What can one do about the "Millionaire's Ride"?
When I read Wikitravel for some countries, I see reference to the "Millionaire's Ride" (or similar) where you hail a taxi (to go to your hotel, say) but the taxi driver drives you to an ATM and forces you to withdraw all the money you can before abandoning you in a decrepit part of town. Such warnings are in place for Bogota, Mexico City and some other South American cities.
I had the following questions:
- While in the scam, is there anything you can do? Of course, you wouldn't want to resist if the person has a weapon.
- Other than contacting the police, what should one do immediately after getting to civilization? Can the banks do something about this?
Best Answer
You are right when saying that you shouldn't do anything especially if they are armed. The best option is obviously avoiding such situations entirely but there are some things you can do to prepare for it.I'd suggest having a low withdrawal limit on your card. Personally, my cards have a limit of about 200 dollars per day. Another option would be to use a prepaid credit card with only so much money in that account.
When you get back to civilization, definitely make a police report. At this point, I would also call my bank and report my card stolen, my reason being that the PIN has been compromised. Nearly all cards (even debit), will not hold you liable for transactions such as this. It will take a while for them to refund the money if it is debit but it will surely happen.
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