Common scams in Vietnam
Most trouble in Vietnam is a small overcharge, not violence. Guides describe the same handful of tricks, and a few habits avoid nearly all of them.
Everything here comes from traveller and tour-company reports and from government travel advice as reported by others. It is not a count of how often each thing happens. Check before you go: read your own government's current travel advice for Vietnam 1.
Rides
- Rigged or slow-to-start meters. Guides report street taxis whose meters run several times faster than normal, or drivers who say the meter is broken. One guide gives a 7 km ride that should cost about 130,000 dong reading 650,000 2. Book in a ride app, where the fare shows before you go, or agree a price before you get in and look at the meter when you do.
- Check the car. In a ride app, match the plate and the driver's name to the booking before you get in.
- Airport touts. The airports are named as hotspots for drivers who approach you 2. Walk past offers and use a booked ride or a counter with posted prices.
- Swapped notes. A driver or seller swaps a large note for a small one and says you underpaid 2. Say the amount out loud, hand over the note and keep big and small notes in different pockets.
- Motorbike taxis and cyclos. Agree the price first, and show the number on your phone. A price of "100" can turn out to mean 100,000 or 1,000,000 2.
Street and shop
- Fruit sellers and photos. Ask the price before you take anything, or pose for a photo with a basket or a yoke. A friendly seller can quote many times the market rate 2. A smile and a clear no is enough.
- Shoe shine and snacks. A "free taste" or a quick repair can come with a bill. Do not let anyone touch your shoes or put anything in your hands.
- Torn notes and quick counts. Check every note you get back, and count change before you walk away 2.
- Friendly strangers. Someone very friendly who walks you to a shop, a tour or a bar is often paid to do it. You can say thanks and keep going.
Food and drink
- Menus with no prices. Ask the price before you order, especially for seafood sold by weight 2.
- Side dishes you did not order. Peanuts, tissues or fruit put on the table may be charged. Say you do not want them.
- Bar invitations. In busy nightlife streets, guides report a bill of hundreds of dollars after a drink with someone who approached you 2. Pick your own bar and ask for an itemised bill before you order.
Phones, bags and ATMs
- Snatching from bikes. Snatching from passing motorbikes is the everyday street risk in cities 3. Keep your phone away from the curb and your bag on the side away from traffic, worn across the front.
- Skimmed machines. Stand-alone machines in tourist areas have had skimmers reported 2. Use machines inside bank branches or malls. The money guide has fees.
- Fake police. Guides for 2026 report people in uniform asking for money or a payment by phone 3. Ask to see identification, do not pay on the spot and do not hand over your passport. In an emergency, the police number is 113.
Rentals and tours
- Bike damage. A rental shop may claim damage that was already there. Photograph every scratch with the owner in the shot before you ride. The motorbike guide has more.
- Tours that change. A cheap cruise or trek can be swapped for a poorer one on arrival, and refunds are refused 2. Book with an operator you have checked, and get the plan in writing.
- Wrong hotel. A driver says your hotel is closed or full and offers another. Check the address on your booking and call the hotel yourself.
If it feels pushy
Walk away. You lose nothing by leaving, and you can come back later with a price in mind. If you are sure you were cheated, take photos of the meter, the bill and the plate, and tell your hotel or the tourist police.
Before you go
Check what your passport needs in the visa check. For rides without a meter argument, see getting around, and read the money guide and the motorbike guide.
Questions and answers
Is Vietnam safe for travellers?
Travel advice from several governments, as reported by travel sites, rates the risk of serious crime against visitors as low, and most problems are small overcharges 1,3. Read your own government's current advice before you go.
What is the emergency number?
Police is 113, fire is 114 and an ambulance is 115 4. There is no single number for all three, so say which service you need.
Should I use a ride app or a taxi?
An app shows the fare before the ride, which removes the meter argument. Street taxis from known companies are used too, but guides advise you to check the meter and the plate 2.
Sources
All pages were read on Oct 20, 2026 unless the line says otherwise. They are travel and tour-company sites, not official bodies.
- Vietnam With Me, "Is Vietnam safe for tourists?", Aug 7, 2026 (reports other governments' travel advice levels; seen in search, page not opened): vietnamwithme.com
- Vietnam Tourism, "Common scams in Vietnam", updated Oct 11, 2026 (taxis, street hustles, bars, ATMs, tours): vietnamtourism.com
- LocalVietnam, "14 most common scams in Vietnam", 2026 (fake police, bag snatching, ride safety; seen in search, page body would not load): localvietnam.com
- U.S. Embassy Vietnam, "Medical assistance" (police 113, fire 114, ambulance 115; seen in search, page would not load): vn.usembassy.gov