1. The banknote switcheroo

The bank note switcheroo is the scam visitors are most likely to encounter in Argentina. It works like this: you try to pay your taxi driver with a 1000, (or even a 500 bill for a short journey), he takes it, flicks it between his thumb and forefinger, then hands it back saying that he doesn’t have change.

Later when you try to use that note to pay for something else, they tell you it’s a fake.

Taxi drivers have any number of ways to make extra cash on the job and there are a few bad apples who prey on tourists in this way, and are well practiced in the maneuver of switching your real note for a fake one that they have hidden in their hand.

Also be careful when someone gives you a bunch of notes as change for a purchase, because they can sometimes slip a fake one in there, especially in night clubs and bars where it is dark and you’ve had a few too many mojitos.

How to avoid it: Familiarize yourself with the currency as soon as you arrive. The fake notes are made from a different, thicker paper and don’t have the security devices like the face you can see when holding the note up to light, or slightly raised print.

Also try to have smaller notes on hand to pay taxis. Definitely don’t try to pay with new 1000 note, although they are circulating widely now.

Those who do try to pay with a large bill may find that the cab driver  laughs you out of his cab because he doesn’t have change.

You could also avoid dealing with taxis and paying in cash altogether by using Uber, Cabify or another ride-hailing service.

2. The art of distraction/mustard trick

Distraction is another very common way tourists get robbed. There are variations — the ‘mustard trick’ is also sometimes called the ‘bird poop scam.’ The basic premise is this: you are walking along the street when suddenly you get sprayed with ketchup, mustard, or some other, less savory substance (excuse the pun).

It could have come from a window above, somebody running past, or you may not even seen the culprit. Annoyed and surprised, you start to clean yourself off, and within moments a few friendly locals offer their help. Perhaps an old lady (the accomplice is usually female) helps wipe off the offensive stuff with a handkerchief, or somebody who appears to live nearby offers to show you a place where you can clean yourself up.

In all the commotion, you don’t notice that somebody has snatched your bag, wallet or purse. Even if you do suddenly realize your stuff is gone, most of the people who were surrounding you take off in different directions, and you have no idea who to follow.

This scam is usually attempted in Buenos Aires around the Obelisco, along Avenida de Mayo (especially near 9 de Julio), the Plaza de Mayo and Recoleta Cemetery. It is sometimes also perpetrated in smaller cities around the downtown area.

How to avoid it: Firstly, and this goes without saying, if you don’t look like an obvious tourist, you are less likely to be targeted. Sometimes you need to take a quick peek at your phone in public, but at least try to avoid an Hawaiian shirt, socks and sandals ensemble.

If you do find yourself in the situation above, however, just get away from the scene as quickly as possible.

Don’t put down your bag to clean yourself off, and whatever you do, don’t follow anyone anywhere, because if they get you alone they will be able to rob you dry.

The reason this scam is so effective is that you can’t be sure who is genuinely trying to help and who is part of the production, so just move away. It can’t be emphasized enough that if someone else approaches you to help in the aftermath, especially if they lead you to a second location by saying something like ‘there are police nearby’, they are likely an accomplice and working on their ‘Plan B’.

3. The Distressed Traveler Scam

* in Buenos Aires’ Case: the Dutch Guy who was Robbed

This one happens anywhere in the world where addicts need a fix. In Buenos Aires it goes like this: a disheveled, overweight guy with sad blue eyes approaches you speaking excellent English. He says he is Dutch or Belgian and seems friendly enough.

He then explains he was robbed of everything including his money and passport, and wonders if you could help him out. The man in question is Fabian, a Dutch national who lives on the streets in Buenos Aires.

Sanja Haan from the Dutch consulate says, “We’ve known Fabian for years.” She has gotten him emergency passports, helped him get admitted to the hospital to detox and also put him on the phone in an emotional phone call with his family, to speak with them for the first time in years. A few years ago, some generous fellow compatriots bought ‘Fabi’ a ticket home, but between the time he was released from the hospital and had to get on the airplane, he got drunk and ended up missing the flight.

He first operated in Mendoza for many years, starting in the mid-2000’s. We’ve been hearing about him for years, several readers even sent us their personal story (which you can read here, if interested) and we have talked with him many times.

When his cover was blown in Mendoza, Fabian came to Buenos Aires, where he operates in tourists hot spots such as San Telmo and Palermo.

