‘Watch out’: Warning over Bali tourist scam Aussies keep falling for

An Aussie tourist has issued a fresh warning over a common Bali scam catching out foreigners after he caught the confrontation on camera.

An Australian man has issued a warning to Bali tourists about a money-exchange scam that continues to fool foreigners.

Footage posted to social media shows a man and a woman entering a currency exchange kiosk hoping to exchange $100AUD to Indonesian Rupiah.

The tourist can be seen counting the bills to ensure he’s been given the right amount before placing them to the side and demanding the worker “leaves them there”.

The worker then picks up the bills and begins recounting them in front of the tourist before appearing to slide some back behind the counter.

“You just f***king dropped it behind the counter bro, it’s enough,” says the Aussie man as he walks out.

“Watch out for this scam,” he then warns.

It’s not clear where in Bali the incident occurred.

The tourist can be seen counting out the money in front of the worker. Picture: TikTok/2wheeledtorque

The worker then recounts the money after being told to leave it alone. Picture: TikTok/2wheeledtorque

The video has been viewed more than 1.9 million times, with many calling out the worker for being a “scammer.”

“They have been doing this exact scam for 25 years,” said one viewer.

“Every time they touch it, recount it!” advised another.

“Very common. Use banks only,” warned a third.

Another advised: “Oldest scam in Bali, go to a reputable money changer, not a backyard hack.”

Others weighed in on the viral clip, saying they couldn’t see the staffer dropping notes behind the counter.

“I feel blind, can’t catch it,” one commented.

“I’ve watched it many times on slow & even zoomed in but can’t see a thing,” said another.

The common scam involves the staffer counting the money in front of the tourist and swiping as many notes as they can onto the desk below, before handing the cash over.

They attempt to deceive the customer by repeatedly counting or handling the money to confuse and distract them, making it easier for staff to short-change them.

It’s recommended that tourists count the cash out again before leaving the store.

Just last year, a woman was forced to confront a kiosk worker after realising she’d been short-changed one million Indonesian Rupieh ($93AUD) in Sanur, southeast Bali.

The woman can be seen entering the kiosk with her host who filmed the events unfold.

“Sorry, you give me one mil’ less, not enough. You give me four not five”, she could be heard saying.

The male host could also be heard scolding the money exchanger and telling her that she’s in the wrong.

The Bali Sun advises tourists look for up-to-date licenses from kiosks or do money exchanges at official places like banks and report scams to local police.

According to Travel Money Group, one of Australia’s largest foreign exchange providers, the best way to make sure you are protected is to change your cash or purchase a travel card before you depart.

“Australians are losing out on their hard-earned cash in Bali because of dodgy practices like teller theft or card skimming,” Travel Money Group general manager Scott Mccullough said.

“Peace of mind is everything when travelling, the last thing you want is the stress of fraudulent activity ruining your trip.

“Particularly in Bali, where cash is king, the safest option is to use a trusted foreign exchange provider before you leave Australia.

“Pre-paid money cards are also a great option because you can load multiple currencies, lock in your exchange rate and access 24-hour assistance if anything goes wrong.”