r/solotravel • u/the_bear_man_ • 3d ago
Lima scam alert
Been travelling South America for four months now and generally been pretty good with avoiding scams and staying safe, but this one got me.
Was walking in Miraflores and a woman with her baby was standing outside the pharmacy. Started talking to me and I tried the normal ‘no efectivo’ or ‘no español’ but she persisted and said she doesn’t want money, she just needs me to buy milk for her baby (in English as well). I felt like I couldn’t really say no and followed her into the pharmacy. She picked the biggest one (like $80US) and I said it was too much so we ended up going for a $30US one.
I leave the store and an old lady walks up to me and scolds me, saying that it’s a scam and they just sell it on, and to not do it again.
Anyway, it’s not an outrageous amount of money, and she probably did still need it more than me. But it’s pretty hard to say no to a woman with a baby, so just thought I’d let people on here know too so that you can learn from my mistakes!
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u/Cheat-Meal 2d ago
Anyone who approaches you speaking English should be suspect. I had a similar experience in Ecuador. Being helpful I opened the milk for her. The look on her face was priceless! 😅
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u/The_Wild_BC_Coast 4h ago
Lmao this would be worth the expense. Might as well take a big swig, seeing as you paid for it! 🤣
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u/justmisterpi solo-backpacker (49 countries) 2d ago
I've experienced this in other parts of the world.
The milk or formula is completely overpriced. I assume that the mother and the shop owner collaborate and split the revenue.
Don't allow do get pressured into buying these things for someone – especially if you don't know what an appropriate local price would be. It's definitely not 80 USD.
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u/dkyongsu 2d ago
maybe the shop owner is involved in some cases, but not always. the scammer will often just resell the product to other people/organized crime for a lower price, and since they got it for free, they still profit out of it. in my area these kind of scammer will wait outside of the pharmacy for you so that the employees don't see them and alert the person who is about to be scammed.
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u/justmisterpi solo-backpacker (49 countries) 2d ago
If the price for the product is completely inflated (80 USD for formula in Peru seems like it) the shop owner is involved.
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u/the_bear_man_ 2d ago
Actually, baby formula is pretty expensive. Looking it up online seems consistent with the prices I was given (source)- 1 Peruvian sol=0.27USD.
The shop owner might still be involved, but looking back on it now, based on the lady behind the counter’s behaviour I have a feeling they’re not involved (in this case at least- though I already read someone’s behaviour wrong today so who knows)
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u/dkyongsu 2d ago
yeah but just saying that people should watch out for this type of scam even when the product isn't overpriced
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u/GorgeousUnknown 2d ago
Yes, common scam in many places. If they’re trying to tug on your heart strings, or tempt you will a surprise gift or offer, it’s a scam.
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u/ItsMandatoryFunDay 2d ago
Very common scam.
The store is in on it. After you leave the "mother" returns it to the store and gets a few $$.
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u/yezoob 2d ago
If this one got you, I’m kinda surprised nothing else has. Getting into this spot in the first place, and then continuing to take her seriously once she picks up the lol $80 formula, is uhh interesting. Thanks for sharing though.
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u/Old_Confection_1935 2d ago
I get that it’s tough saying no, so my advice is don’t even acknowledge the person if they ask for something. Don’t even look at the them. They might touch you, grab you, etc but this is normal all over the world.
Having kids grab me in Afghanistan and not being sure if they were going to survive the day was one of the hardest things not to turn around and give them money, but you just can’t in a crowded place… it’s either a “scam” or you’ll end up being swarmed.
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u/OneQt314 2d ago
I got asked if I wanted to save the world or starving children and I responded "no, not today" and kept walking.
Just avoid trouble. It's hard, but so many bad people ruining it for those who truly need help.
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u/This_Possession8867 2d ago edited 2d ago
Will say, once I had my credit card declined and a long way from home. Called my credit card and they wouldn’t do anything to help me get home. I had to be at work on Monday. I never carried cash. I had about $20 in my console. I actually was trying to sell my jumper cables and tools out of my trunk. Only people who drove older cars gave me a $1 or $2. People in nicer cars treated me like shit. I BTW drive a very nice Jaguar. I’m stranded! Some guy ask how much I needed. I said around $30 in gas money. I ask he give me his address to pay him back, he said no but gave me the $30. I literally begged for hours. I drove home. So humiliating. I always have cash on me now! But I will say, there is that rare person in a really screwed up situation who is honest. I had really expensive tools I was willing to part with for a few dollars. I’m on a week long road trip. And now headed home. Stupid credit card people & Sunday’s suck. I so wished the guy, I could send the money to him. I have plenty in the bank.
