Indian Travel Scams Part 2: Money, Tickets and Paper Tricks
The receipt looks official until you notice that nothing on it matches reality. The ticket agent has a rubber stamp, a laminated price chart and an excellent line in sympathetic head tilts. Only later, on the platform or at the hotel desk, do you realise that the amount you paid, the details on the slip and the service you received live in three separate universes.
Quick Intel
Scope: Train and bus tickets, hotel vouchers, temple donations and surprise fees.
Typical Damage: From a few hundred rupees in padded service charges to entire tour budgets lost to fake bookings.
Tools Used: Handwritten receipts, cloned booking pages, donation books, confusion about exchange rates.
Core Defense: Buy through official channels where possible and read every line on any paper that involves money.
The Train Ticket Shuffle
Indian Railways is a marvel and also a maze, which makes it perfect terrain for middlemen. One classic scam involves small ticket offices near stations that are not actually part of the railways. Staff tell you that foreigners cannot buy tickets at the official counter or that the train you want is sold out, then offer to book on your behalf for a generous fee. Sometimes the ticket is genuine but overpriced. In worse cases, the ticket is for a different class than you paid for or for a completely different train.
Fake Bookings and Vanishing Hotels
Another growing problem is fake or cloned hotel booking pages. Scammers copy the photos and branding of a real property and set up a separate site or listing that collects deposits. Travellers arrive with confirmation emails that look convincing, only to discover that the hotel never received their booking. In other cases, a budget hotel sells rooms to agents who then resell them online at luxury prices.
Protect yourself by prioritising traceability. Either book through well known platforms with clear customer service and refund policies, or book directly by emailing or calling the hotel using contact details from its own site. Be wary of anyone insisting on full prepayment by bank transfer with no card option or receipt. Ask the hotel to confirm your booking and the total amount in writing.
Donations, Entry Fees and Mystery Charges
Temples and shrines across India are funded by donations, and most are honest about it. Trouble starts when self appointed helpers insert themselves between you and the donation box. Visitors may be handed a receipt book and told they must donate a fixed, high amount to enter or to receive a blessing. In reality, there is often a free line for regular visitors and a voluntary donation box nearby.
Similar tactics appear at viewpoints and small museums, where unofficial guards collect "camera fees" or extra charges for foreigners that are not posted anywhere. Look for printed price boards, pay entry fees at proper counters and drop donations directly into locked boxes rather than through middlemen.
Currency Games and Counting Tricks
Money handling scams are simple but effective. A vendor counts your notes, palms one and insists you are short. A driver quotes a price in dollars rather than rupees at the last minute. A private changer offers a rate that sounds excellent until you notice a silent fee. Control the count: lay your notes out clearly, count aloud and avoid letting others "recount" money for you.
Conclusion: Paper is persuasive. A stamp, a letterhead or a barcode can make any story feel official, especially when you are tired. Part two of the scam series is a reminder that you are allowed to slow down, read the fine print and insist on buying through channels that leave a digital trail.