Destinations › Colombia › Medellín › Scams
Medellín, Colombia
8 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Medellín, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Drink spiking in the Parque Lleras and Provenza nightlife, followed by robbery.
Phone snatching in El Poblado, the centre and at metro entrances, frequently from a passing motorbike.
Dating-app meetings ending in scopolamine drugging and the emptying of accounts and phones — a documented and recurring pattern in the city.
Bill padding in El Poblado bars, with rounds attributed to the wrong table.
Comuna 13 tours sold by outside operators with no connection to the neighbourhood, at prices well above the local guides.
Imitation emeralds and mass-produced 'artisan' goods sold at handmade prices in the tourist districts.
Coordinated theft in the downtown plazas and around Plaza Botero.
Airport kerbside offers below the official shared-van price that resolve into a long wait for the van to fill, or a raised fare en route.
