Portable Professional no it was a queue right at the airport when i first arrived. they took advantage :(. now i just get a grab car its much easier like you said
I believe Paris was the worst for us. Not that we got scammed, but there were those around the touristy areas always looking to take advantage of us. It actually got a bit aggressive.
There are scams all over the world from Asia to Europe, Africa, America etc. I am Vietnamese living in Vietnam, I am glad that you mentioned of the scams you have known of in Danang and hope that many would be travellers to Vietnam watch this video and take care of themselve, not to fall into these bad straps. I really enjoy watching your videos.
An very weak and stupid logic to apply in debate. Oh my gosh there are scammers everywhere on the planet and viet nam regardless we have scammers but we better than other countries in other points, we try to stop the scammers but they too resistance and we cannot do it. You are an Culture Censorship Propagandist from Viet Nam. Your Propaganda is absolutely fake
Agreed, i been to vietnam few times, been to all over the world, europe, china, us, canada , thai etc....vietnam is considered v safe But experinced bad scam in india, pakistan, london, indonesia..... I surely think, vietnam is safe but of course be extra vigilance when you look like a tourist at any and every where you go.
I have a house in Da Nang and have spent 5 years on and off in Vientam including 3 year continuous stay and I would say Da Nang is one of the safest places on earth to live. Maybe because I'm street savvy and speak a bit of Vietnamese I have not experienced being scammed on money or change etc. And I feel pretty confident using my mobile phone anywhere while out and about.
also as for the counterfeit money scam. Straight to the police as they'll take this one very seriously. (And if the first police you try don't help try some others).
Regarding motorbike rental, and any other situation really, you should avoid handing over your passport to someone. There are motorbike shops that will take cash deposits or if you're going to be there several months, buy a bike. Once you hand over your passport, you put yourself in a really bad spot. If you've handed over USD $200 deposit on a bike the worst that can happen is you're out $200. Not being able to get your passport back becomes a much more complicated situation.
@Joe Vogue When I was in the AF we had a helicopter go down in the Philippines. No injuries to the crew. Was in a very isolated area. Next day they went back to retrieve the copter and lift it out for repairs only to find it stripped of everything down to a skeleton shell.
@Joe Vogue The war had nothing to do with scams or culture, and there are lots of honorable and caring Vietnamese. It's true though, that there are scams everywhere. Here in the USA, they are just much bigger, and harder to avoid, since they are perpetrated by business and government.
@Joe Vogue it's true that vietnam do have scam and stuff like that but so does every country , and there's no teaching their kids to lying or stealing , and it's have nothing to do with the war , the government did try to reduce the scamming but it's still some out there
just important to know what to look out for if you go. On the plus side, very little violent crime. It's just petty theft like most tourist destinations. Where in the world are you now?
@@crisyorke1328 its not sketchy AT ALL. This video is all fear mongering but it's all common sense. Been living in Da Nang 4 months now and haven't been scammed once.
I live in California, USA. These same scams happen here to the unwary. Use Common Sense and listen to people who have been to these places, like this lovely young woman. Not a big deal.
As a Vietnamese, I am ashamed of these scams toward mostly tourist. On their behalf, I apologized from the bottom of my heart and hopefully the goods outweighed the bad experiences.
Vietnam is a wonderful country. I have been there 5 times. My wife is from Vietnam. All big cities have crime. No matter what country you are in! Vietnam has mostly wonderful people, like you.
If you know what kind of high tech scams are going on in developed countries, you would not have to apologize anything for these pick pocket scams in Vietnam, my friend !
@@michaelhrivnak1719 I guess you haven't travelled much to state such thing. VN has a full collection of scams reserved not only to tourists but also to their own family members who live overseas.
Sorry that you had to go through all of these. I sincerely hoped they changed because of many years of opening the country for tourism but it is still very much the same. Still shake my head, swallow the shame and continue to hope.....
I travelled to Hanoi with my 2 children- one in a wheelchair. We had to use a taxi at the last minute and the guy had a meter. He then locked us in the car with the meter being rigged . In the end a really short trip cost us a fortune. I found some (not all) of the Vietnamese took advantage of people in wheelchairs. So be mindful of this
Hi, thank you for this great video! I'm Vietnamese and thanks to your video, I will not be visiting my country ever. With all these scams and dishonesty, I don't know why would anyone even bother to visit. You have my respect and I salute you for going through these experiences!
This made Danang sound like a theme park. Its sad... Reminded me of my first 2 visits in Vietnam. I felt like everyone was just waiting to ripp off tourist. I was just very uncomfortable with locals especially in the train stations. For a long time, I only eat at KFC because i hate being ripped off. But after a few visits, I love Vietnam.
couldn't agree more! I was pickpocketed in Ha Noi and also followed by two suspicious guys from the market all the way to my hotel! That definitely was my last time visiting this country!
That was my feeling exactly, not only in Danang but in other cities as well. I've always felt like a walking wallet to those ppl who worship money. I like Viet nature, sites, but it's impossible to relax from all the ripoffs. The country is cheap but you get what you paid for. Nice country but way too many Viets everywhere ruin it.
I've been in Da Nang for less than 1 week and I got the wrong change 3 times. I thought it was in my head, but I came looking for a video and ended up finding yours. Thanks for the alert. Now I'll be smarter.
You'll be missing a lot of nice experiences and friends. I had no particular problems in VN, but China is very different. I'd never want to spend more time there without a native friend. Korea, Japan, Singapore, no issues...
If someone returns with counterfeit notes - do not touch them. Ask for a plastic bag and put them in a plastic bag and tell them you will take them to the police for forensic checking ie fingerprints. This should quickly sort out the problem in this case.
