Keeping your wits about you is key to an enjoyable, scam-free experience in Las Vegas. Most importantly, never flash large bills or expensive jewelry on the strip. Never accept handouts from strangers on the street, always use registered transportation, and steer clear of shady offers that seem too good to be true. Protecting Yourself as a TouristĪvoiding scams starts with being alert rather than looking for the next party. Knowing what to look out for ahead of time can prevent you from losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Others take advantage of tourists’ high hopes of winning it big.

Some of the most lucrative scams prey on intoxicated individuals leaving clubs or casinos along the strip late at night. Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to protecting your wallet in Sin City! Overview of Common Scams in Las Vegasįrom seemingly innocent handouts on the street to elaborate rigged games, scammers in Vegas employ clever psychological tricks and distractions to part tourists from their cash. Keep reading to avoid falling into the most blatant tourist traps like I did. Don’t let Las Vegas scammers turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Millions of dollars are lost to various scams and tourist traps annually. Over 40 million tourists flock to Vegas every year, making it a hotbed for pickpockets, con artists, and shady operators ready to prey on wide-eyed tourists like I once was. By midnight, I was $500 in the hole and hadn’t even made it to my hotel yet! Next, I jumped at a “free” limo ride to a swanky casino, only to get strong-armed into signing up for a timeshare presentation. $200 dollars later, I realized the game was cleverly rigged. Too naive to spot the warning signs, I fell for not one but two blatant tourist traps within hours of arriving.įirst, I was enthralled by a lively street hustler running a game of three-card monte.

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