Posted by Jon on Thursday, 29. October 1998 at 01:15 Bali Time:
Money Changers -- Be Careful
Having just returned from Bali, I thought it might be useful to recount in some detail a rip-off attempt at a Kuta money changer so that others can keep an eye open for similar scams.
I simply wanted to change a 100 UK pound travellers cheque, at the exchange rate then on offer (mid-October) of 13,100 - so an easy calculation showed that they owed me 1,310,000. The guys tried four different techniques in rapid succession to pocket some of the money for themselves.
1. THE 'WRONG EXCHANGE RATE' SCAM
Having told them what I wanted to change, and having put the travellers cheque on the table, they pulled a large pile of 10,000 R notes out, counted a few off, then passed the remaining large pile of them to me, implying it was the right amount. I counted them and it totalled 870,000.
They then showed me a bit of paper saying 100 US dollars was 870,000. I pointed out that it was UK pounds I was changing (and at that stage was just about prepared to believe they had made an honest error).
2. THE 'PALMING OFF SOME NOTES' SCAM
They then put a few more 10,000 notes on the table and said that should be 1 million in total with the pile I had. So I started the count again, and it was indeed 1 million. The guy then said he better check it again, so he picked up the heap and recounted it. I was getting suspicious by now and watched him very carefully, aware that his colleague was trying to distract me.
His skill was impressive - I saw him count the million, his hands were above the table all the time, and he handed the heap back to me. He then put another pile on the table saying that was the remaining 310,000. As I was suspicious I decided to recount the million again, to find it had duly shrunk to 690,000. The guy had cleverly counted off the 310,000 and removed it, despite me watching him carefully. He could get a good job as a conjuror.
I then asked to not rip me off (remarkably politely given the circumstances !!), I then counted all the notes on the table again satisfy myself that there was still 1 million (which there was), and placed them next to me and didn't let them touch it again.
At this stage I assumed that having been caught red-handed that they would then not attempt anything else - Wrong !
3. THE 'SLIP THE DECIMAL POINT' SCAM
It was now agreed that they still owed me 310,000, so the guy then put down three 10,000 Rp notes and a 1,000 (ie 31,000) and said 'there you are'. By this time I was hot, bothered, fed up of counting notes and getting fairly pissed off, and almost fell for it. However luckily my wife who was with me spotted this and challenged this. So the guy then started counting out another large pile of note to make up the remaining 310,000.
4. THE 'LETS HOPE YOU ARE COMPLETELY STUPID' SCAM
We watched him count out 20 more 10,000 notes, leaving 110,000 to go. He then got out a bundle of 5,000 notes, counted 11 of them into the heap and said 'there you are' presumably in the hope that we were too fed up to count it all again or to notice.
We then complained again that this was wrong, he gave a big sigh as if we were completely unreasonable, and counted the remaining money out.
Of course there may have been a fifth scam, but if there was they succeeded and we didn't notice it.
So, a few recommendations and observations on the subject of changing money:
a) We changed money at 4 other places (all at Ubud), they were all completely straightforward and honest, so don't be paranoid about it.
b) If you are having loose bundles of cash thrust at you to count, be careful - it is easy to lose count and get confused. All the honest changers had pre-prepared bundles of 100,000 which they passed over simply and calmly.
c) Make sure you know exactly what they owe you (borrow their calculator to check)
d) Always make sure you count the money last, and don't let them touch it after you have counted it.
e) I would take cash another time as the exchange rate is much better.
I should also mention that we had a wonderful time, and found the people to be universally the most pleasant and friendly in over 50 countries I have travelled in. So this experience of attempted rip-off is very much the exception, not the rule.
Thanks also for all the earlier postings on this forum which I found really useful