Avoid Travel Scams2026–2027 Guide
Report a Scam
Destination · North America

Travel Scams in Las Vegas

Las Vegas has one of America's best-documented taxi scams — 'long-hauling' tourists from the airport through the tunnel to inflate fares — plus a violent fake-rideshare variant targeting drunk visitors leaving casinos. On the Strip itself the traps are costumed photo hustlers, timeshare pitches baited with free show tickets, fake pizza-delivery flyers slid under hotel doors, and resort fees that only appear at checkout.

1. Taxi 'long-hauling' from the airport

A cab driver leaving Harry Reid International takes the I-215 airport tunnel — the long way to most Strip hotels — to run up the meter, banking on the visitor not knowing the geography. The practice is illegal and so widespread that a Nevada legislative audit once estimated passengers were overcharged by millions of dollars a year, with roughly a quarter of airport trips running long. The Nevada Taxicab Authority has repeatedly made long-hauling its top enforcement priority.

Warning signs

  • The driver heads for the airport tunnel when your hotel is on the south or central Strip
  • No route is discussed and the driver avoids your questions
  • The fare comes in far above the estimate you saw in a maps or rideshare app
  • The driver claims 'traffic' as the reason for the detour

How to avoid it

  • Say 'no tunnel, please — take Paradise Road or Swenson' when you get in
  • Follow the route live on Google Maps
  • Use Uber/Lyft from the designated pickup area, where the price is set upfront
  • Note the cab company and number and file a complaint with the Nevada Taxicab Authority
Sources

2. Fake rideshare luring

Predators watch for intoxicated visitors at casino valet areas and ride-hail pickup points, then claim to be the Uber they just ordered — or offer to 'share' a ride — and steer them into an unmarked car. In a case documented by Las Vegas police, a man leaving a Strip poker room was ushered into a sedan by a woman posing as a fellow passenger, driven to a motel and robbed at gunpoint. Metro has repeatedly warned visitors to verify the car and driver before getting in.

Warning signs

  • Someone approaches claiming to be your driver before you check the app
  • The car's plate, make or driver photo doesn't match the app
  • A stranger offers to 'share' an Uber you didn't order
  • The driver doesn't ask your name or destination — they already 'know' you

How to avoid it

  • Only get into the car after matching the license plate and driver photo in your app
  • Ask the driver who they're picking up — a real driver knows your name
  • Order the ride yourself; never accept a 'shared' ride from a stranger
  • If you're drunk, have casino security or a friend see you into the correct car
Sources

3. Costumed performer photo hustle on the Strip

Showgirls, superheroes and other costumed characters work the Strip sidewalks and Fremont Street, inviting tourists to pose for photos and then demanding tips — sometimes aggressively, and sometimes only revealing an expectation of $10-20 per character after the picture is taken. They are legally buskers and can't set a fixed fee, but some pressure tourists who don't understand the setup.

Warning signs

  • Characters wave you in for a photo without mentioning money first
  • Several characters pile into your photo, then each demands a separate tip
  • A fixed 'price' is demanded after the fact
  • Guilt or intimidation when you offer a small bill

How to avoid it

  • Agree a total amount before the photo if you want one — a few dollars total is normal
  • Count how many characters joined the shot before paying
  • Say no and keep walking if you're not interested; engagement is optional
  • Keep your camera in your own hands; don't hand your phone over
Sources

4. Timeshare pitch baited with freebies

Street promoters offer free or deeply discounted show tickets, meals or attraction passes in exchange for attending a 'short' presentation. The presentation is a high-pressure, hours-long timeshare sales pitch with aggressive closing tactics. The tickets are usually real but the true cost is your afternoon and a hard sell; US Senate and FTC consumer materials warn that upfront fees and pressure tactics are the hallmark red flags of vacation-ownership schemes.

Warning signs

  • Free show tickets or gifts offered on the Strip 'just for attending a presentation'
  • No clear company name or a vague 'resort' brand
  • Pressure to sign something the same day
  • Any request for upfront fees, taxes or deposits

How to avoid it

  • Value your time: buy discounted same-day tickets at Tix4Tonight booths instead
  • Never pay upfront fees to claim a 'prize' or attend a presentation
  • If you do attend, leave the room when the pitch turns aggressive — you always can
  • Never sign a contract on the spot; take it away and review it
Sources

5. Hidden resort fees at checkout

Strip hotels advertise a nightly rate, then add a mandatory daily 'resort fee' — commonly $45 or more — plus taxes at booking or checkout, inflating the real price far above the advertised one. The practice, known as drip pricing, became so notorious that the FTC finalized a rule requiring hotels and short-term lodging to display the total price including mandatory fees upfront.

Warning signs

  • A headline room rate that seems too cheap for the property
  • 'Resort fee', 'destination fee' or 'amenity fee' disclosed late in booking
  • The fee buys vague amenities you won't use
  • Different totals on the booking site versus the hotel's own site

How to avoid it

  • Compare the all-in nightly total, not the advertised base rate
  • Check the fee disclosure before entering payment details — it is now required upfront
  • Ask at check-in exactly what mandatory charges will appear on the folio
  • Report hidden-fee practices to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Sources

6. Fake pizza-delivery flyers under the hotel door

Flyers for a 'local pizzeria' are slid under Las Vegas hotel-room doors. Tired tourists call the number, read out their credit-card details — and the pizza never arrives, but the fraudulent charges do. The operation exists only to harvest card numbers, which is why casinos and travel writers tell guests to order food only through the hotel or verified apps.

Warning signs

  • A menu flyer appears under your door rather than at the front desk
  • The business has no verifiable address or real reviews
  • They insist on card payment by phone with no online ordering
  • Prices are oddly cheap for delivery to the Strip

How to avoid it

  • Ignore all under-door food flyers
  • Order through the hotel concierge, room service, or a verified delivery app
  • Never read a card number over the phone to an unknown restaurant
  • Check your card statements after any phone food order
Sources

Practical safety briefing

  • Airport arrival: From Harry Reid International, say 'no tunnel' in any cab — the tunnel route to the Strip is the classic long-haul. Uber and Lyft pick up at designated areas in the parking garages and price the ride upfront.
  • Trusted transport: Uber/Lyft (upfront pricing), licensed cabs from hotel taxi lines (hailing on the street is not allowed), plus the Deuce bus on the Strip and the Las Vegas Monorail along the east side.
  • Money & payments: Casino ATMs charge far higher fees than bank ATMs — withdraw at a bank branch off-Strip and carry small bills for tips. Never buy casino chips from a stranger; chips are only valid from the cage or tables.

Official travel advisories

  • Nevada Taxicab Authority (via 8 News Now KLAS) — The state taxi regulator treats long-hauling as a top enforcement priority and accepts passenger complaints about inflated airport routes.
  • US Federal Trade Commission — The FTC's Junk Fees Rule requires hotels and short-term lodging — including Vegas resorts — to disclose the total price including mandatory resort fees upfront.

Compiled from documented reports and government advisories. How we verify scams. Last verified July 2026.