The Egyptian pyramids attract millions of tourists every year and are on the bucket list for many travelers.
But for some, visiting the old site means fighting through dealers and scammers who want to cheat visitors out of their money.
To help tourists figure out who’s real and who’s a scam, travel vlogger Sam Mayfair highlighted four popular “people” to look out for when exploring the pyramids in a very helpful – 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) has revealed four pyramid scams to watch out for
“You’re going in the wrong direction.”
A common scam to watch out for, according to Sam, is “You’re going in the wrong direction.”
In the video, as Sam explores the Giza pyramid complex, a man can be seen in the distance slowly walking towards him, shouting that he is going the wrong way. Sam just ignores him and walks away.
“You’re going in the wrong direction”: It’s a scam, says Sam, and someone is trying to convince visitors to follow them – so they can take pictures of you and charge you a fee
Sam explains, “If you walk through the pyramids without a guide, these guys keep coming at you.”
“They try to confuse you by telling you to go the wrong way and leave the complex.” They really just want you to follow them so they can take some pictures of you with the pyramids and charge you an exorbitant amount in return. sum.”
To avoid being bothered, 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 go wrong.”
‘The Whistle’
Sam describes the whistle scam as his “favorite scam.” This is a crook who uses a pipe to convince tourists that they are an authority figure. In the video, Sam simply walks past the scammer
Another classic hustle at the pyramids, Sam says, is the “pipe hustle,” in which a pusher equips himself with a whistle to confuse tourists — while emanating authority.
In the video, a whistling man approaches Sam as he walks towards the pyramids, pointing in the opposite direction.
Sam says: “The whistling bustle is probably one of my favorite things to do. These guys just come up to you, whistle, point at you, and you assume they’re an authority because they have a whistle.
“Most people tend to just follow them. But again, all they care about is taking you somewhere, showing you something quickly, and then asking you for it.
“The camel ride is half busy”
Sam says scammers at the pyramids may 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 important to agree on a “return price”.
Sam advises tourists to be wary of people approaching them on camels because they can get caught up in the “half noise” on the camel.
The video shows a man on a camel trying to engage Sam, asking him where he’s from and saying: “You look like that.” [an] Egyptian brother.’
Although it’s often a “very friendly interaction,” he says, “he’s just trying to get you to 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 get photographed, you’ll have to pay him.”
He adds: “And if you want to go on a camel ride, make sure you negotiate and agree on a return price.
“I say return price because sometimes they take you out to the desert and ask you to pay for the return shipping again.”
“It’s a free gift shop.”
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 in your hands, Sam says: “Give it back to them immediately and run away”
Perhaps the most egregious of the four scams Sam highlights is the “free gifts thing”. Sam claims that these scammers use “different tactics” than the other scammers.
In the video showing the scam in action, a man approaches Sam, asks him where he’s from and tries to give him a “free gift” for good luck.
But Sam warns: “Even if they tell you it’s a good luck gift 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 right back and walk away.”
Despite his experience of “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 a truly remarkable feat of engineering and an example of human determination.”
In his video, Sam also emphasizes, “Remember that not everyone is a drive 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 “restricted 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 pusher” about the pyramids, and these scammers should not stop 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 in the royal necropolis of Dahshur
The travel vlogger claims: “Westerners are afraid of appearing rude to others. So scammers often take advantage of this and take advantage of it, and try to make people feel bad and give in to them.”
To avoid harassment altogether, 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 tour guides.
He continued: “Finally, I would like to advise all visitors to Egypt: just use common sense – do not be afraid of price negotiations, because it is part of the Egyptian culture.”
For more information from Sam, visit him Youtube or Tap tap.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
