Travel Scams
in Chile

Express kidnapping (secuestro express) is Chile's most serious tourist crime and operates almost exclusively through unlicensed taxi services. The scenario: a driver approaches an arriving passenger at the airport or bus terminal, offers a reasonable fare, then locks the doors and drives to multiple ATMs, forcing the victim to make withdrawals — sometimes holding them for several hours until ATM daily limits reset. Victims are generally released unharmed after the money is taken, but incidents involving violence are documented. The crime is heavily concentrated at Santiago's international airport, where unlicensed drivers operate aggressively in the arrivals area.

• Use Uber, Cabify, or InDriver exclusively for transport from Santiago's airport and throughout the city — all three are legal, regulated, and safe in Chile. Open the app before you exit the terminal and walk to the designated app pickup zone.
• Never accept an approach from any driver inside the terminal building or in the arrivals area who offers a taxi — regardless of how professional they look or how reasonable the price sounds.
• Official licensed taxis from the airport operate from clearly marked stands outside the terminal with fixed-rate pricing to Santiago zones — if you use a taxi, use only these official stands, never an approach.
• Set daily ATM limits on your bank card before travelling — limiting withdrawals to USD 200–300 per day significantly reduces the financial impact if express kidnapping does occur.

Card skimming (overlay devices on ATM card slots with hidden cameras capturing PINs) and the "good Samaritan" scam are the two main ATM fraud variants in Santiago. The good Samaritan scam: your card is apparently swallowed by a malfunctioning ATM; a helpful bystander — part of the operation — suggests you enter your PIN again to recover it while an accomplice observes. The card is then retrieved by the criminal after you leave, with your PIN already known. A variant involves someone "helping" you notice a mistake in your transaction while shoulder-surfing your PIN.

• Use ATMs inside bank branches during business hours — Banco de Chile, BancoEstado, Santander Chile, and Scotiabank branches throughout Santiago have the safest ATMs. Avoid standalone machines in convenience stores, tourist areas, and shopping centre common areas.
• Cover the keypad completely with your free hand when entering your PIN — this defeats shoulder-surfing and hidden cameras simultaneously.
• If your card is apparently swallowed, do not re-enter your PIN regardless of what anyone tells you. Call your bank's international number to cancel the card immediately.
• Decline all assistance from strangers at ATMs — if someone approaches while you are using an ATM, cancel your transaction and leave before completing the interaction.

The mustard scam is one of Santiago's most documented tourist tricks and operates consistently in tourist areas. A substance (mustard, bird dropping, ketchup, or similar) is dropped or sprayed on the tourist from behind or above. A helpful local immediately appears to assist with cleaning — while an accomplice picks pockets or grabs a bag during the distraction. The "helper" may also offer to take the victim to a nearby shop or bathroom, creating further opportunity. The scam is simple, effective, and repeated in Santiago's main tourist zones continuously.

• If you are suddenly splattered with any substance on a Santiago street, immediately grab your bags and valuables tightly before looking at the stain — the distraction is the point, not the mess.
• Decline assistance from any stranger who immediately appears after you are splattered — move to a secure location before addressing the mess.
• Use a crossbody bag worn in front in tourist areas, carry your phone in a secure front pocket rather than a back pocket, and keep your bag zipped at all times in crowded areas.

San Pedro de Atacama's tour operator market has persistent issues. Operators sell tours they cannot reliably deliver — particularly for the Bolivia salt flats crossing (a multi-day trip requiring Bolivian licensing that not all operators hold validly) and the El Tatio geyser dawn trip. Substitution — replacing the booked experience with a lower-quality alternative — is documented. Aggressive street touts in San Pedro pressure travellers into immediate bookings before they can research alternatives. The most serious risk is altitude: El Tatio geysers sit at 4,320m, and the Bolivian salt flats crossings pass through areas above 5,000m — altitude sickness (AMS) causes real medical emergencies and some tour operators do not adequately advise visitors about the symptoms or carry oxygen.

• Book Atacama tours through established operators with verifiable reviews — Atacama Unique Expeditions, Rancho Cactus, and Cosmo Andino Expediciones are among the established names. Check TripAdvisor and Google reviews specifically for the tours you want, not just the operator generally.
• Never book on the street from touts — spend your first day in San Pedro visiting operator offices on Caracoles street during the day, comparing prices and asking specific questions before committing.
• Acclimatise before high-altitude excursions — spend at least 2 nights in San Pedro (2,400m) before attempting El Tatio (4,320m). For Bolivian salt flats crossings above 4,500m, additional acclimatisation days are strongly recommended.
• Ask your tour operator specifically whether they carry supplemental oxygen for altitude emergencies on high-altitude excursions — reputable operators do. Ask whether they have a licensed Bolivian guide for salt flats crossings requiring Bolivian territory entry.
• Symptoms of altitude sickness: headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath. Descend immediately if symptoms appear — do not attempt to push through them at high altitude.

