the internet spoke extensively of all the contemporary marvels that this archipelagic gem boasted – from the towering skyline of Makati to the cutting-edge architecture in Taguig and Cebu; and yet, on the other, I found a whole tangled web of narratives spun with cautionary threads, weaving tales of danger and caution about venturing through the archipelago as a traveller.

It was a paradoxical prelude; and so many of these ‘TRAVELLERS BEWARE’ situations carried such life of their own that they seemed to appear on every other blogger’s list – even as it was not immediately clear if the writers themselves actually personally experienced these things firsthand.

As I began to embark on my own adventure into the Philippines, tentative and curious about the unfortunate notoriety that plagues the country’s travel landscape, I grew increasingly eager to unravel the dichotomy between what was shown, and what is being seen. What if, I thought, I dove deeper into these narratives and unravelled them as my own? Are there truths to any of these ‘Tourist Scams’ that are being bandied about – and if so, how bad is the situation on the ground?  

I shortlisted 7 of the seemingly most rampant Travel Scams in the Philippines, and put them through the test. Here’s how they fared:

1. THE TANIM-BALA BULLET PLANTING SCAM

WHERE IT HAPPENS: At the Airport, On Arrival

HOW IT HAPPENS: Allegedly, individuals (usually in cahoots with airport staff) plant live bullets (yes, like literal ammunition) in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers on arrival. Passengers are then threatened with legal action unless they paid a fine, which is effectively extortion since none of the entire episode would be recorded under any official capacity.

DID IT HAPPEN TO ME: No.

TRUTH RATING: 5/5

Unfortunately, this scam is 100% real. The Tanim-Bala Bullet Planting Scam was such an epidemic for a short-lived period between 2015 and 2016 that it even found its way on to the radars of CNN. Even though much of it has since been quelched thanks to the iron-fisted ways of President Duterte; sadly, the corruption lives on. It’s definitely a lot less rampant these days though, and seems to be concentrated only at airports in Manila.

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF: Use hard-shell luggage with TSA locks, and do not check in bags that are made of canvas or any material that can easily be cut through or accessed.

Just in case you really do land in this pickle, KNOW that it has already been stipulated as law that air travellers must not be arrested or inconvenienced with delayed travel, if the reason is in relation to locating ammunition in the luggage.

Be strong, be assertive, show zero fear and do not back down – because the fact is that they actually do let up surprisingly easily. Think about it: they have a steady stream of easy prey every day; there’s no reason for them to cling on to you if they get the feeling that you’re going to be more ‘trouble’ than you’re worth. Muster confidence and tell them to hold, as you will have to contact your embassy. Or a lawyer. Or any person/bureau you believe will call their bluff and instil fear/panic. If you’re local and personally know mayors/grassroots leaders/politicians/influential public figures, name drop and then make a show of calling them.

Whatever you do, do not ever touch the ‘evidence’ or your fingerprints will be all over them.

2. MYRIAD TAXI SCAMS (CRIMES??)

WHERE IT HAPPENS: In the Taxi

HOW IT HAPPENS: This travel scam is multi-fold:

(A) Taxi Fare ‘Inflation’
The cabbie informs you that his meter is ‘broken’, and then tries to overcharge you on an inflated fixed fare. Alternatively, they may run the meter, but take the longest route possible so your fare gets unnecessarily inflated.

(B) Child Snatching (Batang Hamog)
The title is a little misleading because it’s not your children that will be snatched – it’s children that will do the snatching. This typically happens in really bad traffic where your car is practically at standstill. Street kids (they usually operate in groups) will randomly open doors and try to snatch whatever valuables they can see.

(C) Alleyway Ambush (Biglang Sakay)
This is a whole operation: your driver takes a particularly bizarre detour – usually through isolated streets and alleyways, where a couple of his accomplices or so will be waiting to board the car for a planned ambush. Passengers have been murdered in these instances before, for fighting back.

(D) Chemical Spraying (Bimpo)
Solo travellers are the primary target– the driver allegedly sprays something into the air or leave a (pre-soaked) cloth directly in front of the aircon vent that knocks you out cold; and then robs you after. When you eventually come to, you’ll find yourself abandoned by the side of the road, robbed clean of your belongings.

DID IT HAPPEN TO ME: No.

TRUTH RATING: 3/5

I mean, the fact that there are SO MANY? I cannot simply dismiss the entire narrative as Myth.

I can, however, say that I cabbed exclusively while in the Philippines, and never encountered anything close to all of these examples above, which is why I tempered down my Rating to 3- because, as bad as it is, I really don’t think all cab drivers are murderers on the prowl. In fact, I believe many of them just want to make an honest living, and it wouldn’t be fair to hop on board and immediately perceive the entire profession as one filled with lowlife criminals. 

