Destinations › India › Kolkata › Scams
Kolkata, India
10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Kolkata, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Budget guesthouses taking online payment and then claiming no record of the booking on arrival, offering a more expensive room instead.
Bag-slashing on crowded pavements in the market districts during festival season crowds.
Fake charity and orphanage collections operating near tourist landmarks with printed sponsorship books.
Touts selling 'guided entry' to major monuments that duplicates the standard ticket at a large markup.
Shortchanging at street stalls and unlicensed money changers, especially around the backpacker district.
Commission-driven diversions to handicraft and silk emporiums during hired-car sightseeing, with prices well above market.
Counterfeit branded goods and imitation jewellery in the New Market area, sold with claims of authenticity and no receipt.
Pickpocketing in the crush at Howrah and Sealdah stations and on crowded tram and bus routes.
Yellow taxi drivers refusing the meter or demanding a fixed premium for foreign passengers, particularly from the airport and Howrah station.
Unlicensed guides attaching themselves at monument entrances and demanding a substantial fee afterwards for unrequested commentary.
