Key Takeaways
- The #1 reported scam is the The Airport Pirate Taxi
- 6 of 7 scams are rated high risk
- Use app-based ride services (Uber, DiDi) instead of street taxis — avoid unmarked vehicles, especially at night
- Never accept unsolicited offers from strangers near tourist sites in San Jose
⚡ Quick Safety Tips
- Keep phones and valuables in secure pockets when in crowded areas
- Use only licensed taxis or app-based ride services
- Book tours and tickets through verified operators with online reviews
- Keep a copy of your passport separate from the original
Jump to a Scam
The 7 Scams
You land at SJO airport and a guy with a laminated 'TAXI' sign approaches offering to drive you to your hotel.
His car looks like a normal sedan. The ride to downtown should cost $25-30 but he charges $80-100 — and there's no meter. Worse, some pirate taxi drivers are involved in robberies, driving to ATMs and forcing tourists to withdraw cash.
Red Flags
- Driver approaches you inside the terminal — official taxis wait outside at designated stands
- Vehicle has no official taxi markings (official taxis are red or orange with yellow triangles)
- No meter visible or driver refuses to use one
- Quoted price far above $25-30 for airport to downtown
How to Avoid
- Use only official orange airport taxis from the designated stand outside arrivals
- Pre-book transfers through your hotel
- Use Uber or DiDi — both operate at the airport
- Official taxis to San Jose center: $25-30, Uber: $15-20
You booked a rental car online for $25/day.
At the counter, you're told Costa Rica requires mandatory liability insurance — which wasn't included in your online price. The agent adds $15-30/day in insurance, plus a $1,000-2,000 security hold on your credit card. Your $175/week rental becomes $400+. The insurance requirement is real (by law), but reputable companies include it in the online price.
Red Flags
- Online price seems much cheaper than competitors
- Insurance and fees only disclosed at the counter
- Agent pushes additional optional insurance aggressively
How to Avoid
- Book with companies that include mandatory insurance in the online price (Adobe Rent a Car, Vamos Rent-a-Car)
- Your home auto insurance or credit card may cover Costa Rica — check before your trip
- Get the total price including all insurance IN WRITING before arriving
- Budget $40-60/day total for a properly insured rental car
In November 2025, the U.S.
Embassy in San Jose issued a security alert specifically about increased armed robberies targeting tourists at Airbnbs and vacation rentals. Criminal groups have been breaking into rentals, sometimes with inside information about guest schedules. Victims have been forced to make bank transfers and ATM withdrawals. This is not a traditional scam — it's organized crime targeting tourist accommodation.
Red Flags
- Rental is in an isolated area with poor security
- No security guard, gate, or camera system
- Listing has few reviews or recently changed management
- Unusually cheap for the area
How to Avoid
- Choose accommodations with 24/7 security, gated entrances, and cameras
- Stay in established hotels or well-reviewed properties with 50+ reviews
- Don't display expensive items visible through windows
- Register your travel with the U.S. Embassy's STEP program
- Consider hotels over Airbnbs in San Jose — the security infrastructure is better
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Get Free Itinerary →Two English-speaking men approach you near Parque Central.
They are friendly and chatty, asking about your trip. After a few minutes, one casually offers you something or discreetly places a small bag in your pocket. Moments later, two men flash badges and claim to be undercover police who witnessed a drug transaction. They threaten arrest and demand you accompany them to an ATM to pay an immediate fine. The friendly men and the fake officers are working together. This scam has been documented on Costa Rica travel forums for over a decade and continues to target tourists in downtown San Jose.
Red Flags
- English-speaking strangers approach you in a tourist area and are unusually friendly and curious
- They offer you anything — food, drink, or especially drugs — after only a brief conversation
- Shortly after the encounter, people claiming to be police appear with convenient timing
- The 'officers' demand immediate cash payment rather than taking you to an actual police station
- They suggest going to an ATM to resolve the situation on the spot
How to Avoid
- Politely decline conversations with strangers who approach you in downtown San Jose — keep walking
- Never accept anything from a stranger, even a seemingly innocent offer
- Real Costa Rican police do not demand immediate cash fines on the street — if in doubt, insist on going to a station
- Avoid walking alone in downtown San Jose, especially around the Coca-Cola terminal area
- If confronted by fake police, call 911 on your phone immediately — real officers will welcome verification
You are waiting at the bus terminal with your bags for a bus to Manuel Antonio.