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF: That said, of course, it doesn’t hurt to exercise caution.

Generally speaking (and not just in the Philippines), when travelling alone on a cab, ALWAYS make a show of calling someone on the phone and loudly telling them where you are going as well as the car’s license place number – and if you can pretend that you’re about to meet them there, even better. It doesn’t even have to be a real call, you just need to be a great actor.

Always ensure that the car doors are locked (this prevents B); turn on Google Maps so you’ll immediately know if the driver has made an unnecessary detour (this prevents A and sends you red flags should C be underway). Also leave the volume of your map navigation on, so the driver is well-aware that you ARE paying attention.

As for D, watch out to see if your cab driver is wearing a mask (or even more suspiciously, putting on a mask midway through the trip). If he does it, immediately follow suit.

Lastly, please just Grab (Philippines ride-hailing app). This is not a Grab ad and nope I’m not sponsored by Grab, but seriously, booking via Grab will alleviate a huge part of your taxi worries. For one, the possibility of A immediately ceases to exist, since all fares are determined upon booking. And as for the rest, you are A LOT less likely to be met with criminal behavior simply because everything about your trip will be recorded in excruciating detail. Just logically speaking, no one with sinister intentions in mind, would ever sign up with an app for jobs and leave a digital footprint all over the place.

3. CREDIT CARD PHISHING

WHERE IT HAPPENS: At places you make payments with your credit cards.

HOW IT HAPPENS: Typically, the merchant will request for your credit card to be physically removed from you to process the payment because, I don’t know, their credit card terminal is set up in the other room? They need to photocopy your credit card for “administrative purposes”*?

DID IT HAPPEN TO ME: No.

TRUTH RATING: 1/5

Giving this 1/5 because it is something that can happen literally anywhere, whether you’re a traveller or local. It is not exclusive to the Philippines, or a scam targeted solely on tourists. 

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF: Whatever their excuse is (I’m sure they have a wider imagination than me), never part with your card and ensure it is always within your sight during transactions.

In situations where this might prove a tricky because of protocol (e.g. swanky restaurants where you leave your card on that little clipboard for the waiter to come collect and process at the counter), then either pay by cash – or worst case scenario, use a credit card instead, because credit card frauds are always easier and more successfully disputed, than debit card frauds.

*P.S. There will never be a reason for any establishment to have to photocopy your credit card, or take a photo of it either.

4. ATM SKIMMING

WHERE IT HAPPENS: At ATMs. 

HOW IT HAPPENS: While you are withdrawing money, someone would come and distract you – either by starting a conversation out of nowhere or appearing overly ‘concerned’ for your safety.

The general idea is to skim details about your credit card, particular its number and your pin, or possibly even do a grab-and-run once your money is dispensed, if they are operating with an accomplice in tow. There are also instances where illegal devices are externally installed onto the ATM to collect this data.

DID IT HAPPEN TO ME: No.

TRUTH RATING: 1/5

Once again, this doesn’t really constitute a ‘travel’ scam. Many locals fall victim to this too, and it happens in so many other countries besides the Philippines.

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF: Never withdraw cash in public areas! It doesn’t matter if the ATM is located in a crowded area or not; more people doesn’t always necessarily mean more safety – at least, not in this case.

If you really need to, locate an ATM nestled within a bank’s premises (where there’d always be a security guard at the entrance). Check to make sure there are no weird contraptions attached to it. Then, be mindful of who’s around you; cover the keyboard when inputting your PIN – and most importantly, if you’re interrupted mid-conversation, put up a hand politely as a gesture to wait; quickly finish up and be extremely guarded about the card slot, the cash dispensing slot, as well as your own personal belongings. 

5. THE TOO-GOOD-TO-BE-TRUE MONEY CHANGER SCAM

WHERE IT HAPPENS: At Money Changers where offered rates are suspiciously more attractive than market rate.

HOW IT HAPPENS: The whole thing begins when you get drawn in by an advertised rate that is way more than you know to be possible. Excitedly, you stumble over to the counter and pass them your foreign currency. They pass you back the correct amount of Philippines Pesos.

Once you have counted and verified it to be correct, they take the Pesos back from you (usually so casually and naturally that you don’t even notice), because they ‘want to’ put it in an envelope for your safekeeping – or perhaps tie the stack together with a rubber band.

This is usually when they slip out a couple of big notes without your knowledge. 

DID IT HAPPEN TO ME: No.

TRUTH RATING: 3/5

This might not have happened to me in the Philippines, but it is literally one of my core memories from my 2017 Bali Trip.

