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Red flags to avoid being scammed when buying a Machu Picchu tour via WhatsApp

The 5 scam red flags when buying a Machu Picchu tour via WhatsApp are: 1) Unrealistically low prices. 2) Bank accounts under an individual's name, not a company. 3) Refusal to provide their RUC number. 4) Lack of a written itinerary. 5) Excessive pressure to deposit "right now".

Booking via WhatsApp is fast and convenient, especially if you are traveling from abroad. However, cyber scammers also use this method. INDECOPI Cusco (the Consumer Protection Agency) has been emphatic recently: outright scams (where you deposit money and the agency disappears) are a criminal offense, not just an administrative infraction.

To avoid having to deal with the criminal justice system in a foreign country, spot scammers with these 5 red flags:

"Deposit to my personal account": A formal agency will always ask you to deposit into a corporate checking account (under the company's name). If they ask you to transfer money to an unknown individual, run away.

"Magically" Cheap Rates: Train tickets and Machu Picchu entrance tickets have fixed state and corporate rates. If they offer you the full tour for less than the cost of the official tickets, it is a scam.

Refusal to give you their RUC: Every company in Peru has an 11-digit Unique Taxpayer Registry (RUC) that starts with "20" for corporate entities (EIRL, SAC, SRL, etc.) and "10" for sole proprietorships. If they give you excuses not to provide it, they are informal. Do not make any advance payments. To do a quick search, ask for their RUC and run a query by clicking here, in the Safe Travel block.

Estafas agencias de viaje | Buho-Smart

Lack of a Virtual Complaints Book (Libro de Reclamaciones): This is mandatory by law in Peru. Indecopi heavily sanctions those who do not have one on their website.

They are not listed on Buho Smart: Before making any international transfer or mobile payment, put the agency's name into our platform's validator.

Remember: If you are already in Cusco and have problems with a tourist service, you can contact the INDECOPI Regional Office in Cusco via WhatsApp at 913 015 928 or 985 187 508.