Wow, that's very smart! First time I've heard of this method to thwart the scammers. Just wonder if anyone has tried it that actually worked in real life. Maybe the scammer will bet that you won't actually go through with it? In other words, for them to admit they scammed you, or taking the chance that you won't actually go through with your bluff, or the police would actually go through the trouble of checking the fingerprints on the bill, etc., seem like a easy choice for them...
to check the fingerprints cost hundreds dollar in vn ... best is not losing your sight on your money, insist to ask that person being there with you while she/he is checking the notes
How about taking a quick picture of the bills you are handing over, including the code number on them, the digits printed on them that are unique to each one of the notes?
* Here's a scam to avoid. When you get in a taxi, keep your luggage in the backseat with you, not in the trunk. If your luggage is in the trunk, when you get to your destination, the driver can demand more money before he'll open the trunk and return your luggage to you. This happened to me in Poland. *
100%. Don't put your luggage in the trunk unless you really trust the taxi. Otherwise they can extort money out of you. In Vietnam, I always use Vinasun and they are reputable.
It is very true 100% for sure, myself and my family members always got piss off because of scams and cheating when we travels in some cities of Vietnam . We have known those scams are going to happen to us. But We are unable to avoid those scams for sure. Many times we got our money rip off. And we are still unhappy when we think about them till today
In Tokyo ordering a drink I always asked for price. The scam used to be normal priced drinks but if you ordered nuts or had some that were out even, bingo! You'd be hit with the most expensive bar nuts you ever heard of.
Thanks for sharing the information. I hope you guys know and avoid the bad things so you can stay safe and enjoy the good things Vietnam offers. Please share more of the information ^^
That's what these rip-off merchants are hoping. You'll let your guard down and they'll steal from you while wearing a smile. Don't be fooled by the SEA smile.
This is such a great video! 👍 Thank you so much for this great information🙏 I have zero tolerance for this stuff and never experienced any of it while in Malaysia or Thailand. One question: is it easy in Da Nang and Hoi An to tap-and-pay with your phone using a digital wallet like Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc. to avoid or minimize using cash? I love that in Malaysia I rarely needed cash.
This video makes Danang sound scary, but..if you dont live in the "expat" area you will be less likely to be scammed. I am from the US and have lived in Danang for 5 years now. The inner city is very friendly, clean and beautiful.
thank you for posting this! Good advice that I will be taking as soon as Vietnam opens up. Scams are all over the world, they are legalized in my country. 😎
One tip regarding the currency: I kept my "Big bills" separate from small bills, to make it easier. Luckily, none of the notes in circulation are worth more than about $22, so even if you screw up, you shouldn't suffer a huge loss. I had a wonderful time in VN and met some really nice people; looking forward to returning, as soon as they'll let me in again. (Damn this scamdemic, and the people behind it.)
We booked our flight from Da Nang to SGN with Agoda. Flight was a Vietnam Airlines Flight but operated by Pacific Airlines. I checked back with the agency and also Vietnam Airlines and they confirmed, that with my booking I bought a real VN Airlines ticket with the baggage allowance rules of VN Airlines. At the airport they sent us directly to Pacific Airlines and we had to pay for all our flight baggage except hand baggage. There was no baggage allowance in the PA flight. The writing to customer services of Agoda, VN Airlines and Pacific Airlines to chance the booking process didn't help.
Wow ! So many scams out there these days . Very useful tips on how to be on the look out for them , avoid them and not get ripped off . The info applies to many destinations no doubt . The info was very well presented by you too . Thanks .
Loved your videos. Obveviously, you appeared to have more love for Da Nang and more living experience in its city than most. Can't wait to reach out to you when I return to Vietnam for my next trip to Vietnam since 1978 which was the year I have settled my life in Mississauga, Canada.
Thank you for this, another amazing Danang video! I'm going for the first time this weekend to stay long term and I found your videos very helpful. I got a bit worried about the deposit scam, is there any apartment building or villa that you can recommend? Keep up the good work! 😊🤗
Hey Leda! Unfortunately, most of the landlords I know and trust have all their units rented out. I need to stop talking about them in my videos, or I will never have a place to stay for myself haha! 😅 I know of one building where I stayed for several weeks in 2019 that MIGHT have a spot left. Send me an email and I can connect you with the landlord if you are interested. hello@megangougeon.com. Safe Travels!!
first hours in vietnam got scammed by taxi at bus station drove me in big circle to inflate meter then inflated price then switched bills on me after i paid to say I didnt give enough...lol... paid like 25 or 30 dollars for a 5 minute ride that I could have walked ...next day almost got scammmed by guy offering motor bike tour who threaten me after tour for extra money but he backed down...whats funny is I met guy on the bus who warned me about taxi and said he used the app on his phone to pay for taxi service to avoid the price gouge/arguing issue...problem i had was that I had my phone stolen/lost in Cambodia so I couldnt use grab.
Wow even I am a Vietnamese, I sometimes feel embarrassed over those scams. They are real. Not like the US with contracts, vnese always has ways to get more money from travelers
Great video Megan as always. Good tips although if I were ever to go Vietnam it would only be on a cruise, which means I'm not staying more than a day and everyone involved in my trip has to be honest or the cruise company won't give them anymore work. I always love these videos I love your personality.
@@PortableProfessional yeah a lot of time haven't cruised in a while though. I've flown to visit my Grandad a few times to Disney in boyhood and Tadah to go on a cruise in the Caribbean.
@@PortableProfessional Being a Millenial using the grab app is in my abilities. So if I ever do chose to visit Vietnam in my life by plane might see you there.
@@PortableProfessional I might cruise and Fly to Colombo if I ever go to Sri Lanka or Ceylon as I know it. I have to redeem my reputation as a purely Cruise man. sorry I have this illness it's called flirting with women please forgive me.
Really? Is that what you think? The cruise ship is interested in getting their cut from the tour operator. I should know because I spent 2 years working on a first class cruise ship while in hotel school. In general, the best values are to be had by traveling on your own, picking and choosing what interests you. Happy Travels!
@@sweetjane6506 I don't know man, i've been all over, Only in Vietnam and CHina would it be common to be pick pocketed or scammed every few hours. I know EU has a huge problem but its mostly isolated in area for say Here in Vietnam there is no restrictions to the problems, nice, poor, rich, casual areas are all the same. Scams, robbery, and petty theft are just a norm here that surpass anything EU could manage to equal.
