Los Cabos Tourists Warned To Watch For Growing Fake Luxury Goods Scam

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Last Updated 7 months ago

There’s an old saying that goes, if something appears to be too good to be true, it probably is.

Tourists should keep that in mind when shopping for high-end luxury fashion accessories such as purses, belts, and other items in person and via social media platforms in Los Cabos.

Fake Luxury Goods Scam

Just in time for the peak spring holiday travel season, Los Cabos municipal police are warning tourists about the presence of a fake luxury goods scam running in the area where alleged Italian luxury fashion items are being sold at a fraction of the actual price for the items.

According to reports, shoppers were recently approached in the vicinity of a major retail store by a pair of alleged tourists from Italy in a rental car that were trying to offload some of their luxury items for cheap before returning home to avoid the cost of excess checked luggage by the airlines.

How the Scam Works

According to a police report filed with the Los Cabos municipal police, the tourist approached shoppers who claimed to have excess Italian luxury goods targeted for a store in Liverpool.

They then proceed to show some high-end jackets, which they claim are from the Emporio Italia Collezioni brand.

The tourists claimed they were on their way to the airport and realized that they had excess luggage, which the airline would charge them large amounts of money to transport.

In order to save the excess airline checked baggage fees, they are offering tourists and locals in Los Cabos “genuine” luxury items at a big discount to save them the hassle of paying for the checked luggage.

What’s the discount? According to the police report, the victim was offered four Emporio Italia Collezioni jackets for only the low price of only $10,000 Mexican pesos (about $600 dollars).

They even demonstrate the great value of the deal by showing a fake website where each jacket sales for $10,000 to $25,000 Mexican pesos (about $600 – $1,500 dollars) each.

Then comes the hard sell where the tourist is in a hurry to catch a flight and has to unload the items to quickly catch a flight.

Too Good to Be True

Of course, the items are fake, and the deal is too good to be true.

A quick Google search would show prospective buyers that this scam has been working its way across the other states in Mexico since 2016 and, after eight years, finally has shown up in the beach resort vacation getaway of Los Cabos just in time for the peak spring holiday travel season.

The Italian Consulate office in Mexico City has been advised of the scam and claims that the individuals involved do not appear to be Italian citizens but instead are simply purported Italians selling fake luxury items.

What Travelers Need to Know

The old adage is that if something appears too good to be true, then it most likely is.

Travelers really need to be aware that, especially during the peak spring holiday travel season, the scammers are working overtime to take advantage of visitors to Los Cabos and separate them from their hard-earned money.

This luxury fashion scam is only one example. Other examples of scams running in popular Mexican beach resort destinations right now include counterfeit currency exchanges, fake taxi drivers, and the fake sale of vacation packages with tours and other resort amenities.

Tourists should be aware when presented with an item that appears substantially cheaper than its actual value.

They should also be skeptical of a deal if they feel pressured to make the purchase or rushed by the salesperson. That’s usually the initial sign of a scam.

Travelers who are uncomfortable with a purchase should try to find a nearby police officer to watch the transaction. If it’s a scam, the seller will scram.