Written by Azotar Travel — a local Vietnam tour operator specialising in authentic private tours for European and Australian travellers. We've been navigating this country for years. Everything in this guide comes from direct experience.

Booking through a reputable local operator like Azotar Travel eliminates the majority of scam exposure instantly — airport pickups, transport, and accommodation are pre-arranged at honest prices with vetted partners. Independent travellers who are well-informed come a close second. The travellers most vulnerable are those who are unprepared and in a hurry.

You exit the arrivals hall at Noi Bai (Hanoi) or Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) airport. A man approaches with a sign or simply offers you a taxi. He takes your luggage, loads it into the car, and drives — but the meter runs at an abnormal speed, or he claims the meter is broken and names a price at the end that is 3–5x what a legitimate fare should cost.

Variant: the taxi takes a significantly longer route to your hotel while the meter runs. Variant: a "broken meter" with a negotiated price that seemed reasonable but is still double the legitimate fare.

You rent a motorbike. The rental shop takes your passport as deposit — a red flag in itself. When you return the bike, the owner claims there is damage (a scratch, a dent) that was pre-existing or has been added while the bike was parked, and demands you pay for repairs. As they hold your passport, you have limited leverage. Some shops use accomplices who steal the bike while you are parked and then charge you the full value.

Vietnamese Dong notes can be confusing for new arrivals — a 20,000 VND note and a 200,000 VND note look similar to unfamiliar eyes (the difference is one zero). Vendors and taxi drivers sometimes exploit this by accepting a higher note and giving change for a lower one, claiming you handed them the wrong denomination.

Variant: money changers at unofficial exchange points offer a good rate but sleight-of-hand the notes during counting, removing some before handing the bundle back.

Travel agencies in the Hanoi and HCMC Old Quarter streets sometimes operate under names very similar to reputable operators — occasionally even using the same logos and branding. You book a Ha Long Bay cruise, pay in cash, receive a confirmation, and arrive at the dock to find no boat, no booking, and an unreachable phone number.

Variant: you book a tour that is advertised as one standard but is switched for a lower quality boat or itinerary on the day with various excuses.

Someone crouches and begins cleaning or shining your shoes before you've agreed to anything. Or places their hat or basket on you for a photograph. Or begins carrying your bag. When they finish, they demand a fee far above what is reasonable — sometimes aggressively. The logic: you accepted the service by not immediately refusing, therefore you owe payment.

You agree verbally on a price for a cyclo (three-wheeled bicycle rickshaw) or xe om (motorbike taxi) ride. At the destination, the driver claims the price was "per person" not total, or was for a different distance, or has simply changed his mind. The price demanded is significantly higher than agreed. Because you're now at your destination with your luggage, the dynamic is unfavourable.

You sit down at a restaurant. Tea, peanuts, crackers, or a plate of fruit appears on the table without being ordered. You assume it's complimentary — in many Vietnamese restaurants, tea is indeed free. The bill arrives with each item individually charged, sometimes at inflated tourist prices. Some restaurants also add a "table charge" or "service fee" not mentioned on the menu.

A person approaches — sometimes two people — claiming to be plain-clothes police officers. They show a badge (easily faked) and demand to inspect your wallet, passport, and documents claiming to be checking for counterfeit money or drug possession. The goal is to distract and steal cash, or to find your PIN by watching you open your wallet. Less common than other scams but worth knowing.

Don't Let This List Worry You

The vast majority of people you encounter in Vietnam are honest, warm, and genuinely interested in making your visit a good one. Local shop owners, restaurant families, guides, drivers, and guesthouse staff — these people's livelihoods depend on their reputation, and the overwhelming experience of travellers in Vietnam is one of generosity and welcome.

The scams in this guide are real but they are also a small subset of human interactions you'll have during your trip. Awareness without paranoia is the goal. Know the patterns, apply the simple defences listed above, and then relax and enjoy one of the most extraordinary countries in the world.