With its pristine-white sands extending for miles on end, luxurious resorts along a turquoise waterfront, and Caribbean high life, Cancun is paradise for many Americans seeking a sunny getaway, but it’s not without its faults.
Similarly to most Latin American destinations, it has higher rates of petty crime and scamming, and unless you’re familiar with the way things work south of the border, you may find yourself in a bit of a tough spot.
With scams growing in Cancun in 2025, despite efforts from local authorities to change this practice, it won’t hurt to prepare yourself a little in advance.
After all, the last thing you need is to have your savings wiped clean as a result of cybercrime or encounter an ill-intentioned driver who will coerce you into giving them money when vacations are meant to be stress-free.
So what are the top 3 scams in Cancun right now, and most importantly, how can they be avoided?
Beware Of Digital Fraud
As the Cancun Sun reports, one of the most common scams plaguing the Caribbean hotspot is, in fact, the already-mentioned cyber fraud.
This may affect travelers before they even fly out to Cancun, in the first place: essentially, criminal gangs will sometimes set up genuine-looking land pages where vacation packages are very attractive, not to say unrealistic, rates.
If you’re unfamiliar with Cancun prices, and you mistakenly believe that, seeing it’s Latin America, it makes sense that it’s that affordable––gross mistake, as Cancun is primarily a luxury destination––you could end up transferring money to a fake travel agency.
Though this may sound like a 2008 problem, the Cancun Sun states it ‘happens more often than you might think’.
Just so you know, the average overnight rate for five-star accommodation in the Hotel Zone is $422, as verified by Budget Your Trip, so keep that in mind before jumping at the opportunity of booking a dirt-cheap all-inclusive through a third party.
Don’t Fall For The Fake Websites!
The second issue the Cancun Sun points out is closely related to the first, yet it has its own particularities.
Naturally, we’re talking about fake websites.
Think the Maya Train, for instance: for many months, the official Maya Train web page was incredibly hard to find on Google, with numerous secondary websites ranking higher and, in some cases, providing potential customers with misleading information.
That’s an error on Google’s part, and when you look it up, a non-official website continues charting the highest on searches, while the actual official selling point is the 7th link displayed.
In other words, booking dodgy vacation packages is not your only concern: after you land in Cancun, even if your hotel deal exists, and everything went swimmingly with the flight and transfer, you’re still subject to scamming when planning activities.
In order to stay out of trouble, you should, once again, verify that the company you’re purchasing tickets with is reputable.
When planning day tours, Viator and GetYourGuide are two of the safest picks.
Careful With Irregular Taxi Drivers
Perhaps the most common scam of all, the Cancun Sun urges us to be extra careful when calling a taxi at Cancun Airport due to the widespread practice of overcharging tourists, particularly Americans who are perceived as having money to squander.
Essentially, if you’re unfamiliar with local rates, you could end up paying exorbitant rates––we’re talking anywhere from US$50 to $100––traveling from the airport to the Hotel Zone, only 15 miles away.
Some local taxi drivers have also been known to turn violent in certain situations: you may refuse to pay the clearly-inflated rate, and get shouted at, harassed, or even threatened, and if you’re thinking of resorting to Uber, it’s been banned within airport grounds as of September 2024.
So, how do you get around this issue, or more specifically, how do you identify the truly hard-working, honest drivers?
We’re of the opinion that, in order to have a smooth, stress-free commuting experience in the Cancun area, booking transportation in advance is paramount: this means you get a fixed rate that won’t get hiked later and, in some cases, you might even be required to pay beforehand.
This gives you more leeway to choose which transportation mode suits your pocket best, but if you happen to have forgotten to pre-book a driver, you should always look for the official taxi kiosks at the airport that display the official rates.
The official rate is around $24––$45 depending on the service and destination, and licensed drivers will always display a badge permit on their windshields to make it easier for them to be identified.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