Someone spills a drink on you and immediately apologizes, offering napkins and reaching toward your clothes to help clean up. While you are focused on the mess, their partner grabs your daypack from the bench beside you and walks calmly out of the terminal. San Jose's bus terminals are the single highest-risk location for theft against tourists in the city, with the Coca-Cola terminal being the most dangerous.
Red Flags
- Someone spills something on you in a crowded terminal and an overly helpful stranger appears with napkins
- A stranger bumps into you with more force than the space warrants
- Someone creates a commotion — an argument, a fall, a dropped bag — that draws everyone's attention
- You set your bag down on a bench or the floor rather than keeping it on your body
- You are alone and surrounded by your luggage in a busy, chaotic environment
How to Avoid
- Keep all bags physically attached to your body at all times in bus terminals — use a bag strap looped around your leg or arm
- Avoid the Coca-Cola bus terminal entirely — use Terminal 7-10 or arrange private shuttle transfers through your hotel
- If someone spills something on you, ignore it and grip your bags before addressing the mess
- Arrive at the bus terminal shortly before departure rather than waiting for long periods
- Use a cable lock to secure your bag to a fixed object if you must wait for an extended period
You exit the arrivals hall at SJO Airport.
A man in civilian clothes approaches offering a taxi ride to your hotel. He is not an official red taxi. The fare he charges is 4-5 times the legitimate rate. In extreme cases, pirate taxi drivers take passengers to isolated areas and rob them. The Tico Times reported in 2024 that the OIJ (Costa Rica's judicial police) uncovered a scam ring of pirate taxi operators targeting foreign tourists at SJO. Official Costa Rican taxis are red or orange with a yellow triangle on the driver's door and a visible Maria (meter). Anyone without these markings is an unlicensed operator.
Red Flags
- The vehicle is not red or orange and does not have a yellow triangle (marchamo) on the driver's door
- The driver approaches you inside or just outside the terminal rather than waiting at the official taxi queue
- They quote a flat fare rather than using the Maria meter
- They claim the official taxi line is closed, too long, or that official taxis do not go to your destination
- They refuse to show a taxi license or driver identification card
How to Avoid
- Use only official red taxis from the designated taxi queue at the airport -- these are regulated and metered
- Pre-arrange airport transfers through your hotel or use the Uber app, which operates legally in Costa Rica
- Verify that the taxi has a yellow triangle with a visible license number on the driver's door
- Insist the driver turns on the Maria (meter) before departing -- if they refuse, exit and find another taxi
- For late-night arrivals, pre-book a private transfer through your accommodation rather than relying on the taxi queue
You are driving your rental car from the airport toward your hotel.
You notice a flat tire and pull over. A helpful stranger appears immediately and offers to help change the tire. While you are both focused on the tire, a second person opens the other side of your car and steals bags from the back seat. The tire was slashed by an accomplice while you were parked at a traffic light or gas station. Costa Rica travel safety guides warn specifically about this two-person team scam targeting rental cars identifiable by their license plates. The flat tire is never coincidental when a stranger appears to help within seconds.
Red Flags
- Your rental car gets a flat tire shortly after leaving the airport or a tourist attraction
- A stranger appears almost immediately and offers to help change the tire
- The helper positions themselves so that your attention is drawn to one side of the car
- You notice your bags or valuables have been moved or are missing after the tire is changed
- The puncture looks like a clean cut rather than natural road damage
How to Avoid
- If you get a flat tire near the airport or in an urban area, drive slowly to the nearest gas station or well-lit public area before stopping
- Do not accept help from strangers with tire changes -- call your rental company's roadside assistance number
- Keep all bags and valuables in the trunk, not visible on seats, at all times
- Lock all doors immediately when you stop, even to change a tire
- Be suspicious of any flat tire that occurs shortly after stopping at a traffic light, gas station, or parking lot
🆘 What to Do If You Get Scammed
📋 File a Police Report
Go to the nearest Metropolitan Police station. Call 999 (emergency) or 101 (non-emergency). Get an official crime report — you'll need this for insurance claims. You can also report online at met.police.uk.
💳 Cancel Your Cards
Call your bank immediately. Most have 24/7 numbers on the back of the card (keep a photo saved separately). Block any suspicious transactions before the thieves use your details.
🛂 Lost Passport?
Contact your nearest embassy or consulate. The US Embassy is at 33 Nine Elms Lane, London SW11 7US. For emergencies: +44 20 7499 9000.
📱 Track Your Device
If your phone was stolen, use Find My (iPhone) or Find My Device (Android) from another device. Don't confront thieves yourself — share the location with police instead.
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