Destinations › Saudi Arabia › Mecca › Scams
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Mecca, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Pickpocketing and bag theft in the extreme crowd density around the mosque and at transport marshalling points.
Drivers demanding fixed fares many times the normal rate during peak pilgrimage periods, exploiting congestion and unfamiliarity.
Unlicensed 'guides' offering to arrange access, queue priority or special ritual services that they cannot provide and that are not part of the rites.
Accommodation near the Grand Mosque booked and paid for in advance, then reassigned on arrival to properties far further out at the original price, during the peak season.
Fraudulent Hajj and Umrah packages sold by unlicensed agents abroad: accommodation, transport and permits are not as described or do not exist, and pilgrims arrive with no valid booking. Only ministry-licensed operators can issue genuine permits.
Advance-fee offers of seasonal pilgrimage-season work, charging for permits that are never issued.
Unlicensed transport operators selling coach seats between the holy sites for services that are overbooked or do not run.
Fraudulent charity and sadaqah collectors operating near the mosque approaches with unverifiable documentation.
Shortchanging at exchange counters and stalls serving pilgrims, particularly on unfamiliar note denominations.
Counterfeit zamzam water, prayer goods and dates sold as officially sourced at inflated prices.