Many unsuspecting foreigners have given this Emmy Award-level scammer some ’emergency cash’, but it’s really for his beer fund. He is in the late stage of alcoholism, and it is taking a toll on his health, especially since the antibiotics he is prescribed can’t be taken with alcohol. Having missed his true calling as an actor, unless he changes, he will most likely die on the streets of Buenos Aires.

How to avoid it: Obviously be wary of anyone feigning distress and asking for money on the street anywhere in the world. Offer logistical help, such as making a phone call to the consulate, if anything. In Fabian’s case, he has received plenty of help from strangers, his consulate and many public hospitals but needs specialized treatment. The best any good Samaritan who comes across him can offer is to escort him to the hospital to detox, but if history is any indication, he will soon return to the streets and be out scamming for beer money again.

3. Strippers who aren’t really your friends

Walking around downtown Buenos Aires and some other cities, you will sooner or later see people offering passing males ‘special offers’ for nearby ‘cabaret’ bars. The flyers are also sometimes pasted to telephone poles.

If you are lonely or naïve enough to go down into one of these bars to accept your ‘free drink,’ you will probably find yourself in a situation like this: You sit down and the bartender hands you a beer.

No sooner have you taken a sip than a couple of scantily clad vixens have joined you and are making conversation (or saying stuff in Spanish that you don’t understand).

You smile smugly, knowing you have no intention of giving these girls any money, no matter how much they jiggle. When you stand up to leave, you are confronted by some big oaf who claims that you have to pay. “No, no,” you say, “I had the free drink special.” The oaf explains angrily that you have to pay for the girls’ drinks as well, which total up to $50 dollars each.

Laughing, you try to make your way to the exit, only to have it blocked by the gorilla and a couple of his friends, demanding your money. To cut a long story short, no matter how much you argue, the staff will physically intimidate you until you hand over as much money as they ask for. And don’t bother going to the police when you finally do get out of the place, because they will be strangely uninterested in your dilemma.

How to avoid it: Don’t walk into sleazy bars off the street.

*Editor Update: Official Cabarets were outlawed in Buenos Aires 2016, but there are still not-so-underground clubs that essentially function as walk-in brothels all over the city. In general, outside of these establishments men should be wary of any woman that approaches them with an aggressive and sexually suggestive demeanor.

For more information about the ‘cabaret’ bait and switch and to see a video of how it works, see Money Exchange & Other Hustles on Florida St.. Cabarets still operate in other areas of Argentina, so the above advice holds true in most provinces.

4. Getting ‘slipped a Mickey’ by a ‘Black Widow’

Everyone has heard stories and been warned about being drugged by strangers. Usually it is women who are warned to be careful when accepting a drink from a new acquaintance.

The usual advice is to not take drinks from strangers and always watch a bartender pour the drink.

In Buenos Aires it is men — gay or straight — who are more likely to be victims of a drug-facilitated robbery. A reader of this website, believes he was drugged with Scopolamine (aka ‘Devil’s Breath’ — which is unusual in Argentina) after striking up a casual conversation with a Venezuelan citizen in a cafe/bar in the Retiro neighborhood.

Scopolamine is a powder that can be added to a drink or blown into the face of a victim, rendering them disoriented and zombie-like. Our normally street savvy friend describes falling into a childlike state, with no free will and being led around to ten different ATM’s, to remove the maximum limit at each one, until his bank account was empty.

His story was corroborated by cameras at the ATM’s and he was reimbursed by his travel insurance for the theft and luckily was unharmed.

Most often when men are drugged in Buenos Aires it is by ‘Viudas Negras‘ (Black Widows) — criminally-minded prostitutes that they bring home, either men or women.  Sometimes they pose as normal people on dating apps such as Tinder, and they often prefer foreigners, who are perceived to be well-to-do, as potential targets.

After victims are knocked out from their spiked drink, they wake up to find all of their items were stolen. In one case, an Indian citizen living in Buenos Aires was killed, apparently due to an overdose, after he was slipped a sedative during the course of the crime. Usually victims are drugged with crushed up Clonazepam or Valium which is put into their drink.

Although NatGeo got busted scamming themselves — presenting scripted segments of their program ‘Scam City’ as real incidents — the TV show clip below gives insight into how the Buenos Aires ‘Black Widow’ scam works.

How to avoid it: Don’t take people you don’t know well —especially professional sex workers — back to your apartment or hotel. That’s what telo’s are for!

—by Nico Sol

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