Destinations › Senegal › Dakar › Scams
Dakar, Senegal
9 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Dakar, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Airport fares quoted in euros at several times the metered equivalent, and city taxis refusing to agree a price before departure.
Guides attaching themselves at the monuments and on Gorée without agreement, then demanding a substantial fee at the end of the visit.
Gorée ferry tickets sold by touts at the terminal at the resident price, which is refused at the boarding gate, with no refund.
Shortchanging on large CFA notes by street vendors and unlicensed changers.
Beach and Lac Rose 'parking attendants' and self-appointed minders charging for services nobody asked for.
Bag and phone theft on the Corniche and in crowded market streets, often with a staged collision.
Mass-produced imports sold as Senegalese woodcarving and hand-dyed textiles.
Aggressive market selling around Sandaga with physical obstruction of departure until a purchase is made.
Bracelets, carvings and small items pressed into a visitor's hand as a gift, with payment demanded once accepted.
