Theft & scams: the rules for travellers in 148 countries (2026 list)

🎭 The scams that work everywhere

• The friendly stranger who takes you to "a great bar" — you leave with a bill of several hundred euros.
• "Your hotel is closed / burned down" from a taxi driver: he is taking you to the one paying him a commission.
• The distraction pair: one spills something or asks directions, the other takes your bag.
• Rental damage claims on scooters and jet-skis — always film the vehicle before leaving with it.
• Fake police asking to "check your wallet for counterfeit notes". Real police never do this.

🛡️ Reduce what you can lose

• Split your money: some on you, some in the room safe, a card hidden in your luggage.
• A cheap second phone for nights out means a snatch costs you a phone, not your whole trip.
• Photograph your passport, cards and insurance, and email them to yourself.
• Note your consulate's number on paper — if your phone is stolen, it goes with it.

🚨 If it happens

• Never resist an armed robbery. Objects are replaceable.
• File a police report immediately — no insurance pays without one.
• Block your cards before anything else, then your phone.
• Contact your consulate if your passport is gone; they issue emergency travel documents.

Which countries are strict on theft & scams?

12 countries rate theft & scams as banned or a serious risk for travellers: Brazil, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Ecuador, Libya, Mali, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Venezuela.

Which countries set limits on theft & scams?

106 countries allow it under conditions (age, place, quantity, permit): Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czechia, Djibouti….

How do I check the rules for my destination before I fly?

Open LawsTravels: pick your destination, the topic “Theft & scams” shows the level, the thresholds and the penalties, offline. 3 topics are free on every country.