Destinations › Panama › Panama City › Scams
Panama City, Panama
8 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Panama City, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Bag and phone theft in Casco Viejo at night and around the Calidonia and Curundu edges.
Street taxis are unmetered and priced by zone; fares are commonly quoted per person after everyone is seated, and additional passengers are collected en route without discussion.
Unofficial airport 'assistants' guiding arrivals to unlicensed cars at fixed dollar rates.
Undisclosed service charges and inflated per-item pricing in the Casco Viejo rooftop bars.
Shortchanging on US dollar payments, and refusal of legitimate notes as 'damaged' to force smaller change.
Printed imitations sold as hand-stitched Guna molas at handmade prices.
Canal and island tour operators selling trips that omit park entry fees and transfers, collected in cash once committed.
Short-let bookings in Casco Viejo cancelled close to arrival during peak weeks.
