[Spike]

(03-10-2013 04:27 PM)Nudge Wrote:  

Neil - The fake money thing in BA is definitely real. It happened to me and loads of people at my hostal had the same thing happen to them. There was even a cash machine which was giving out fake notes and loads of people got burned. Also I dont think the show is fake, I reckon they pay the people to talk or wear hidden cameras - they are only after money in the end.

The Istanbul one is very good also. You get so many guys trying to be-friend you there being so nice. I knew what they were up to though so I just ignored them or was just a dick to them. Problem is you will never know if someone was actually just being really nice and hospitable without trying to scam you.

I stayed two months in Argentina in the spring of 2011 including 10 days in BA. I only stayed in hostels so I came in a lot of contact with travelers and I dated a few Argentinean girls. I never heard anyone complain about this.
I'm not saying the problem doesn't exist but perhaps not on the scale they claim in the show. I still have to watch a few more episodes but so far my conclusion is that the show is mostly staged/fake or over fearmongering at least

About guys befriending you to scam you: I always say its 50/50 in terms of people being nice for real or for money. It's easy to get paranoid and overly suspicious but it's also the safest way.