@@sweetjane6506 Yeah i can agree with Breezy on this. But on YOUR point i can see two. I feel though Visiting Vietnam and LIVING in Vietnam are two different things. Me personally i visited 3 times before i offically moved here 9 years ago.. I can safetly say the visits of months at a time where much more relaxed not many problems, nor worries of permits, renting homes, daily shopping , etc. WHen i finally made the move things changed and fast, this isn't bad its just intergrating into the culture compared to seeing it from the outside. Barcelona, that sucks i hear horror stories of that place a lot from tourist here in regards to safety :( Ahh and Vietnam, its not two words :)
@@RockDavid In Viet Nam it is. : ) Any country has more hassles when you live there long term, and you're not a citizen. I lived in Thailand for several years, and while shopping and rentals are pretty convenient, immigration is a nightmare.
This is why I no longer care to travel much. When I was young I use to love the market games where you barter with the seller. I knew sometimes I was being scammed but it was usually for a very small amount of money and I felt sorry for the people so I wrote it off as entertainment. I no longer feel this way, I don't want to deal with crooks anywhere.
I am sorry to hear about your story. I went to Da Nang twice and had all great experiences. Maybe peo think I am from the local. Again, sorry about you bad experiences.
Hi Khanh! I am so glad to hear you had a good time in Da nang! I LOVE the city, and almost all of my experiences were amazing. I am so excited to go back in a few months. :) There are good and bad experiences anywhere you go, and Da nang was 99.99% positive. Amazing place, amazing people; these were just a few minor things to look out for as a tourist.
every tourist place have scams. Search the web for France scam or USA scam. U will see a tons. If you smart you dont have to worry to much about scam ( I bet you not )
you are such an ignorance. you think only third world countries have scams. think again my friend. Everywhere you go will always have scams. It all depends on how smart you are, fface.
Scam on rental deposit also exist in California, and it's really hard to get the full amount back.Thanks Megan for all the Tips, and I may consult with you again if I decide to make a trip to Da Nang in 2022.
That's right. In 14 years of living in California, I've encountered one rent deposit scam. In two years of living in Vietnam, ALL three of my landlords withheld large portions of my deposit and two out of three lied about promised improvements that they never did once they got the $ in their pockets. Never again.
This was a really well-done video! I feel like all these scams happened to you but you mention your friend aka you:) still a good video great content thanks!
Be careful also of the currency exchange right in the airport. The Vietnam Dong currency is also confusing and they can take advantage of tourist by undervaluing your currency by 30% to 40%.
So funny love that video. Scams are everywhere in Asia....just travel a lot and you’ll learn more rather staying home and no nothing of what’s happening on this earth. FYI they even scam local Vietnamese....part of the game
Scams are everywhere in Asia... AND the rest of the world. It's just important to know what to look out for as a local or as a tourist. Glad you enjoyed the video and absolutely agree with the tip to travel and learn. Hopefully we can all get back to it sometime soon :)
@@PortableProfessional True. Impressive when you were locked down in VN...happy you appreciated your trip in VN. Your video is great for new travelers...I personally get angry when they scam foreigners...but hey, I've been scammed the first time I came too...despite I'm asian ;) All the restaurants, TripAdvisor is the best to kill a business for non-ethic business
When I arrived at the airport a guy approached me and tried to charge me 300 thousand to take me to my hotel 10 mins. away, I ignored him and kept going asked another guy if he used the meter. He said yes, the fare was 100, asked me for an extra 50 at my destination said was for a fee the airport charges. It was still half of what the first guy asked. Insist on the meter and you won't go far wrong or use Grab.
Great tips to avoid Scams. I have only been traveling for business for a few years now so you have more knowledge than me. but I am sure these are scams to watch out for in other countries too. So Thank You. I have been lucky and have not been scammed in my travels. I am confident it will never occur thanks to this video. I always take a lot of photos of My bill ( in a Bar ) after each beverage. anything I rent But that is a great idea about taking detailed photos of your room.! The one scam I caught was when I brought my clothes to a laundry cleaning shop In Thailand. Luckily;y I checked all my clean clothes before I left. I had a brand name dress shirt replaced with a local no label one. I said I had a picture of all my clothes on my phone ( I was bluffing ) and they Magically found my shirt and said they made a mistake. Now it might have been a real error but I never went back there. So sorry about your suitcase dilemma. You have Happy travels too.
Smart move taking photos on the clothing prior to sending them to Laundry! I’ve had clothes go missing, but never replaced by a generic copy. Very interesting, and whether intentional or not, awesome that you caught the swap. Thanks for watching and BIG thanks for sharing the experience. Hopefully others will read and know what to look out for 🙌
@@PortableProfessional Yes. I was bluffing the Laundry store owner the first time BUT yes from that point on I always take a photo now. keep making great videos...!
The deposit scam is HUGE here, all over VN its a norm The way i've gotten around it has been what i do as a 3 week stay I will advise the owner i am leaving, and to make it 'Easier" for them they can just keep the deposit for the last month but i will be leaving after 3 weeks giving them a week of free money and time to rent it.. 100% the time this works and there is no "Deposit" to worry about . The rule really is this, if you give any money to Vietnamese that is expected to be returned, you probably won't get it back.
It's really not, you just need to know what to look out for regardless of where you go. I have been scammed in a lot of countries- and at home! Definitely experienced more petty theft in Da Nang, but also experienced zero dangerous crime, or poor air quality... there are pros and cons everywhere you go.
Just don't got to Saigon or Hanoi, you pass it way better in Dalat if you like templet coldish wearther or! HUE, Danang is cool too, but seems hue people more honest.
I've just come back from 5 weeks in Vietnam. It's more than a hassle. If you like to be treated rudely, eat greasy fried food while watching rats scurrying around the dirty streets and be cheated by almost everyone, then Vietnam is your perfect vacation destination. As for me, Thailand is much more enjoyable. The people are polite and the natural beauty beats Vietnam in a second. the food is much better in Thailand too!
