Destinations › India › Chennai › Scams
Chennai, India
10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Chennai, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Advance-fee recruitment offers aimed at foreign nationals, requesting payment for work permits that are never issued.
Individuals claiming to be plain-clothes officers demanding passport inspection and a 'fine' for an unspecified violation.
Commission stops at gem and handicraft emporiums built into hired-car day trips without prior agreement.
Unlicensed guides at temple complexes demanding payment after leading visitors through areas that are free to enter.
Phone and bag snatching on crowded beach promenades and at suburban railway stations in the evening.
Counterfeit silk and 'export surplus' textiles sold as genuine handloom in tourist-facing shops, often after a driver's recommendation.
Airport arrivals approached by unofficial 'prepaid taxi' agents outside the licensed counter, charging inflated fares.
Auto-rickshaw drivers quoting fixed fares several times the metered rate, with meters routinely declared broken.
Homestays and guesthouses cancelling on arrival and redirecting guests to an associated property at a higher rate.
Shortchanging on high-denomination notes at small retail counters where no receipt is issued.
