Singapore is an amazing country with beautiful skyscrapers and unprecedented cleanliness. I received a lot of criticism with my previous installment “Is Singapore Safe for Tourists?” because the consensus was “of course it’s safe, silly.” I will probably get a lot of criticism with this post as well because tourists write off Singapore as safe and scam free. Wherever there are tourists, there are scams and money to be made. Here is a list of scams that I encountered throughout my four days in Singapore.
Introduction to Singapore
LAX Airport American Airlines LAX Flagship Lounge
DFW Airport American Express Centurion Lounge
American Airlines DFW-NRT 777-200 Business Class
Narita Airport Satellite Terminal 2 JAL Sakura Lounge
Narita Airport Satellite Terminal 2 JAL First Class Lounge
Japan Airlines 767-300 NRT-SIN Economy Class
Fragrance Sunflower Singapore Hotel Review
Westin Singapore Hotel Review Part 1
Westin Singapore Hotel Review Part 2
W Singapore Sentosa Cove Hotel Review Part 1
W Singapore Sentosa Cove Hotel Review Part 2
The Sights and Sounds of Geylang in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Marina Bay in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Chinatown in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Little India in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Old Airport Road in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of the Esplanade in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Tiong Bahru in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Orchard Road in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Orchard Towers in Singapore
The Sights and Sounds of Haig Road in Singapore
Is Singapore Safe for Tourists?
Scam City: Singapore Edition
Hawker Center Food Stalls in Singapore
The Various Eats in Singapore
Changi International Airport dnata Skyview Lounge
Changi International Airport SATS Gateway Premier Lounge
Changi International Airport SATS Rainforest Lounge
Japan Airlines 767-300 SIN-NRT Economy Class
The Sights and Sounds of Narita in Japan
The Various Eats in Narita Japan
Narita Airport T2 American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge
Narita Airport T2 Cathay Pacific First & Business Class Lounge
Narita Airport Main Terminal 2 JAL First Class Lounge
Narita Airport Satellite Terminal 2 Qantas Business Class Lounge
American Airlines NRT-LAX 777-200 Business Class
1. Taxi Scam – I didn’t get scammed by taxis in Singapore, but I want to let you know that the taxi driver did warn me about certain scams. He advised me to never ask a taxi driver for a price quote because that’s a red flag that you are new in town. I made two videos below detailing some of the scams in Singapore.
Be aware that there are certain surcharge fees from major points of interests in Singapore such as the airport, Vivo City Mall, and many taxi ranks in the city. In addition, there are morning and evening “rush hour” surcharges. The worst surcharge is the “Late Night” which is 50% additional of the metered fare. Be sure to grab a receipt which is itemized line by line.
2. Chinatown Scams – Be aware of any psychic readers and magic trick vendors in Chinatown since they are scammers at work.
Also, avoid buying fake discounted fragrances which are watered down packaged in replica boxes. They advertise a designer fragrance for $5. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
3. Avoid buying fake pills – There are many vendors along the streets of Singapore that are willing to sell you all sorts of pills for erectile dysfunction. I would highly avoid buying any type of pill from the streets because you never know what’s in them.
I was not scammed in Singapore, but I was pressured by a taxi to pay the $3 call cab fee even though I did not call for the cab.
On my drop off at the airport, the taxi ran my credit card for $20 more than the meter. When I pointed it out, he appologized and gave me back cash.Always watch out!