Traveler reveals the top four scams solo tourists should look out for at Egypt’s pyramids, from the ‘whistle rush’ to the ‘free gift’ scam
The Egyptian pyramids attract millions of tourists every year and are a bucket list item for many travelers.
But for some, visiting the ancient site means wading through vendors and scammers eager to fleece visitors out of their money.
To help tourists identify who’s real and who’s a scammer, travel vlogger Sam Mayfair has highlighted four popular ‘crowds’ to look out for when exploring the pyramids in a very useful – and fascinating – YouTube video.
The 39-year-old from Surrey explains that his advice is mainly aimed at solo travelers without a guide.
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Surrey travel vlogger Sam Mayfair (above) revealed four pyramid scams to look out for
‘You’re going the wrong way’
A common scam to look out for, Sam explains, is “you’re going the wrong way.”
In the videoAs Sam explores the Giza pyramid complex, you see a man walking slowly towards him in the distance, shouting that he is going the wrong way. Sam simply ignores him and walks away.
‘You’re going the wrong way’: This is a scam, says Sam, by someone trying to convince visitors to follow him – so he can take photos of you and charge you
Sam explains: ‘If you walk through the pyramids without a guide, these guys keep coming to you.
‘They try to confuse you by telling you that you are going the wrong way and leaving the complex. All they’re really trying to do is get you to follow them so they can take some pictures of you with the pyramids and charge you an exorbitant amount of money.”
To avoid being harassed, Sam advises his followers to say no and move on, explaining that there are “only two exits to the pyramid complex, so you can’t really go wrong.”
‘The Whistle’
Sam describes the whistle hustle as his “favorite scam.” It involves a hustler who uses a whistle to convince tourists that they are an authority figure. In the video, Sam simply walks past the scammer
Another classic hustle and bustle at the pyramids, Sam says, is “the whistle hustle,” where a hustler equips himself with a whistle to confuse tourists – and project authority at the same time.
In the video, a man blowing a whistle approaches Sam as he walks toward the pyramids and points in the opposite direction.
Sam says, “The whistling hustle is probably one of my favorite things to do. These guys just come up to you, blow their whistle, point and you assume they are an authority because they have a whistle.
“Most people tend to just follow them. But again, all they’re trying to do is take you somewhere to show you something really quickly and then charge you for it.
‘The camel ride semi-busyness’
Sam says scammers at the pyramids might try to get you to ride their camel or ask for a photo. If you’re tempted to step on it, Sam says it’s essential to agree a ‘return price’
Sam advises tourists to beware of people approaching them on camels, as they may be involved in the ‘semi-hustle’ on the camel.
The video shows a man on a camel trying to engage Sam in conversation, asking him where he’s from and saying, “You look like [an] Egyptian brother.’
While it’s often a “very friendly approach,” he says “all he’s trying to do is let you ride his camel.”
When Sam refuses and walks away, the scammer asks him to take a photo with him, but the travel vlogger warns, “If you do have your photo taken, you’ll have to pay him.”
He adds, “And if you want to take a camel ride, make sure you negotiate and agree on a return price.
“I say return price because sometimes they can take you into the desert and ask you to pay again to return.”
‘It’s a free gift hustle’
Sam says some scammers ‘use other tactics’, like the man above who tried to force the traveler to accept a ‘free gift’ – if they managed to get one into your hands, Sam says ‘give it back to them straight away . and run away’
Perhaps the most egregious of the four scams Sam highlights is the “freebies thing.” Sam claims that these scammers use “different tactics” than the other scammers.
In the video, which shows the scam in action, a man approaches Sam, asks him where he’s from and tries to force a “free gift” into his hand for “luck.”
But Sam warns, “Even if they tell you it’s a gift for good luck or whatever, it’s not free, so keep that in mind.”
‘Sometimes they even come up to you, put something on your shoulder and then just walk away. So give it back right away and walk away.”
Despite his experience with ‘persistent’ scammers in Egypt, Sam told MailOnline Travel: ‘I would highly recommend going to the pyramids and exploring Egypt.
‘It is one of the few remaining wonders of the ancient world and is a truly remarkable feat of engineering and an example of human determination.’
In his video, Sam also emphasizes, “Keep in mind that not everyone is a hustler and not everyone is trying to scam you. Some people are just trying to make a living.”
He told MailOnline that scammers are not just ‘limited to Egypt’ and explained that he has come across scammers in many tourist destinations including France, Italy and Turkey.
According to Sam, “not everyone is a hustler” at the pyramids, and these scammers should not deter tourists from visiting “one of the few remaining wonders of the ancient world.” Sam is pictured above in the Bent Pyramid, an ancient Egyptian pyramid located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur
The travel vlogger claims: ‘Westerners are afraid of appearing rude to others, so often scammers play on this and take advantage by trying to make people feel guilty and give in to them.’
However, to completely avoid being harassed, Sam recommends getting a ‘locally licensed guide’. He said: ‘They will take care of you and keep scammers away. Most hotels in Cairo can arrange guides.”
He continued: ‘Finally, my advice to all visitors to Egypt is: just use your common sense – don’t be afraid to negotiate prices as that is part of Egyptian culture.’