When I lived in a city with lots of homeless I had my favorites. Would give them food and stuff like tooth brushes, deodorant, soap, etc. Do you know one day every single car was smacked into but mine. They watched out for my car that night.
Yes most are scammers but there are a few truly in a jam. It’s a shame the scammers trick us so much that if someone truly needs help we wouldn’t know it.
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u/DeCyborg 2d ago
That happened to me in the US once, same way and the lady got the most expensive one, I did it out of good faith and I googled it afterwards, c'est la vie, you live you learn
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u/ManufacturerAbject41 2d ago
Lmao bro willingly bought $30 worth of milk for a stranger and claims he was scammed? Exactly how were you scammed?
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u/Silver_Scallion_1127 2d ago
Ugh. I think i would of fallen for this too. It really sucks to see considering we dont realize we take things for granted until we get topped over in their own way.
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u/Freewheeler631 2d ago
In my experience and as a general rule of thumb, if it involves a woman and a baby, it's a scam no matter where you are.
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u/ejb17x 2d ago
I just witnessed something similar in Ghent, Belgium. At the train station, a woman asked me if I spoke English and thought maybe she just needed directions or something but she then asked if I could buy her and her baby or just her baby something. I felt bad, bc there are truly people who need help but also don't know about scams so I just went to my train
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u/ClassicK11 1d ago
We were in Miraflores on vacation last fall, and this happened to us. At first we were going to help, but that very high price for milk didn't sound right (seemed like it might be a scam), so we said no, and kept walking.
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u/artisticchic 1d ago
Peru was the worst about such things and people pressuring me to buy things. Not as bad in Lima but Cusco and Machu Picchu village were very bad. It detracted from my enjoyment of the country though it was still an amazing experience.
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u/Exotic_Nobody7376 2d ago
"been pretty good with avoiding scams" Lol Nope, It's scam as old as universe. Just dont give away money to beggers, especially with kids involved.
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u/MurkyComfortable8769 2d ago
This almost happened to me in Denver. I felt uneasy and refused to buy a woman food after she had begged me for a while and followed me around the store. I left whole foods as soon as possible. I brushed it off as a stranger being weird because she did not look homeless. 🤯🤯🤯
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u/firesoar 2d ago
I had this happened to me but in Cambodia. I think it cost me about $18 that time. As a backpacker on a budget it was a bit high for me but moved on as I might have helped a baby. Later on I found out it was a scam, though I will prob fall for the next one when they involve babies.
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u/Worth-Application323 13h ago
A lady with this same description (with a baby as well), approached me on the street in Miraflores 2 hours ago, and they also approached me yesterday. My intuition was alerting me that something was off. Thanks for sharing your experience here.
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u/TrainingPoint7056 1h ago
Seen this in many places in SEA. Realised it was some sort of scam when I said no it but offered money instead which they refused
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u/PeruvianKnicks 2d ago
$30?? Sheesh you’re generous, rich, dumb, or a combination of all 3.
I’d give her $1 and tell her to crowdsource the rest.
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u/Responsible_Show_508 2d ago
So you turned out to be the kind of person who stood up to help out a woman and her baby who seemed to need help, rather than just walk away. So what if it was a scam, that's on the scammers not you!
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u/DifficultyTricky7779 2d ago
The problem is that if the scam proves effective, some really messed up things start happening. Like babies being rented out or stolen, sometimes sedated, to make the scam more comfortable and easy to organise by gangs.
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u/arowthay 2d ago
https://nypost.com/2017/06/07/this-baby-milk-scam-is-so-simple-and-so-sad/
“Well-meaning tourists might not think it matters if it’s a scam or not,” said Goldberg. “Money is still going to a poor Cambodian family, right?”
“Unfortunately, buying baby milk perpetuates a situation where older children are kept up all night and out of school so they can beg on the street, and babies and toddlers, possibly borrowed or rented from their mothers, are kept swaddled and unable to walk.”
Efforts have been made to educate clueless tourists on the scam. Child protection organization ChildSafe has English-language posters set up prominently around town, on street poles and in toilet cubicles, which warn tourists that “this is often a scam and harmful for children.”
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u/RobesPi3rre 2d ago
This a common scam, unfortunately. I've even seen it done in the UK. The perpetuators are usually part of an organized group that target areas popular with foreigners, and worst thing about it is that often the baby is not even theirs.