Cancun Tourists Urged To Be Aware Of This Growing Scam

Last Updated 10 months ago

Tourists in Cancun need to be extra careful when exchanging money on their upcoming vacation getaway.

There have been a number of counterfeit bills floating around in the south of Quintana Roo that are expected to be making their way towards the area around Cancun and the Yucatan in a matter of days.

Counterfeit Bills

The issue is that the counterfeit bills are very hard to detect, even by trained professionals. However, there are some patterns that tourists can avoid in order to not be scammed.

First, they are generally used when a number of bills are exchanged to hide the fake currency. For instance, when exchanging currency at a local exchange or even when purchasing an item a number of bills would be provided as change.

In a recent news report, a local sold a large item and received cash for the transaction. A total of 25 bills submitted for deposit to a local bank for the purchase were indeed counterfeit.

However, they all happen to be of one specific denomination note at this time. For some reason, according to news reports from local law enforcement agencies, the bills are all currently $500 peso notes. These are roughly worth about $30 dollars.

The current $500 peso note is blue and orange with Benito Juarez on the front and the California Grey Whale on the reverse.

Currently in the South

The issue originates in the far south of the State of Quintana Roo, in particular the towns of Chetumal and Bacalar. However, it is anticipated that they will be circulating throughout the entire region in just days.

Therefore, travelers in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and even Merida should be on the lookout for these scammers offering to exchange money at great rates for tourists.

Many of these “tourists” may even claim to be victims to be in town on the last day of their vacation getaway and looking to exchange leftover bills before heading back home. The bills will include a number of $500 peso notes mixed among others.

Again, they are so close to the real thing that even locals have trouble determining the real bills from the counterfeits. That’s why a special alert is being issued for visitors to the region.

TikTok Ripoff

According to law enforcement, there are many people on TikTok selling fake wads of these bills that they say should not be used for individual transactions but should be hidden in larger groups of bills instead.

The Mexican National Guard and local police are currently working with TikTok and Facebook to crack down on the counterfeiters selling their bills to take advantage of tourists on popular social media platforms.

What Travelers Need to Know

Tourists need to be aware of two things when conducting business in cash in Cancun and surrounding areas in the Mexican Caribbean.

First, beware of transactions involving a large number of bills. Scammers are hiding counterfeit bills in groups of multiple bills. Instead of giving tourists large bills, they will give many smaller bills with fake currency hidden in the group.

Second, travelers should avoid doing business with the blue $500 peso notes. That is the current bill that is being circulated around the region, and it is very difficult for even locals to distinguish counterfeit bills from real ones.

Tourists should report any issues that seem suspicious, such as fellow “travelers” willing to do good deal currency exchanges using the $500 peso notes, to law enforcement for follow-up and review.

If a deal seems too good to be true when on a vacation getaway to the beach resort destination of Cancun, it probably is.

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