Key Takeaways
- The #1 reported scam is the The Desert Safari Bait-and-Switch
- 2 of 7 scams are rated high risk
- Use app-based ride services (Uber, Bolt) instead of unmarked taxis — always confirm the fare before departure
- Never accept unsolicited offers from strangers near tourist sites in Sharm El Sheikh
⚡ 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're strolling Naama Bay when a tour agent flags you down with a glossy brochure: 'Desert safari! ...
You're strolling Naama Bay when a tour agent flags you down with a glossy brochure: 'Desert safari! Quad bike, camel ride, Bedouin dinner, stargazing -- all for just 30 dollars!' You book on the spot. The next day, a minibus collects you and drives deep into the Sinai desert. The quad bike runs for ten minutes before you're told fuel costs extra. The 'camel ride' is actually just sitting on a camel for a photo -- that costs 50 euros. The Bedouin dinner is stale bread and weak tea. As Tripadvisor reviewers describe it, the whole experience is engineered to extract maximum money while delivering minimum service. The chicha pipe they offer? That's another 40 euros.
Red Flags
- The price seems impossibly cheap for a multi-activity desert excursion
- The tour agent can't name the specific company or show a business license
- Payment is cash-only with no receipt or written confirmation of inclusions
- The brochure shows stock photos rather than real photos from their tours
- They pressure you to book immediately with 'today only' pricing
How to Avoid
- Book desert excursions through your hotel concierge or a reputable agency like Thomas Cook or Travco
- Read recent reviews on Tripadvisor or GetYourGuide before booking any desert safari
- Get a written list of everything included in the price -- food, drinks, activities, equipment
- Pay by credit card where possible so you have chargeback protection
- Expect to pay $40-70 USD for a legitimate full desert safari experience in Sharm
You've always wanted to dive the Red Sea, and a shopfront near Naama Bay advertises introductory ...
You've always wanted to dive the Red Sea, and a shopfront near Naama Bay advertises introductory dives for just 15 dollars. You sign up. Underwater, you notice the regulator tastes strange, the BCD barely inflates, and your 'instructor' seems more interested in his phone on the boat than your safety briefing. The promised 45-minute dive lasts 15 minutes. Back on the boat, the instructor claims he gave you extra time and wants 50 dollars more. As travelers on Reddit warn, cheap dive operators in Sharm cut corners on equipment maintenance and staff certification. At these depths, those corners can be genuinely dangerous.
Red Flags
- Dive prices are significantly below the market rate of $40-60 USD for an intro dive
- The shop cannot show PADI, SSI, or BSAC certification certificates
- Equipment looks old, corroded, or mismatched from different brands
- No proper safety briefing is given before entering the water
- The instructor-to-diver ratio exceeds 1:4 for introductory dives
How to Avoid
- Only dive with PADI or SSI certified dive centers -- check certification on padi.com
- Ask to see and test equipment before committing, and look for recent inspection stickers
- Read recent reviews specifically mentioning equipment quality and instructor professionalism
- Expect to pay $40-80 USD for a legitimate introductory dive with a reputable operator
- Book with established centers like Camel Dive Club, Red Sea Diving College, or Sinai Divers
You're out in Naama Bay and a promoter hands you a flyer: 'Free entry, first drink free at our ...
You're out in Naama Bay and a promoter hands you a flyer: 'Free entry, first drink free at our club!' Inside, the music is pumping and the atmosphere is lively. You order a round for your group. The drinks arrive without any prices being mentioned. At the end of the night, the bill arrives: 800 Egyptian pounds for four beers and two cocktails. When you protest, the waiter points to fine print on a menu you never saw, and a large bouncer materializes near the door. As reported on travel forums, some Naama Bay venues deliberately hide prices, pad bills with service charges, and use intimidation to collect.
Red Flags
- Promoters aggressively hand out flyers offering free entry or free first drinks
- No visible price list or menu is presented when you sit down
- The waiter avoids confirming prices when asked
- Your bill includes items you didn't order or unexplained 'service fees'
- Staff become aggressive or block the exit when you question the bill
How to Avoid
- Always ask for a menu with prices before ordering, and photograph it on your phone
- Stick to well-known hotel bars and established venues with visible pricing
- Keep a running tab in your head and request the bill after each round
- Pay per round rather than running up a tab that can be inflated later
- If you feel threatened over a bill dispute, calmly ask to involve the Tourist Police
Like what you're reading? Get a full Sharm El Sheikh itinerary with safety tips built in.
Get Free Itinerary →You book a full-day snorkeling trip from a beach tout for 20 dollars, promised visits to Ras ...
You book a full-day snorkeling trip from a beach tout for 20 dollars, promised visits to Ras Mohammed reef and Tiran Island. The boat departs with 40 people crammed on a vessel built for 20. Your first stop isn't the famous reef but a floating platform where someone is selling overpriced juice and souvenirs. You spend 90 minutes waiting there. The actual snorkeling is rushed -- 20 minutes at a mediocre reef nowhere near Ras Mohammed. Lunch is a stale sandwich. As South Sinai travel bloggers document, the boat operators hold your car keys if you drove, ensuring you buy food at their associated restaurant before getting them back.