I’m Vietnamese and I still got scammed every time I went back. I hate that. The good thing is that most of these scams are little compared to other countries. One best advice for every tourist is to confirm the price before taking your money out. Get a travel book to find out where are the good and trusted place to stay or eat. My buddy acted like local (dressed and wore flip flops) every time he went back so he never got scammed. I can’t do that, lol.
One "little" scam involved the theft of my passport and bank cards. Another one took headphones. Third one wielded a pocket knife while threatening me and my gf. Fourth one grabbed my iphone but by miracle I managed to repossess it. Fifth, 6th, 100th, countless shortchanging... I also noticed that Viets rip off each other just as much as foreigners. Finally, I realized why decent ppl just don't live in Vietnam and leave never to be seen again in 95% of cases. Never again!
It's deeper than just an economic benefit -- it provides a psychologically-rooted dopamine flood that transcends mere money. Gaining unparalleled happiness from cheating someone is a characteristic unique to Southeast Asia. Everyone does it.
developing or developed, there will always be people who steal an rob for a living. They actually steal and rob more in 'developed' countries, so stop trashing developing countries like that.
1. Take photos of the menu before ordering. 2. Take photos of your money serial number. I always take photos of all my large notes. 3. Yes take photos of everything and email it to the landlord same day, no matter where you are in the world.
#1 Scammed in Hong Kong: don't have a bunch of bags from gold vendors on you at a Pub later; good pick pockets(pick baggers?) #2 Philippines guy after the sale of 4 tshirts for $10usd...gave a $20 bill and he insisted the "change" was 4 more shirts since we just agreed that 4=10 bucks. I laughed and took the shirts. The guy was very personable and funny about his "scam" . Lov It!!
Everytime I come back to visit relatives in Saigon, the first thing any family/friends of mine would say when they greets me is “put you handbag and phone away - put cash in your front pocket - do not carry any valuables when you take a walk on the street”
There are scams pretty much anywhere you go so don't let that stop you from travelling! Knowing what to look out for can help you avoid them. Happy travels!
Don't forget to give this video a Like 👍 and subscribe - See you next week! 😊 P.S. Have you ever been scammed while traveling?! 😣
Portable Professional i fell for the taxi scam in the phillipines lost $20
Sorry to hear that, Michael! Was it a rigged meter? How did you find out you were scammed?
Portable Professional no it was a queue right at the airport when i first arrived. they took advantage :(. now i just get a grab car its much easier like you said
I believe Paris was the worst for us. Not that we got scammed, but there were those around the touristy areas always looking to take advantage of us. It actually got a bit aggressive.
Portable Professional Megan can I have your Facebook Paige
Wow. Never would have realized most of these possible scams. Thanks.
Haha me neither! probably why i experienced most of them haha just good stuff to know :)
There are scams all over the world from Asia to Europe, Africa, America etc. I am Vietnamese living in Vietnam, I am glad that you mentioned of the scams you have known of in Danang and hope that many would be travellers to Vietnam watch this video and take care of themselve, not to fall into these bad straps. I really enjoy watching your videos.
An very weak and stupid logic to apply in debate. Oh my gosh there are scammers everywhere on the planet and viet nam regardless we have scammers but we better than other countries in other points, we try to stop the scammers but they too resistance and we cannot do it. You are an Culture Censorship Propagandist from Viet Nam. Your Propaganda is absolutely fake
Agreed, i been to vietnam few times, been to all over the world, europe, china, us, canada , thai etc....vietnam is considered v safe
But experinced bad scam in india, pakistan, london, indonesia.....
I surely think, vietnam is safe but of course be extra vigilance when you look like a tourist at any and every where you go.
Guess you have never been in Japan
You named third world countries and London. Try Japan, NZ and Singapore. Not all people are scammers.
I have a house in Da Nang and have spent 5 years on and off in Vientam including 3 year continuous stay and I would say Da Nang is one of the safest places on earth to live. Maybe because I'm street savvy and speak a bit of Vietnamese I have not experienced being scammed on money or change etc. And I feel pretty confident using my mobile phone anywhere while out and about.
also as for the counterfeit money scam. Straight to the police as they'll take this one very seriously. (And if the first police you try don't help try some others).
Thank you for sharing..life experience is the best
Regarding motorbike rental, and any other situation really, you should avoid handing over your passport to someone. There are motorbike shops that will take cash deposits or if you're going to be there several months, buy a bike. Once you hand over your passport, you put yourself in a really bad spot. If you've handed over USD $200 deposit on a bike the worst that can happen is you're out $200. Not being able to get your passport back becomes a much more complicated situation.
My thoughts exactly. I would never ever leave my passport with anybody. Walking or travelling by taxi is cheaper than losing your passport.
Not to mention that it's likely illegal for the merchant to demand customers surrender a passport.
....... They can take a copy of my passport, nothing more. If they not like....there are so many other shops to renr a bike. 😅
I really liked Vietnam when I was there, but being constantly targeted for scams is very off putting!
@Joe Vogue When I was in the AF we had a helicopter go down in the Philippines. No injuries to the crew. Was in a very isolated area. Next day they went back to retrieve the copter and lift it out for repairs only to find it stripped of everything down to a skeleton shell.
@Joe Vogue The war had nothing to do with scams or culture, and there are lots of honorable and caring Vietnamese. It's true though, that there are scams everywhere. Here in the USA, they are just much bigger, and harder to avoid, since they are perpetrated by business and government.
@Joe Vogue it's true that vietnam do have scam and stuff like that but so does every country , and there's no teaching their kids to lying or stealing , and it's have nothing to do with the war , the government did try to reduce the scamming but it's still some out there
@@dalexplym4882 Agreed. I live in the suburbs of New York CIty
@Joe Vogue stay home.
