Tours
Traveling in Mexico: Don't Fall for the Latin Fantasy Tourist Scam
THE ?LATIN FANTASY?: A SCAM YOU MUSTN?T GO FOR: They?re WAITING for you?Don?t get caught!
Strolling down a sunlit street in Cancun (or another Mexican beach resort town), a sea breeze gently tossing your hair, window-shopping in a luxurious mall, passing along a beachfront boardwalk, day-dreaming of fresh, succulent seafood as its aroma wafts from a nearby restaurant. ?Excuse me?, you hear. You stop and turn to see a smiling face. ?Where are you from??
?I?m from ??, you respond politely.
?How?s your vacation??, the smiling face continues. You exchange pleasantries.
?Can I offer you a free pass?a night?s stay?a free lunch or dinner?a day at this new resort hotel??, the smiling face offers. ?It?s to promote a new hotel, ?resort?facility?or service that isn?t well-known to foreign tourists yet. And we want our hotel?facility?resort?or service to be known so you can tell your friends about it.?
You receive a genuine-looking piece of paper and perhaps a brochure and map. (somewhere in the back of your mind, your parent?s words- or mine- appear, ?There ain?t no free lunches in this world?) But, ?Looks good?, you think, and accept.
?Take this and go this afternoon?tomorrow or whatever and everything will be taken care of with no obligation?, the hook advances.
And then the clincher words strike home, like a harpoon in the side of a great white whale, ?Be sure to bring your credit card!? ?Oh, it?s not essential?, the smiling face continues, ?Maybe you?ll just have to flash it, to show you?re not Mexican?, ??or a serious tourist?, or whatever.
At this point BAIL OUT ? drop everything and leave ? go, keep going and don?t listen or look back. If you don?t, you?ll be sorry ? for years and years to come.
What they want is your credit card number, by any means necessary - your signature too, if possible, on anything; a ticket stub, free car rental agreement or thank you note; anything. It?ll be used to charge dozens, scores, even hundreds of items ? next week, next month, next year, etc., etc., etc. Getting the charges off your card will be a next to impossible nightmare and cost you hundreds in legal fees. You won?t be able to get back at ?them? or recover the merchandise, products, even real estate charged off to your account. Millions are made by ?them? and irretrievably lost by unsuspecting tourists each year. Don?t YOU be next! Just say, ?NO?. And keep saying ?NO?.
FINALLY ?, Some helpful websites for more information
www.cancun.com/
Provides more than 100 hotels to reserve, airfare, coupons, maps, tours reservations, nightlife, restaurants and other general information.
www.cancunblast.com/
An online Travel Guide For Cancun And The Mayan Riviera
www.allaboutcancun.com/
All About Cancun helps travelers seeking information about Cancun including a complete City Guide
www.visitcancun.com/
Includes details of local activities, accommodations, dining, shopping and other information for visitors.
Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an ELT Teacher Trainer, English language learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. He has published more than 350 articles and academic papers and presented at numerous EFL teacher training and TEFL conferences throughout North America, South America and Europe. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com |
Larry M. Lynch
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