The Coconut Scam at Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam

While we were holidaying in Ho Chi Minh (HCM), Great Kon shared with us the scams prevalent in the city, including a few he had personally encountered, like the over eager shoe shiners!

For this particular coconut scam, we actually chanced upon them at the perimeter of Reunification Palace, while on the way to Ben Thanh market. It's easy to spot them; a person carrying a wooden / bamboo pole on his/her shoulders that were weighted down with boxes or baskets containing coconuts.

Modus operandi would be the approach of the coconut seller to an unsuspecting tourist, latter of whom would usually be polite, mindful of the social and cultural differences. 

And next thing you know, seller would insist on putting the pole onto the tourist's shoulder for photo-taking. And if he / she succeeds, he /she would take the time while the tourist is balancing the pole to open a coconut (or even more if he / she has more time) and charge the tourist an exorbitant price for each one (said to be about 150,0000 Vietnamese Dong or SS$9)! 

Key advice; just firmly say no, as the tourist in the photographs did. If not, travel in a group like we did. Numbers do make a difference and the coconut sellers literally just ignored us. 

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Click here for my 6 Days Itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) - Pearl of the Far East @ Vietnam