Wow, I am depressed listening to this.
just important to know what to look out for if you go. On the plus side, very little violent crime. It's just petty theft like most tourist destinations. Where in the world are you now?
I'm currently n orwellian socialist singapore. It's quite an expensive city but boy is Da Nang sketchy!
@@crisyorke1328 its not sketchy AT ALL. This video is all fear mongering but it's all common sense. Been living in Da Nang 4 months now and haven't been scammed once.
Same here..makes you don't want to go.,
I live in California, USA. These same scams happen here to the unwary.
Use Common Sense and listen to people who have been to these places, like this lovely young woman.
Not a big deal.
As a Vietnamese, I am ashamed of these scams toward mostly tourist. On their behalf, I apologized from the bottom of my heart and hopefully the goods outweighed the bad experiences.
Vietnam is a wonderful country. I have been there 5 times. My wife is from Vietnam. All big cities have crime. No matter what country you are in! Vietnam has mostly wonderful people, like you.
If you know what kind of high tech scams are going on in developed countries, you would not have to apologize anything for these pick pocket scams in Vietnam, my friend !
Don't appologise. Blame it on the government for not doing enough to stop it
If these peoples used their smart in a good way your country will be better than this.
@@michaelhrivnak1719 I guess you haven't travelled much to state such thing. VN has a full collection of scams reserved not only to tourists but also to their own family members who live overseas.
Sorry that you had to go through all of these. I sincerely hoped they changed because of many years of opening the country for tourism but it is still very much the same. Still shake my head, swallow the shame and continue to hope.....
I travelled to Hanoi with my 2 children- one in a wheelchair. We had to use a taxi at the last minute and the guy had a meter. He then locked us in the car with the meter being rigged . In the end a really short trip cost us a fortune. I found some (not all) of the Vietnamese took advantage of people in wheelchairs. So be mindful of this
Just read your comment and realised how heartless the thirst for money can make some people.
Hi, thank you for this great video! I'm Vietnamese and thanks to your video, I will not be visiting my country ever. With all these scams and dishonesty, I don't know why would anyone even bother to visit. You have my respect and I salute you for going through these experiences!
A Vietnamese dude who is afraid of his own country after watching a video made by a Canadian who loves Vietnam! That is funny!
Foreigners are the best target because they don't understand the scammers' conversations nor their tricks.
@@cliftran581 I guess he is not a blind patriot.
This made Danang sound like a theme park. Its sad... Reminded me of my first 2 visits in Vietnam. I felt like everyone was just waiting to ripp off tourist. I was just very uncomfortable with locals especially in the train stations. For a long time, I only eat at KFC because i hate being ripped off. But after a few visits, I love Vietnam.
couldn't agree more! I was pickpocketed in Ha Noi and also followed by two suspicious guys from the market all the way to my hotel! That definitely was my last time visiting this country!
That was my feeling exactly, not only in Danang but in other cities as well. I've always felt like a walking wallet to those ppl who worship money. I like Viet nature, sites, but it's impossible to relax from all the ripoffs. The country is cheap but you get what you paid for. Nice country but way too many Viets everywhere ruin it.
I've been in Da Nang for less than 1 week and I got the wrong change 3 times. I thought it was in my head, but I came looking for a video and ended up finding yours. Thanks for the alert. Now I'll be smarter.
Glad you found it helpful! Enjoy Da Nang!
@@PortableProfessional Thank you very much 🙏
OMG this is so accurate. The same thing happened to me whilst travelling around Bali.
OMG, I can't believed it. I decide not go to Vietnam. Thanks for upload.
You'll be missing a lot of nice experiences and friends. I had no particular problems in VN, but China is very different. I'd never want to spend more time there without a native friend. Korea, Japan, Singapore, no issues...
@@dalexplym4882 Not really the criticism towards to vietnam is warranted. It's basically scams galore.
Excellent video! One of the best Vietnam videos I’ve seen! Thank you!👍👍🌹
Amazing to hear!! Thanks for the feedback, thinking of making a visit?
If someone returns with counterfeit notes - do not touch them. Ask for a plastic bag and put them in a plastic bag and tell them you will take them to the police for forensic checking ie fingerprints. This should quickly sort out the problem in this case.
Wow, that's very smart! First time I've heard of this method to thwart the scammers. Just wonder if anyone has tried it that actually worked in real life.
Maybe the scammer will bet that you won't actually go through with it? In other words, for them to admit they scammed you, or taking the chance that you won't actually go through with your bluff, or the police would actually go through the trouble of checking the fingerprints on the bill, etc., seem like a easy choice for them...
to check the fingerprints cost hundreds dollar in vn ... best is not losing your sight on your money, insist to ask that person being there with you while she/he is checking the notes
How about taking a quick picture of the bills you are handing over, including the code number on them, the digits printed on them that are unique to each one of the notes?
NEVER GIVE YOUR PASSPORT to ANYONE in VN, instead asking and put down the $ deposit
* Here's a scam to avoid. When you get in a taxi, keep your luggage in the backseat with you, not in the trunk.
If your luggage is in the trunk, when you get to your destination, the driver can demand more money before he'll open the trunk and return your luggage to you.
This happened to me in Poland. *
100%. Don't put your luggage in the trunk unless you really trust the taxi. Otherwise they can extort money out of you. In Vietnam, I always use Vinasun and they are reputable.
Would Grab drivers scam the same way?
This is some of the best travel tips I've seen on RUclips.
0:39 If the menus aren’t kept on the table, seems like taking a picture of the menu you’re ordering from would be a good idea.
On a positive note. They would only get away with it once with myself. Good advice here. Learned some new tourist scams.
It is very true 100% for sure, myself and my family members always got piss off because of scams and cheating when we travels in some cities of Vietnam . We have known those scams are going to happen to us. But We are unable to avoid those scams for sure. Many times we got our money rip off. And we are still unhappy when we think about them till today
Again thanks for all beautiful tips .
In Tokyo ordering a drink I always asked for price. The scam used to be normal priced drinks but if you ordered nuts or had some that were out even, bingo! You'd be hit with the most expensive bar nuts you ever heard of.
