How Do You Spot The “Shoe Shiner” Travel Scam?
The “Shoe Shiner” Travel Scam is designed to take advantage of generous, compassionate tourists. It begins when a shoe shiner pretends to drop an item used for shoe shining in front of the tourist and ends with a tourist handing over a large sum of money. Walk down the street and notice if someone in front of you drops shoe shiner’s tools. A brush or polish are two types of tools that can be used. Pick up the tools, run to catch up with him and return them to him. Listen as the potential scammer expresses his thanks and start a conversation with you. A scammer will likely have a story to go along with the brush–he may claim that it’s the only brush he owns, that it was a treasured relative’s brush or he may use another line to illustrate the importance of the brush in his life. Receive a gesture of thanks. The scammer will offer to shine your shoes for free to thank you for your kindness. Move to a place where the scammer works. He may have an area set up for his shines or he may take