Granted, Bali is not the Philippines, but the trauma remains – and given what I have read online, it sounds eerily identical to my own experience and I cannot shake away the PTSD. (which will be a story for another day but good news is I didn’t get cheated in the end.)

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF: Firstly, just subscribe to the life advice that anything too good to be true usually isn’t. No one should be all up in ANY Money Changer that’s offering super sus rates out in the open.

That said, if the realization hits you a little too late and you find yourself knee deep in this debacle by the time it registers (basically story of my life :’) ), simply take out the wad of notes from their envelope/rubber band and count it all in front of them again, when they pass it back to you the second time.

Warning: it is not going to end well because they will get mad/appear aggressive and you might be psychologically scarred for a while (they are NOT nice people) – but hey, at least you’ll get your money back. 

6. THE MOTORCYCLE RENTAL SCAM

WHERE IT HAPPENS: At motorbike rental vendors.

HOW IT HAPPENS: The less insidious version is that they cover up subtle pre-existing damages with tape; then upon return, remove the tape (when you’re not paying attention) and claim that you caused these damages.

More insidiously, you will have your rented bike ‘stolen’ from you. Typically, it would be stolen by someone in cahoots with your motorcycle rental vendor, who will basically tail you the entire way, wait for you to park the vehicle somewhere, and then steal it when you leave.

DID IT HAPPEN TO ME: No.

TRUTH RATING: 2/5

Unfortunately, the truth is that there really aren’t many proper motorcycle rental shops in the Philippines, and most are small shacks or even just bike owners along the street. It’s almost hard to say “rent only from reputable vendors” unless you want to do so directly from your hotel.

That said, I have done a serious deep dive into this, and while there have been cases, it really doesn’t seem like a travel scam epidemic to the Philippines. If anything, it is the other neighbouring Southeast Asian countries where this is almost systemic, so I will just proceed with some standard advice below anyway.

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF: Take a photo of every inch of your rental vehicle – if you think this might somehow make you look crazy, well, then imagine how you’d look should something really happen and you don’t have the photos to show for it. Always make a show of pointing out existing scratches and aesthetic blemishes. This is actually a strategic move because it makes your general wariness and alert known, which may make the vendor think twice before trying to pull a fast one on you.

Also always check that all brakes and lights are fully functioning before setting out. If possible, also hide a small tracking device like an Airtag somewhere on the body that isn’t immediately visible. This way, if your bike really gets stolen, at least you will be able to trace its whereabouts immediately.

7. BOGUS TRAVEL AGENCIES

WHERE IT HAPPENS: Both brick-and-mortar and online.

HOW IT HAPPENS: These travel agencies would usually have airline ticketing/ travel and tours arrangement/ hotel booking deals at prices so unbeatable you would stop looking elsewhere.

Depending on how they operate, they would just mysteriously disappear closer to your booking date – or if it was a physical shop, you would go back to find a blank space where they used to be, as if they’d never existed at all.

DID IT HAPPEN TO ME: No.

TRUTH RATING: 5/5

Sadly, this is true!

In fact, so rampant is this scheme that the tourism department of the Philippines had to put out an official announcement in March 2023, strongly advising the public to transact only with DOT-accredited travel and tour agencies. DOT stands for ‘Department of Tourism’, and is the country’s tourism quality seal that is displayed at DOT-accredited offices, websites, and/or social media accounts.

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF: Thankfully, the government has stepped in to manage this one so hopefully things get sunnier from hereon.

Personally, I would do more than just trust the appearance of a DOT seal, because literally these images and certs can be doctored by anyone with a computer, let alone someone masterminding a scam.

To find out if your Philippines travel provider is truly DOT-accredited, take the extra step and verify against DOT’s Online Database. It’s one of those things you’ll thank yourself later for.

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MY VERDICT?

Just like many of its Southeast Asian neighbours, the Philippines is unfortunately just one more country in the region where tales of travel scams echo louder than its reality. While a couple of scams on the list do seem to play out uniquely only to the Philippine landscape, the rest come across as more of generic lines of deceit that could just about happen anywhere.

For most part, my experience with the locals in the Philippines was painted with warmth and joviality and kindness. There is a genuine sense that everyone just wants to make a good living for their families. However, as it is with any country in the world, bad gets nestled amidst the good, which is why it is key to be proactive about your own safety – no matter which country you are in. You could be in Sandinavia, and I would still warn you about not being careless about credit cards and ATM withdrawals and leaving your things all over the place.

At the end of the day, how safe a place is, I think we will quickly learn, depends largely on how we choose to stay informed, be alert, and approach things with a cautious yet adventurous spirit.

Happy (and safe) travels.