1. NAIA taxi overcharging and unsafe unofficial cabs
Taxi drivers working the NAIA terminals stall or rig meters and quote extremely high flat fares to arriving foreigners. The UK FCDO goes further, warning that some taxi drivers and their accomplices have robbed and harmed passengers, and recommends reputable companies, pre-arranged pickup or hotel transfers. Philippine consumer guidance points travellers to Grab or the NAIA-accredited yellow airport taxis, which have a higher flag-down rate but are accountable.
Warning signs
- Driver solicits you inside or just outside arrivals instead of waiting at the official rank
- Meter stays covered or 'broken' and a flat fare is quoted
- White unmarked car rather than the accredited yellow airport taxi
- Driver objects when you photograph the plate or ID
How to avoid it
- Book Grab from the designated airport pickup bays
- Use the accredited yellow airport taxi queue with the meter running, or the coupon taxi counter
- Arrange a hotel transfer for late-night arrivals
- Sit in the back, keep bags with you, and share your trip with someone
Sources
2. Tanim-bala (bullet-planting) extortion at NAIA
In this notorious scheme, a bullet is allegedly slipped into a passenger's luggage during screening; when the X-ray 'finds' it, corrupt personnel threaten arrest under firearms laws unless a bribe is paid on the spot. The racket exploded at NAIA in 2015, with victims including overseas Filipino workers and a foreign missionary, prompting Senate inquiries and dismissals; later governments claimed it was stamped out, but isolated allegations have continued to surface and it remains a named risk in Philippine consumer guidance.
Warning signs
- Screener insists on opening your bag out of your sight
- Sudden discovery of a single bullet or shell you never packed
- Pressure that the matter can be 'settled' quietly for cash
- Passport or documents held while the 'discussion' happens
How to avoid it
- Watch your bags continuously through screening and keep zips locked or wrapped
- Never pay; demand a supervisor, a written charge and access to your embassy or lawyer
- Ask for CCTV review and file a complaint with airport management and the Office for Transportation Security
- Avoid carrying anything that could be mistaken for ammunition components
Sources
3. Laslas-maleta luggage slashing and the scale trick
Two related airport baggage rackets are documented in Philippine consumer guidance: 'laslas-maleta', where unscrupulous airport personnel slash or rip open checked luggage to steal contents, and the overweight-baggage trick, where check-in scales are not reset to zero between passengers so your bag registers overweight and you are charged excess fees amounting to thousands of pesos.
Warning signs
- Bag emerges from the carousel with cut fabric or broken zips
- Scale shows a number before your bag is placed on it
- Staff refuse a re-weigh request or rush the transaction
- Pressure to pay excess fees in cash immediately
How to avoid it
- Check the scale reads zero before your bag goes on, and request a re-weigh if the number looks wrong
- Use a luggage cover or wrap service to make slashing obvious and difficult
- Keep all valuables, documents and electronics in your carry-on
- Photograph your bags at check-in and report damage immediately at the airline desk
Sources
4. Jeepney and bus hold-ups and pickpocketing
The UK FCDO warns of high levels of street crime in the Philippines, including armed hold-ups on jeepneys and buses, particularly in Manila and other large cities, some of which have resulted in fatalities. More routinely, pickpockets work the crush at boarding along busy corridors such as EDSA, using the squeeze of bodies to lift phones and wallets.
Warning signs
- Crush at the jeepney door where bodies press from all sides
- Men boarding as a pair and separating to bracket passengers
- Loud distraction or argument staged mid-journey
- Backpack worn on your back in a packed vehicle
How to avoid it
- Take Grab or accredited taxis instead of jeepneys at night or with luggage
- Keep bags in front of you and phones in front pockets in any crowded transport
- Do not display cash, jewellery or phones on public transport
- Cooperate and hand over valuables if confronted by armed robbers; resistance has proven fatal
Sources
5. False-accusation extortion against single male travellers
The UK FCDO documents cases where women, sometimes accompanied by children, befriend single male tourists and later threaten to report rape or child abuse unless money is paid. Because Philippine law punishes such offences with extremely long sentences and detention conditions are severe, the accusation alone carries enormous leverage, which is exactly what the scheme exploits.
Warning signs
- Rapid, intense befriending that pushes toward private settings
- Introduction of a 'child' or family member into the interaction
- Sudden accusations accompanied by an immediate settlement demand
- Third party appearing as a 'witness' or 'relative' to increase pressure
How to avoid it
- Be cautious about strangers offering unusually fast friendship, per FCDO advice
- Keep interactions with new acquaintances in public places
- Never pay an accuser; contact police and your embassy immediately
- Preserve messages and any evidence of the encounter
Sources
Practical safety briefing
- Airport arrival: NAIA arrivals are Manila's highest-risk leg: taxi meter tricks are chronic and the terminal area spawned the tanim-bala and laslas-maleta rackets. Use Grab from the designated pickup bays or the accredited yellow airport taxis, and keep eyes on your luggage from check-in to carousel.
- Trusted transport: Grab (cars and bikes); NAIA-accredited yellow airport taxis and coupon taxis; hotel transfers; MRT/LRT for corridor travel if you are comfortable with crowds.
- Money & payments: Use ATMs inside bank branches or malls rather than street machines. Cash is still king outside malls; exchange at banks or established changers, and declare amounts over US$10,000 equivalent on arrival as required.
Official travel advisories
- UK FCDO — Warns of high street-crime levels, armed hold-ups on jeepneys and buses in Manila, taxi drivers who have robbed passengers, and extortion schemes built on false rape or abuse accusations.
Compiled from documented reports and government advisories. How we verify scams. Last verified July 2026.