6 Tourist Scams in Guayaquil

You leave a restaurant in the Las Peñas neighborhood and flag down a yellow taxi on the street. The driver seems friendly, but ten minutes into the ride, the car pulls over and two armed men jump in. They take your phone, wallet, and watch, then drive you to a series of ATMs over the next three to four hours, forcing you to withdraw your daily maximum at each one. When your accounts are drained, they dump you on a dark street on the outskirts of the city. Express kidnappings — known locally as secuestro exprés — are one of the most serious crimes affecting tourists in Guayaquil. The Canadian Government travel advisory specifically warns that 'express kidnappings to force cash withdrawals at ATMs occur throughout the country, especially in Quito and Guayaquil.' The UK GOV.UK advisory confirms that 'robberies and assaults against taxi passengers continue to present a significant safety concern' and that 'shortly after the passenger enters a taxi, the vehicle is typically intercepted by armed accomplices of the driver.' NBC News reported that Guayaquil has become the epicenter of violence in Ecuador, with about a third of the country's violent deaths occurring in the city. TripAdvisor's Guayaquil forum has a thread titled 'Beware of Kidnappings!' with travelers sharing warnings. The crime groups operate primarily at night and specifically target street-hailed taxis — both registered yellow cabs and illegal unmarked vehicles.

You are walking along the Malecón 2000 promenade when someone taps your shoulder and points to a mysterious stain on your backpack — mustard, ketchup, or a white substance resembling bird droppings. Before you can process what happened, a second person appears with tissues, apologizing profusely and offering to help clean you up. While you are distracted looking at the stain and being wiped down, a third accomplice unzips your daypack and removes your phone, wallet, or camera. This is one of the most common tourist crimes in Ecuador. World Nomads describes it as someone who will 'accidentally throw out a bucket of water, bird poop will land on you, or someone will purposely throw mustard or any other messy and wet substance.' The Irish travel blog NextStopWhoKnows documented a first-hand encounter in Ecuador with the 'distract and grab' technique, describing how the distraction happens so fast that victims do not realize they have been robbed until the team has vanished into the crowd. The UK Government travel advisory for Ecuador specifically warns about 'methods of distraction including requests for assistance' as a precursor to theft. Variants include someone 'accidentally' spilling a drink on you, a staged argument nearby, or a person asking for directions while accomplices work your pockets.

You are standing on a corner checking Google Maps on your phone when a motorcycle with two riders speeds past. The passenger on the back reaches out and snatches the phone from your hand in a split second. They are gone before you can even process what happened. In another common variant, you are sitting at a café table with your phone on the surface when someone on foot walks past and grabs it in one fluid motion. Phone snatching is epidemic in Guayaquil. The Japanese tech publication GIGAZINE sent a reporter to investigate Ecuador's phone theft crisis and documented a massive black market for stolen phones. The UK GOV.UK advisory warns about 'pickpocketing, bag snatching and car break-ins' occurring daily in major cities, with 'thieves often working in teams.' A report found that 40 percent of personal robberies in Ecuador involved cell phone theft. The Discover Cuenca Ecuador blog documented first-hand accounts of expats having phones snatched, noting that stolen phones are quickly unlocked and resold or stripped for parts in underground markets. Motorcycle-based theft is particularly common because the riders can strike and escape before anyone can react.

You arrive at your destination in a Guayaquil taxi. The fare is $5, and you hand the driver a $20 bill. He glances at it, looks confused, and holds up what appears to be a $2 bill, saying 'You only gave me two dollars.' He has palmed your $20 and replaced it with the $2 in a quick sleight-of-hand. If you insist you gave him $20, he becomes agitated and claims you are trying to cheat him. A more dangerous variant involves the driver returning your change using counterfeit bills — you only discover they are fake when a shop refuses them the next day. This scam is documented across multiple Colombia and Ecuador travel safety guides. World Nomads describes the specific technique where 'you hand the driver a 50,000 note, and he returns the note saying no change or malo (bad). The next day you try to pay with that 50,000 note that he gave back to you, and you are told it is fake.' TravelScams.org's Ecuador page details taxi drivers overcharging through various methods including fare disputes and fake currency. The USCIS Guide for Ecuador warns about 'switching currencies or giving counterfeit bills' during transactions. Since Guayaquil taxis use fixed prices rather than meters, there is already ambiguity about the correct fare that drivers exploit.

You are walking through central Guayaquil when two men in plain clothes approach and flash badges, claiming to be police officers conducting a drug or counterfeiting crackdown. They ask to inspect your passport, wallet, and bags. While one examines your documents, the other rifles through your cash, palming bills while pretending to check for counterfeit currency. They hand everything back with an authoritative nod and disappear. You realize later that hundreds of dollars are missing from your wallet. The USCIS Guide for Ecuador specifically warns about 'criminals who pose as police officers' demanding document inspections. The UK Government advisory warns about fake police approaches as a common robbery technique. MyTripToEcuador.com's Guayaquil safety guide confirms that fake police document checks are a known crime targeting tourists in the city center. Real Ecuadorian police carry official photo identification with their name and unit, and will never ask to inspect your cash or demand payment on the street. If you are unsure whether an officer is legitimate, you can call ECU 911 to verify.

You decide to walk back to your hotel after dinner near the Malecón 2000, cutting through a side street to save time. Two young men appear from a doorway, one pulling a knife, and demand your phone, wallet, and watch. The robbery takes less than 30 seconds. Victims who resist have been stabbed or beaten. The US State Department rates Guayaquil Province with a Level 2 travel advisory warning to 'exercise increased caution.' NBC News reported that Ecuador, once considered one of the safest countries in South America, has seen a dramatic surge in violent crime, with hitmen, kidnappers, and robbers walking the streets, and Guayaquil being the epicenter. The Australian Government's Smartraveller advisory warns about street crime in Guayaquil, noting that 'criminal gang activity has increased in recent years, particularly in the coastal provinces.' TravelSafe-Abroad.com rates Guayaquil's nighttime safety as poor, particularly outside of well-patrolled tourist corridors. Even the Malecón 2000 zone, while guarded during the day, becomes risky on surrounding streets after dark.