Anywhere you find thousands of tourists who are ready, willing and able to spend their hard-earned cash on vacation, you’re going to find those whose intentions are anything but pure.

 

And with Orlando being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, scammers seem to be everywhere. So whether you’re visiting Walt Disney World or are in central Florida for any other reason, be careful and always be sure to protect your belongings at all times.

 

There are many scams that are common in Orlando and, as you might have guessed, many of these scams are run at and/or near local amusement and theme parks.

 

The most common is pickpocketing, which obviously isn’t unique to Florida. But with crowded amusement parks and thousands of people relatively close together, pickpockets thrive in the Orlando area.

scams

In addition to keeping your valuables secure on your person, also avoid leaving anything of value in your car or in a baby stroller. Thieves are very good at what they do, particularly if you make it easy on them.

 

If you have become a victim of a pickpocket at a popular theme park, there is some good news, however. There are generally tons of cameras located throughout the parks, so notify a park employee as soon as you know something is wrong and they may be able to identify the person who stole your belongings.

 

If so, they can then take a photo of the individual and post it at the exit gates for the park. With thousands of people coming and going throughout the day, it’s possible they won’t be able to stop the person in question. But your chances definitely improve if people are on the lookout for the bad guy.

Avoid These Common Scams In Orlando

 

While pickpocketing is the most common scam/petty theft in Orlando, it’s far from the only one. Scammers have become increasingly creative over the years so you should always be on guard when enjoying your vacation in Florida.

 

Another scam that’s become way more prevalent in recent years involves selling counterfeit tickets to unsuspecting tourists.

 

This usually involves either selling outright fake tickets or selling remaining days on multi-day tickets, the latter of which isn’t usually allowed by the theme parks.

 

Don’t buy tickets from anyone you don’t know. Either buy them directly from the park or make arrangements with your travel agent to have tickets in hand ahead of time. Purchasing tickets any other way is usually a scam, so resist the urge to get that “great deal” and just secure your tickets the traditional way.

Common Scams

Another common scam that our Orlando private investigator know well that certainly isn’t unique only to Orlando, but one that’s been happening way more frequently in recent years, involves the use of credit card skimmers on gasoline pumps throughout the region.

This means when you pay for your gas with a credit card, there’s a device that’s attached to the card reader that allows someone else to obtain your information.

To counteract this scam, always pay for your gas inside the store whenever possible. It will keep you safe from this scam and will also prevent your credit card company from holding an authorized amount on your card for several days.

So those are a few of the most common scams you’ll find in Orlando in 2022. They certainly aren’t the only ones, however, so always take proper measures to avoid becoming a victim yourself.

 If you feel you’ve been a victim of a scam contact a Private Investigator Orlando specialist

And enjoy your vacation in Orlando!