Destinations › Vietnam › Ho Chi Minh City › Scams
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
8 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Ho Chi Minh City, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Unmetered or rigged-meter taxis around Ben Thanh Market and District 1 charge multiples of the standard fare — stick to reputable company markings.
Street vendors and taxi drivers shortchanging tourists paying with similar-looking dong denominations (easy to confuse given the number of zeros).
Dating-app matches inviting tourists to a specific bar that charges heavily inflated "hostess" drink prices.
Bag-snatching by motorbike passengers targeting phones and bags held near the curb on busy District 1 streets.
Vendors at markets like Ben Thanh selling low-quality goods at aggressively inflated tourist prices.
Restaurants in tourist areas rounding bills up or adding unlisted service charges without itemization.
Organized begging groups, sometimes using children kept out of school, target tourists in busy areas.
Street shoe-shiners in District 1 grab a foot and start polishing before the tourist can decline, then demand payment.
