Estafas del Amigo Viajero
Las estafas del amigo viajero son una variacion moderna de la ingenieria social donde los estafadores crean perfiles falsos atractivos en plataformas de redes sociales, luego contactan a posibles victimas afirmando que estan planeando un viaje a la ciudad de la victima y les encantaria hacer un amigo local con anticipacion.
Tacticas Comunes
- • Creating attractive, well-curated social media profiles with stolen photos showing a glamorous lifestyle, travel content, and seemingly genuine interests
- • Reaching out with a friendly, casual message: "I'm visiting your city next month and would love to have a local friend show me around — mind if we chat?"
- • Building rapport over weeks through daily messages, voice notes, and occasional video calls (using filters or pre-recorded clips to maintain the fake identity)
- • Sharing fake travel itineraries, flight bookings, and hotel reservations to make the upcoming visit seem real and imminent
- • Inventing a last-minute crisis right before the supposed trip: lost wallet, frozen bank account, medical emergency, or visa issues — then asking the victim for financial help
- • After receiving initial money, escalating with more urgent requests: customs fees, hospital bills, bail money, or "just enough to get a new flight"
- • Using emotional manipulation: "You're the only person I trust in this country" or "I thought we were real friends — I'd do the same for you"
Como Identificarla
- A stranger on social media reaches out specifically because they claim to be traveling to your area — this targeted approach is unusual for genuine travelers
- Their social media profile is relatively new, has limited engagement history, or their followers seem fake or inactive
- They are unusually eager to build a close friendship quickly and communicate very frequently from the start
- They avoid or make excuses for live video calls, or the video quality is suspiciously poor and inconsistent
- The conversation gradually shifts from friendly topics to personal hardships and financial difficulties
- Their "travel date" keeps getting delayed or rescheduled, always with a new excuse and often a new request for money
- They ask for money via hard-to-trace methods: wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or mobile payment apps
Como Protegerte
- Be skeptical of strangers who contact you on social media specifically because they say they're visiting your area — genuine travelers typically use travel forums or official groups
- Do a reverse image search on their profile photos to check if the images are stolen from other accounts
- Insist on a live video call before agreeing to meet or developing a closer friendship — scammers will avoid showing their real face
- Never send money to someone you have only met online, regardless of their story or how long you've been chatting
- Verify their claims independently: ask for their real social media profiles, LinkedIn, or other verifiable information before developing trust
- If they suddenly need money for a travel emergency, suggest they contact their embassy, travel insurance, family, or local authorities instead
- Trust your instincts — if the friendship feels too intense too quickly, or if financial requests start appearing, disengage immediately
Ejemplos Reales
In the United States, a woman received an Instagram message from someone claiming to be a European photographer planning a trip to New York — after three weeks of daily chatting, he claimed his wallet was stolen at JFK Airport and asked her to wire $2,000 via Zelle for a hotel booking, then disappeared immediately.
In the UK, a university student in Manchester was contacted on Facebook by someone claiming to be an exchange student from Canada arriving next term — after months of friendship-building, the scammer claimed UK customs had seized their luggage and needed £500 via bank transfer to release it, followed by requests for more money.
In Japan, a man was befriended on a language exchange app by someone claiming to be visiting Tokyo from Europe to practice Japanese — after weeks of language exchange and friendship, the scammer fabricated a family medical emergency and requested 150,000 yen via PayPay, then immediately blocked the victim.
In Australia, a retiree in Melbourne was contacted on a travel forum by someone planning to visit Victoria — over weeks of warm conversation, the scammer requested AUD 400 for visa processing, then escalated with increasingly desperate requests totaling over AUD 7,000 for hospital bills, a stolen passport, and flight rebookings.
In Southeast Asia, a group chat on a travel app connected a man in Bangkok with a woman who claimed she was visiting from Europe — after building trust by discussing Thai tourist spots, she introduced a "great investment opportunity" in cryptocurrency through a fake exchange, ultimately stealing over 500,000 Thai baht.
In Brazil, multiple victims in Sao Paulo reported the same pattern: someone using different names but similar stories about visiting the city contacted them on Instagram, built friendships over weeks via WhatsApp voice notes, then requested money via Pix for various "emergencies" right before each supposed trip — none of the visits ever materialized.