Didn't know Japanese would scam you like that! Maybe the bar is owned by someone from "other" countries?!
Thanks for sharing the information. I hope you guys know and avoid the bad things so you can stay safe and enjoy the good things Vietnam offers. Please share more of the information ^^
Very good tips, Thanx.
Wow, it seems like avoiding these scams are an adventure in itself. I like rest and relaxation when I am on vacation.
That's what these rip-off merchants are hoping. You'll let your guard down and they'll steal from you while wearing a smile. Don't be fooled by the SEA smile.
Thank u for your sharing for lesson learn of all of us.. . Its very shame Dang Na business owners not honest
This is such a great video! 👍 Thank you so much for this great information🙏 I have zero tolerance for this stuff and never experienced any of it while in Malaysia or Thailand.
One question: is it easy in Da Nang and Hoi An to tap-and-pay with your phone using a digital wallet like Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc. to avoid or minimize using cash? I love that in Malaysia I rarely needed cash.
This video makes Danang sound scary, but..if you dont live in the "expat" area you will be less likely to be scammed. I am from the US and have lived in Danang for 5 years now. The inner city is very friendly, clean and beautiful.
These are great tips, thank you! 👏👏
For all the different scams you mentioned, I'd not bother going there at all.
thank you for posting this! Good advice that I will be taking as soon as Vietnam opens up. Scams are all over the world, they are legalized in my country. 😎
One tip regarding the currency: I kept my "Big bills" separate from small bills, to make it easier. Luckily, none of the notes in circulation are worth more than about $22, so even if you screw up, you shouldn't suffer a huge loss.
I had a wonderful time in VN and met some really nice people; looking forward to returning, as soon as they'll let me in again. (Damn this scamdemic, and the people behind it.)
I like the way you do the direct talk and also clear explanations, thanks and good luck
We booked our flight from Da Nang to SGN with Agoda. Flight was a Vietnam Airlines Flight but operated by Pacific Airlines. I checked back with the agency and also Vietnam Airlines and they confirmed, that with my booking I bought a real VN Airlines ticket with the baggage allowance rules of VN Airlines.
At the airport they sent us directly to Pacific Airlines and we had to pay for all our flight baggage except hand baggage. There was no baggage allowance in the PA flight. The writing to customer services of Agoda, VN Airlines and Pacific Airlines to chance the booking process didn't help.
very nice vlog. 😍😍🇵🇭
Wow ! So many scams out there these days . Very useful tips on how to be on the look out for them , avoid them and not get ripped off . The info applies to many destinations no doubt . The info was very well presented by you too . Thanks .
Very useful information. Thank you for sharing. Will you do another video identifying all the places where you or your friends got scammed?
I want to know exactly places ( restaurants, bike rental, shops, market, landlords.....)where she got scam. So I can avoid them
Loved your videos. Obveviously, you appeared to have more love for Da Nang and more living experience in its city than most. Can't wait to reach out to you when I return to Vietnam for my next trip to Vietnam since 1978 which was the year I have settled my life in Mississauga, Canada.
Wow I can’t believe this happened to you! Good tops tho!
Thanks, Jose! Lots of similar scam stories from other places too, but over all I’ve been pretty lucky! Have you ever been caught in a scam?
Scammers count on people being to embarrassed to speak out or tell others , you can bet 90% of the time they get away with it some crimes pay .
Thanks, for all the excellent advice, and thanks again; for sharing your videos, on your RUclips channel.
Thank you for this, another amazing Danang video! I'm going for the first time this weekend to stay long term and I found your videos very helpful. I got a bit worried about the deposit scam, is there any apartment building or villa that you can recommend? Keep up the good work! 😊🤗
Yeah same here, im wondering if someone can recomend a good apartment or landlord
Hey Leda! Unfortunately, most of the landlords I know and trust have all their units rented out. I need to stop talking about them in my videos, or I will never have a place to stay for myself haha! 😅 I know of one building where I stayed for several weeks in 2019 that MIGHT have a spot left. Send me an email and I can connect you with the landlord if you are interested. hello@megangougeon.com. Safe Travels!!
WOW excellent information not only for being in Vietnam but elsewhere in the world taking trips and enjoying life. Thanks! :)
Thanks for sharing this!!
first hours in vietnam got scammed by taxi at bus station drove me in big circle to inflate meter then inflated price then switched bills on me after i paid to say I didnt give enough...lol... paid like 25 or 30 dollars for a 5 minute ride that I could have walked ...next day almost got scammmed by guy offering motor bike tour who threaten me after tour for extra money but he backed down...whats funny is I met guy on the bus who warned me about taxi and said he used the app on his phone to pay for taxi service to avoid the price gouge/arguing issue...problem i had was that I had my phone stolen/lost in Cambodia so I couldnt use grab.
Sadly, we have to be bold and seem untrusting by taking pictures of Menus and Bank notes when we pay just to protect ourselves in Vietnam and asia.
Knowing these things makes me hate VN despite the beauty of the countryside and waterways. Some people have no honor.
true but vietnam is probably the best i travel to yet- There is scams but some is real.
Thank you so much.
Thanks for this informative and succinct video. Well done, and subscribed! Also, sorry you always have trouble with dong! LOL.
Wow even I am a Vietnamese, I sometimes feel embarrassed over those scams. They are real. Not like the US with contracts, vnese always has ways to get more money from travelers
This is good information! cheers
Great video Megan as always. Good tips although if I were ever to go Vietnam it would only be on a cruise, which means I'm not staying more than a day and everyone involved in my trip has to be honest or the cruise company won't give them anymore work. I always love these videos I love your personality.
Thanks for sharing , Leo! Do you always travel cruise only?
@@PortableProfessional yeah a lot of time haven't cruised in a while though. I've flown to visit my Grandad a few times to Disney in boyhood and Tadah to go on a cruise in the Caribbean.