Red Flags
- The price is well below the $35-50 USD standard for a full-day boat snorkeling trip
- The tout cannot tell you the exact reefs or islands you'll visit
- They ask to hold your car keys, hotel key, or other valuables for 'safekeeping'
- The boat has no visible safety equipment like life vests or a first aid kit
- No specific departure or return time is given -- just 'we leave when the boat is full'
How to Avoid
- Book through your hotel or a certified marine tour company with recent positive reviews
- Ask specifically which reef sites you'll visit and how long you'll spend at each
- Never hand over car keys, passports, or valuables to boat operators
- A legitimate full-day Red Sea snorkeling trip costs $35-60 USD per person
- Check that the boat has life jackets, a first aid kit, and a maximum passenger count posted
You've hired a taxi to drive you to Ras Mohammed National Park, one of the world's best snorkeling spots.
Halfway there, the driver pulls over and makes a phone call. He turns to you with a concerned face: 'Bad news, my friend. Park is closed today -- maybe sharks, maybe weather.' He suggests visiting his cousin's private beach instead, where 'the snorkeling is even better.' As documented by South Sinai travel bloggers, Ras Mohammed rarely closes, and the driver's 'cousin' charges an inflated entry fee to a mediocre beach while the driver collects a commission. The park was open the entire time.
Red Flags
- The driver receives a 'phone call' about the closure mid-journey
- No official announcement or news article confirms the closure
- The driver has an immediate alternative suggestion ready
- The alternative involves paying someone the driver knows personally
- Other vehicles on the same road are continuing toward the park
How to Avoid
- Call Ras Mohammed visitor center directly to confirm opening before departing
- Insist the driver continue to the park entrance so you can verify the closure yourself
- Book park visits through your hotel, which will have up-to-date information
- If the park is genuinely closed, return to your hotel rather than accepting random alternatives
- Download offline maps so you can verify the driver is heading in the right direction
You're on vacation in Sharm and meet a charming young Egyptian man at the hotel pool bar.
He's attentive, complimentary, and speaks excellent English. Over a few days, he showers you with attention, takes you to local spots, and talks about a future together. Then comes the ask: he needs money for his mother's medical bills, or to start a business so he can visit you abroad. As extensively discussed on travel forums and documented by South Sinai bloggers, this pattern is called 'bezness' -- a calculated romance scam targeting foreign women. The emotional connection is manufactured, and the money requests will escalate.
Red Flags
- The romantic interest approaches you in a tourist area and the relationship accelerates unusually fast
- They claim to have a professional job but seem to have unlimited free time during work hours
- They avoid introducing you to their family or friends despite declarations of love
- Money requests begin small and escalate, always with emotionally compelling reasons
- They talk about needing a visa or money for travel to visit you in your home country
How to Avoid
- Be skeptical of intense romantic attention from locals in tourist areas -- especially if you're traveling solo
- Never send money to someone you've met on vacation, regardless of the reason given
- Search 'bezness Egypt' or 'holiday romance scam' to understand how widespread this pattern is
- Discuss the situation with trusted friends or family before making any financial commitments
- Report suspected romance scams to your embassy and the local Tourist Police
You buy your $25 Egypt visa-on-arrival sticker at the airport bank counter but forget to stick it ...
You buy your $25 Egypt visa-on-arrival sticker at the airport bank counter but forget to stick it in your passport before going through immigration. Your tour guide says he can 'fix it' for $7 and asks for your passport. What should take seconds turns into a prolonged ordeal where your passport disappears with a stranger. Reddit users on r/travel documented this exact scenario at Sharm El Sheikh airport, where tour guides and airport 'helpers' exploit confusion about visa procedures to collect fees for simple tasks, or worse, create delays that lead to additional charges. Some travelers reported being asked for fake 'registration payments' and being double-charged for services.
Red Flags
- Someone offers to 'fix' your visa or passport issue for a fee before you reach the official immigration counter
- A tour guide or stranger asks to take your passport to a back office or different counter
- You are told there is a 'problem' with your documents that requires an immediate cash payment
- The person becomes insistent that you hand over your passport rather than handling it yourself
- Fees are quoted in round dollar amounts that do not match any official posted price
How to Avoid
- Apply your visa sticker yourself immediately after purchasing it at the bank counter — do not hand your passport to strangers
- Research Egypt visa requirements before arrival so you know exactly what is needed and what it costs
- Handle all immigration procedures yourself at the official counters — never let a third party take your passport
- Know that the Egypt visa-on-arrival costs exactly $25 USD with no additional 'processing' or 'registration' fees
- If your tour company handles group visas, confirm the arrangement in writing before you travel
🆘 What to Do If You Get Scammed
📋 File a Police Report
Go to the nearest Egyptian Police / Tourist Police station. Call 122 (Police) or 123 (Emergency). Get an official crime report — you'll need this for insurance claims. You can also report online at moi.gov.eg.
💳 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 in Cairo is at 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairo. For emergencies: +20 2-2797-3300.
📱 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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