This scam turns a small lie into a shopping trip you never planned. A helpful stranger tells you the place you are heading is closed, then kindly offers an alternative that happens to pay them. It works because it sounds like a local doing you a favor.
How this scam works
As you head to a fort, market, or ticket office, a friendly local or your driver says it is closed for a holiday, a ceremony, or lunch.
They offer to take you somewhere better in the meantime, often a government emporium, a travel office, or another shop.
That destination pays them a commission and pushes overpriced tours, gems, or goods.
What it sounds like
Stranger: The fort is closed today for a special festival. But I can take you to a government craft emporium, very famous.
You: Check for yourself. Walk to the real entrance. It is almost never closed.
Red flags
- A stranger or driver volunteering that your destination is closed today.
- An immediate offer of an alternative shop, emporium, or office.
- The word government used to make a shop sound official.
What to do
- Confirm opening hours yourself online, and walk up to the real entrance to check.
- Decline the alternative, especially any shop or emporium.
- If a driver keeps insisting, end the ride and find another.
How to report this scam in India
For cyber or card fraud, report at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930. See the travel scams guide for more.
Frequently asked questions
Is the monument really closed?
Almost never. This is a standard diversion. Walk to the official entrance and check for yourself rather than trusting a stranger or driver.
What is a government emporium in this scam?
Scammers use the word government to make a shop sound official and trustworthy. The shops that pay commissions are not official and their prices are inflated.
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