Patagonia's weather is genuinely dangerous and kills visitors every year. Torres del Paine National Park experiences wind gusts exceeding 120 km/h that can knock hikers off their feet on exposed ridgelines — the same ridgelines that provide the park's most spectacular views. Weather changes from warm and calm to cold, wet, and windy in under an hour with no warning. River crossings that are safe in the morning can be impassable by afternoon after upstream rain. Hypothermia occurs in summer conditions because the combination of wind and wet brings effective temperatures far below the air temperature. Multiple fatalities occur annually in Torres del Paine and the surrounding area from falls, exposure, and river accidents.

• Carry full waterproof shell (jacket and trousers), insulating mid-layer, hat, and gloves on every day hike in Torres del Paine regardless of the morning forecast — conditions change within the hour.
• Register your intended route with the park administration (CONAF) at the park entrance before any multi-day trek — this initiates search and rescue if you don't return on schedule. Registration is mandatory for the W and O circuits.
• Book refugio accommodation on the W circuit in advance through Fantástico Sur or Vertice Patagonia — open camping capacity is limited and attempting the circuit without accommodation booked has left visitors stranded in extreme weather.
• Do not attempt to cross rivers that appear flooded or fast-moving — afternoon water levels are significantly higher than morning levels after rain or glacier melt upriver. Wait, turn back, or use the designated bridge crossings.
• The Mirador Las Torres base hike (the most popular in the park) requires a very early start — the morning window before afternoon winds close in is typically 6am–12pm. Afternoon conditions on the moraine above Lago Torres can be dangerously exposed.

Chile sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is the most seismically active country on earth by cumulative earthquake energy — the largest earthquake ever recorded occurred in Valdivia, Chile in 1960 (magnitude 9.5). Major earthquakes are not rare events — Chile experiences a magnitude 8+ earthquake roughly every decade. The Chilean coast also faces tsunami risk following offshore earthquakes; volcanic eruptions occur periodically across the country's 87 active volcanoes. Chilean buildings are engineered for seismic resistance to a high standard and emergency response is well-practised — but tourists need to know what to do.

• If an earthquake occurs: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Get under a sturdy table or against an interior wall away from windows. Do not run outside during shaking — falling debris outside is more dangerous than staying put.
• After a major coastal earthquake — particularly one where you feel shaking for more than 60 seconds — move immediately to high ground without waiting for an official tsunami warning. The time between earthquake and tsunami is typically 15–30 minutes on the Chilean coast.
• Know the tsunami evacuation routes at any coastal destination — they are posted in all Chilean coastal towns and at beaches. The markers are green signs with a wave and an upward arrow.
• Check SERNAGEOMIN (Chile's geological and mining survey) for current volcanic activity alerts if visiting areas near active volcanoes — Villarrica, Calbuco, and Osorno in the Lake District are the most visited and periodically active.

Pickpocketing in Santiago is concentrated in specific areas: the Santiago Metro (particularly Lines 1 and 2 during rush hour), Plaza de Armas and the surrounding historic centre, the Bellavista neighbourhood at night, and the funicular areas of Valparaíso. Bag snatching from café tables and from the backs of chairs in restaurants is documented — a bag hung on a chair back or left on a table is a consistent target in tourist-area restaurants throughout Chile.

• In the Santiago Metro during peak hours, hold your bag in front of you and keep phones in a zipped pocket — the Line 1 central stations (Universidad de Chile, Baquedano, Santa Lucía) are the highest-risk stops for pickpocketing.
• In restaurants, place your bag on your lap or loop the strap around your leg — never on the seat beside you, the back of your chair, or on the floor out of direct contact.
• In Valparaíso's cerros (hills), use the established funicular routes and be alert on quiet steps between neighbourhoods — follow other tourists and locals rather than navigating deserted routes alone.

Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited places on earth — 3,700km west of mainland Chile, with flights only from Santiago (5.5 hours) and Tahiti. Everything on the island is expensive because everything is shipped or flown in. There is a single ATM in Hanga Roa (the only town) that frequently runs out of cash, particularly on weekends and holidays. The entry fee to the Rapa Nui National Park (which covers most of the island's archaeological sites) is USD 80 per person — payable only by credit card or bank transfer, not cash. This is legitimate and goes to the Rapa Nui community administration.

• Bring substantial cash in Chilean pesos from Santiago — the Hanga Roa ATM runs out regularly, particularly on weekends. A week's cash budget for two people should be carried from the mainland.
• The Rapa Nui National Park entry fee (USD 80) is paid by credit card at the park administration office in Hanga Roa — ensure your card will work for this transaction before travel.
• Accommodation, restaurants, and activities are significantly more expensive than mainland Chile — budget approximately 2–3× mainland prices for equivalent accommodation.
• The single LATAM flight from Santiago operates most days but is the only scheduled service — flight disruption strands visitors on the island. Ensure travel insurance covers extended stays due to flight cancellations.