@@PortableProfessional Being a Millenial using the grab app is in my abilities. So if I ever do chose to visit Vietnam in my life by plane might see you there.
@@PortableProfessional I might cruise and Fly to Colombo if I ever go to Sri Lanka or Ceylon as I know it. I have to redeem my reputation as a purely Cruise man. sorry I have this illness it's called flirting with women please forgive me.
Really? Is that what you think? The cruise ship is interested in getting their cut from the tour operator. I should know because I spent 2 years working on a first class cruise ship while in hotel school. In general, the best values are to be had by traveling on your own, picking and choosing what interests you. Happy Travels!
Well, scams and thieves are everywhere, my mother got her luggage stolen once in Spain and once in Germany, while another man/woman tried to ask sth.
There are way more thieves in Europe than Asia.
@@sweetjane6506 I don't know man, i've been all over, Only in Vietnam and CHina would it be common to be pick pocketed or scammed every few hours.
I know EU has a huge problem but its mostly isolated in area for say
Here in Vietnam there is no restrictions to the problems, nice, poor, rich, casual areas are all the same. Scams, robbery, and petty theft are just a norm here that surpass anything EU could manage to equal.
@@breezyrelaxation That's really unlucky. I've been to Viet Nam at seven or eight times and never encountered any of that. I got robbed in Barcelona.
@@sweetjane6506 Yeah i can agree with Breezy on this. But on YOUR point i can see two. I feel though Visiting Vietnam and LIVING in Vietnam are two different things. Me personally i visited 3 times before i offically moved here 9 years ago..
I can safetly say the visits of months at a time where much more relaxed not many problems, nor worries of permits, renting homes, daily shopping , etc.
WHen i finally made the move things changed and fast, this isn't bad its just intergrating into the culture compared to seeing it from the outside.
Barcelona, that sucks i hear horror stories of that place a lot from tourist here in regards to safety :(
Ahh and Vietnam, its not two words :)
@@RockDavid In Viet Nam it is. : ) Any country has more hassles when you live there long term, and you're not a citizen. I lived in Thailand for several years, and while shopping and rentals are pretty convenient, immigration is a nightmare.
This is why I no longer care to travel much. When I was young I use to love the market games where you barter with the seller. I knew sometimes I was being scammed but it was usually for a very small amount of money and I felt sorry for the people so I wrote it off as entertainment. I no longer feel this way, I don't want to deal with crooks anywhere.
I am sorry to hear about your story. I went to Da Nang twice and had all great experiences. Maybe peo think I am from the local. Again, sorry about you bad experiences.
Hi Khanh! I am so glad to hear you had a good time in Da nang! I LOVE the city, and almost all of my experiences were amazing. I am so excited to go back in a few months. :) There are good and bad experiences anywhere you go, and Da nang was 99.99% positive. Amazing place, amazing people; these were just a few minor things to look out for as a tourist.
Thank you for the info; it sounds scary visiting there.
That is why I can’t stand visiting third world countries. I want to enjoy my trip not worrying about scams.
every tourist place have scams. Search the web for France scam or USA scam. U will see a tons. If you smart you dont have to worry to much about scam ( I bet you not )
you are such an ignorance. you think only third world countries have scams. think again my friend. Everywhere you go will always have scams. It all depends on how smart you are, fface.
@@paultran5748 I bet he is stupid
Welcome to viet nam haaa
How racist! Why,is your country free of scams? B.s! Opportunists are everywhere in every country.
Oh my. Vietnam sounds like the Wild Wild West. This is so depressing.
Scam on rental deposit also exist in California, and it's really hard to get the full amount back.Thanks Megan for all the Tips, and I may consult with you again if I decide to make a trip to Da Nang in 2022.
That's right. In 14 years of living in California, I've encountered one rent deposit scam. In two years of living in Vietnam, ALL three of my landlords withheld large portions of my deposit and two out of three lied about promised improvements that they never did once they got the $ in their pockets. Never again.
Good video. I am now in Vietnam as a world traveler.
Great 👍 Thanks for watching!
WOW!!! Infinite thanks...
This was a really well-done video! I feel like all these scams happened to you but you mention your friend aka you:) still a good video great content thanks!
Sounds like avoiding Vietnam would be the way to go
ขอให้สนุกกับการเดินทาง😊🤟🇹🇭
Thanks ya information!
Love your video!
So far thank God this type of stuff has not happen to me in Vietnam. However, the video is a good reminder to be extra aware.
Be careful also of the currency exchange right in the airport. The Vietnam Dong currency is also confusing and they can take advantage of tourist by undervaluing your currency by 30% to 40%.
True! It's always good to have an idea of the exchange rate ahead of time!
So funny love that video. Scams are everywhere in Asia....just travel a lot and you’ll learn more rather staying home and no nothing of what’s happening on this earth. FYI they even scam local Vietnamese....part of the game
Scams are everywhere in Asia... AND the rest of the world. It's just important to know what to look out for as a local or as a tourist. Glad you enjoyed the video and absolutely agree with the tip to travel and learn. Hopefully we can all get back to it sometime soon :)
@@PortableProfessional True. Impressive when you were locked down in VN...happy you appreciated your trip in VN. Your video is great for new travelers...I personally get angry when they scam foreigners...but hey, I've been scammed the first time I came too...despite I'm asian ;) All the restaurants, TripAdvisor is the best to kill a business for non-ethic business
I enjoyed your videos and I have come to the concullsion good people and crappy people are everywhere.
Best tip ever: never smile when you are dealing with them and don't be affraid being agressive saying NO
I travel alone ,twice yearly ,to Danang and Hoi an, and apart from the odd Taxi trying to charge too much, I haven’t had any other problems
Thanks for share amazing information
Thanks for all the information
It looks like you have to be very careful all the time
Will not be visiting Vietnam
My friend went to VN last year, he had nothing but a bad experience. Everybody wanted to scam out of him everywhere he went.
