(Use of English: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes
Taxi drivers, local tour companies and official-looking badges can't always be trusted by travellers. Taxis are a common ruse for a scam. Never get into a cab 1. you're sure it has a good reputation, and always agree 2. a price beforehand. read on
Beware taxi drivers (or "helpful" strangers) who tell you that the hotel or attraction you want to go to is closed or fully booked. 3. are often paid commission by other hotels and restaurants to take you there instead.
Always double-check, through word of 4., guidebooks or the internet, that local tour companies are reliable. Some will add unwanted extras to your trip (in exchange for commission), while others may take your money and vanish. Many ‘cheap’ buses taking non-locals 5. the Thai-Cambodian border, for example, 6. into the first category.
Pressured buys are a favourite tactic. In Beijing, for instance, you may 7. invited to a traditional teahouse or art exhibition, and then presented with a huge bill or guilt-tripped into an expensive buy. Beware attractive strangers who invite you to bars but vanish 8. a huge bill arrives.
An official-looking badge or uniform gives an extra layer of authority. If you are asked for cash or for 9. passport in an unusual situation, insist on checking with a police officer or senior-looking official first.
Lastly, refuse all unsolicited offers to buy goods that you are told you can sell at a profit back home. This is known as the gem scam.
10. all of this, don't make paranoia your default setting when stepping 11. the plane. For 12. thing, scams are common enough at home – check out Directgov for some well-known examples.
bbc
lonely planet
the cost of a 3km taxi ride in 72 cities
taxi!
