1. Airport taxi 'extra zeroes' card scam
Unlicensed drivers at Santiago airport charge passengers on portable card terminals with added digits — the UK FCDO cites victims charged 5,000,000 CLP instead of 50,000 CLP, and others tricked into entering their PIN on a reader whose display they could not read, with losses reported up to roughly 10,000 GBP. The fix is structural: pay only at the two official taxi booths in arrivals before exiting.
Warning signs
- Paying in the car instead of at the official booth
- A card terminal whose screen you cannot see clearly
- A fare quoted with suspiciously many zeroes
- The driver offering to stop at an ATM for payment
How to avoid it
- Book and prepay at one of the two official taxi booths in arrivals, per FCDO advice
- Never pay a Santiago airport fare you have not seen itemised first
- Count the zeroes on the terminal before entering your PIN
- Do not let any driver accompany you to an ATM
Sources
2. Impersonated official taxi drivers in arrivals
Criminals inside Santiago airport's arrivals hall dress as authorised taxi drivers — official-looking lanyards, jackets and printed price lists — and steer passengers to unlicensed cars. The UK FCDO explicitly warns about these impersonators and says not to use any airport transport you cannot pay for before getting into the vehicle.
Warning signs
- Drivers approaching you in the arrivals hall with lanyards and price sheets
- Any service that cannot be paid at the booth before the ride
- Being led to a car away from the official ranks
- Prices quoted from a laminated card rather than a booth receipt
How to avoid it
- Ignore all solicitors and go directly to the official taxi counters after customs
- Prepay and take the booth receipt to the vehicle
- Check the vehicle against the airport's published official-taxi identification
- Alternatively book a shared transfer (Transvip/Delfos desks) inside the terminal
Sources
3. Liquid-spill distraction theft
A scammer 'accidentally' spills liquid on you in a cafe, station or tourist area, then steals your valuables while pretending to help clean it off — often working with a partner who lifts the bag from your chair. The UK FCDO lists the liquid-spill technique among the scams used on British nationals in central Santiago and Valparaiso.
Warning signs
- A sudden spill on your clothes or bag in a public place
- Instant 'help' from a stranger with tissues
- A second person hovering near your belongings
- It happens in cafes, transport hubs or hotel lobbies
How to avoid it
- Refuse help, grip your bag and walk away to clean up yourself
- Keep bags on your lap or between your feet, never on chair backs
- Keep phones off cafe tables in tourist areas
- Stay especially alert at bus stations and the airport, per FCDO
Sources
4. Tyre-puncture helper theft
Criminals deliberately puncture a rental car's tyre — often at traffic lights — then a 'helper' approaches when you pull over, distracting you while an accomplice steals belongings from the vehicle. The UK FCDO records a rise in this technique against rental cars in Chile's major cities, along with follow-home robberies from the airport.
Warning signs
- A tyre going flat shortly after leaving a rental office or the airport
- Strangers signalling that something is wrong with your car
- A 'helper' appearing immediately when you stop
- A second person near the passenger side while you inspect the tyre
How to avoid it
- Do not stop immediately; drive slowly to a petrol station or populated area
- Keep doors locked and windows up if approached
- Take valuables with you if you must exit the car
- Check the vehicle before driving off from the rental lot or airport
Sources
5. Spiked drinks in Bellavista and Suecia
People have been given spiked drinks in Santiago's nightclubs and bars, particularly in the Bellavista and Suecia nightlife areas, leaving victims open to theft or assault. The UK FCDO advises keeping drinks in sight and being wary of people offering to buy you drinks in these districts.
Warning signs
- Strangers insisting on buying or handing you drinks
- Feeling disoriented after modest alcohol intake
- Drinks left unattended on the bar
- New acquaintances pushing to move venue quickly
How to avoid it
- Buy your own drinks and keep them in sight
- Decline drinks from strangers
- Go out in a group and pre-book the ride home
- Seek help from venue staff immediately if you feel spiked
Sources
Practical safety briefing
- Airport arrival: Santiago's airport is the city's highest-risk scam zone: use only the two official taxi booths in arrivals (right after customs) and prepay, or book a Transvip/Delfos shared transfer inside the terminal. Never follow lanyard-wearing 'drivers' who approach you.
- Trusted transport: Prepaid official airport taxis, ride-hailing apps (widely used, though Smartraveller notes their legal status is contested and drivers may ask you to sit in front), and Santiago's metro for daytime city travel.
- Money & payments: Treat every card terminal as suspect: check the amount and count the zeroes before entering a PIN, and never pay airport fares in the car. Use ATMs inside banks or malls and keep bags close at currency exchanges.
Official travel advisories
- UK FCDO — Details the Santiago airport extra-zeroes taxi scam with real amounts and losses, fake lanyard-wearing drivers, liquid-spill and tyre-puncture theft, and drink spiking in Bellavista and Suecia.
- Australia Smartraveller — Advises ordering official taxis from counters inside the airport immediately after customs and avoiding street-hailed taxis, and notes ride-hailing apps' contested legal status.
Compiled from documented reports and government advisories. How we verify scams. Last verified July 2026.