When I arrived at the airport a guy approached me and tried to charge me 300 thousand to take me to my hotel 10 mins. away, I ignored him and kept going asked another guy if he used the meter. He said yes, the fare was 100, asked me for an extra 50 at my destination said was for a fee the airport charges.
It was still half of what the first guy asked. Insist on the meter and you won't go far wrong or use Grab.
You are terrific
Wow!! Very clever these scams are. Thanks for the tips.
Glad it was helpful!
NEVER give up your passport - ever!
Great tips to avoid Scams. I have only been traveling for business for a few years now so you have more knowledge than me.
but I am sure these are scams to watch out for in other countries too. So Thank You.
I have been lucky and have not been scammed in my travels. I am confident it will never occur thanks to this video.
I always take a lot of photos of My bill ( in a Bar ) after each beverage. anything I rent But that is a great idea about taking detailed photos of your room.!
The one scam I caught was when I brought my clothes to a laundry cleaning shop In Thailand. Luckily;y I checked all my clean clothes before I left. I had a brand name dress shirt replaced with a local no label one. I said I had a picture of all my clothes on my phone ( I was bluffing ) and they Magically found my shirt and said they made a mistake. Now it might have been a real error but I never went back there.
So sorry about your suitcase dilemma. You have Happy travels too.
Smart move taking photos on the clothing prior to sending them to Laundry! I’ve had clothes go missing, but never replaced by a generic copy. Very interesting, and whether intentional or not, awesome that you caught the swap. Thanks for watching and BIG thanks for sharing the experience. Hopefully others will read and know what to look out for 🙌
@@PortableProfessional Yes. I was bluffing the Laundry store owner the first time BUT yes from that point on I always take a photo now. keep making great videos...!
these tips are golden! 😎
The deposit scam is HUGE here, all over VN its a norm
The way i've gotten around it has been what i do as a 3 week stay
I will advise the owner i am leaving, and to make it 'Easier" for them they can just keep the deposit for the last month but i will be leaving after 3 weeks giving them a week of free money and time to rent it..
100% the time this works and there is no "Deposit" to worry about .
The rule really is this, if you give any money to Vietnamese that is expected to be returned, you probably won't get it back.
Very very true 100%
Wow! It seems like a huge hassle to visit Vietnam.
It's really not, you just need to know what to look out for regardless of where you go. I have been scammed in a lot of countries- and at home! Definitely experienced more petty theft in Da Nang, but also experienced zero dangerous crime, or poor air quality... there are pros and cons everywhere you go.
Ivory i thought the same thing :(
Just don't got to Saigon or Hanoi, you pass it way better in Dalat if you like templet coldish wearther or! HUE, Danang is cool too, but seems hue people more honest.
I've just come back from 5 weeks in Vietnam. It's more than a hassle. If you like to be treated rudely, eat greasy fried food while watching rats scurrying around the dirty streets and be cheated by almost everyone, then Vietnam is your perfect vacation destination. As for me, Thailand is much more enjoyable. The people are polite and the natural beauty beats Vietnam in a second. the food is much better in Thailand too!
@@島袋誠-z6k Saigon is great!!
I’m Vietnamese and I still got scammed every time I went back. I hate that. The good thing is that most of these scams are little compared to other countries. One best advice for every tourist is to confirm the price before taking your money out. Get a travel book to find out where are the good and trusted place to stay or eat. My buddy acted like local (dressed and wore flip flops) every time he went back so he never got scammed. I can’t do that, lol.
One "little" scam involved the theft of my passport and bank cards. Another one took headphones. Third one wielded a pocket knife while threatening me and my gf. Fourth one grabbed my iphone but by miracle I managed to repossess it. Fifth, 6th, 100th, countless shortchanging... I also noticed that Viets rip off each other just as much as foreigners. Finally, I realized why decent ppl just don't live in Vietnam and leave never to be seen again in 95% of cases. Never again!
great stuff !
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video !
Even street side sellers are professional scam artists.
So helpful tips, thank you.
You're so welcome!
I traveled and lived in Vietnam about 3 years so far.. I have heard about all this but never really experianced it myself.
VERY GOOD VIDEO, its sad that people need to scam people just to get ahead.
It's deeper than just an economic benefit -- it provides a psychologically-rooted dopamine flood that transcends mere money. Gaining unparalleled happiness from cheating someone is a characteristic unique to Southeast Asia. Everyone does it.
Loved your suitcase story. Very wise and practical advice when traveling in any developing country with varied levels of poverty.
developing or developed, there will always be people who steal an rob for a living. They actually steal and rob more in 'developed' countries, so stop trashing developing countries like that.
@@diehardcat pointless comment of the day
1. Take photos of the menu before ordering.
2. Take photos of your money serial number. I always take photos of all my large notes.
3. Yes take photos of everything and email it to the landlord same day, no matter where you are in the world.
#1 Scammed in Hong Kong: don't have a bunch of bags from gold vendors on you at a Pub later; good pick pockets(pick baggers?)
#2 Philippines guy after the sale of 4 tshirts for $10usd...gave a $20 bill and he insisted the "change" was 4 more shirts since we just agreed that 4=10 bucks. I laughed and took the shirts. The guy was very personable and funny about his "scam" . Lov It!!
Sorry to hear about these experiences, but great attitude and appreciate you taking the time to share!
:(
I would be feel like home there. Greetings from Colombia lol.
Nice advice. Great channel.
Photograph the menu. The rental deposit scam is Massive in the UK. Yuo are lovely btw.
Well good to know! We may be sailing there in the near future...
That sounds amazing!! Where are you sailing at the moment??
Everytime I come back to visit relatives in Saigon, the first thing any family/friends of mine would say when they greets me is “put you handbag and phone away
- put cash in your front pocket
- do not carry any valuables when you take a walk on the street”
After watching this video about scams in Vietnam. I would never travel there.
If there are so many scams in a country, I prefer not to go there. Thanks for the good tips.
There are scams pretty much anywhere you go so don't let that stop you from travelling! Knowing what to look out for can help you avoid them. Happy travels!
This is a great video