Con-Artist Compass

Every trip should change your life—just not your bank balance.

You're standing in a sunlit square in a foreign city, mesmerised by the sounds, scents, and colours. And then it happens: someone hands you a bracelet “for free,” a taxi driver tells you the meter’s broken, or a police officer flashes a badge and asks to check your wallet. Moments later, you're lighter—either in cash or confidence.

Con-Artist Compass: Top 10 Travel Scams and How to Dodge Them is your essential companion for avoiding the darker side of travel. Written by seasoned globetrotter Barnaby Sorrens, this practical and witty guide reveals the world’s most common travel scams—from slick street cons to digital deception—and shows you how to sidestep them with ease and confidence.

Inside, you’ll uncover:

• The “Broken Meter” Taxi Scam: Why “no meter today” might cost you five times the fare.
• The “Free Gift” Trap: That bracelet or rose isn’t a gift—it’s bait.
• The “Helpful Stranger” at the ATM: How fake kindness empties real bank accounts.
• The “Fake Police” Ruse: What to do when an officer isn’t what they seem.
• The Wi-Fi Wreckers: When free internet costs you everything.

This guide is packed with firsthand accounts, real-world tips, and just enough humour to keep things light—even when the topic isn’t. Sorrens doesn’t aim to make you paranoid—he aims to make you prepared.

Whether you’re backpacking through Southeast Asia, road-tripping through Europe, or booking a luxury stay in Dubai, the same golden rule applies: if it feels off, it probably is. But recognising the red flags isn’t always easy when you’re navigating new cultures, languages, and currencies. That’s where the Con-Artist Compass comes in—to help you read the signs, trust your gut, and travel smarter.