Phu QUOC scams & island safety

Avoid these commons scams and travel ethically.

Phu Quoc Scams

Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s busiest island destination, and like every busy destination it attracts people who make a living from tourists who do not know how things work locally. This page covers the ways visitors most often lose money here, and what to do instead. It is about patterns and how to protect yourself, not about naming businesses.

Phu Quoc Island Scams - An Introduction

All tourist destinations have its fair share of scams, and Phu Quoc is no exception. The seven things you need to know about Phu Quoc are:

1. Price gouging, bait and switch products/services, and false advertisements are common in Phu Quoc. The best way to protect yourself is to do your research online and/or by joining this Phu Quoc Facebook Group.
2. Laws are not enforced.
3. Fake products are everywhere – from fake coffee concentrate imported from China (made from chemicals and dyes), fake cigars, fake New Zealand Ice Cream, to fake Phu Quoc pearls, pepper, and fish sauce. Counterfeit products are a big problem not only in Phu Quoc but across Vietnam.
4. There is no “Better Business Bureau” or marketing standard in place on the island. Businesses can make any claim they want without any consequences. The only checks & balances that exist today are via TripAdvisor/Facebook/Google reviews.
5. Local unethical businesses know that the average tourist stays in Phu Quoc for less than 3 days and that only 1 out of every 1,400 visitor will leave a review on social media. The odds are in their favor to do whatever it takes to extract as much money from you as possible, consequence free.
6. The average monthly salary of a local is just $250.00USD
7. Businesses who get caught scamming tourists often bribe their way out or simply lie and deny it.

1. Beach Access Fee & “Private Beach” Scam

Vietnam is a communist country and many Vietnamese fought, and died, to keep the land out of private hands. As such, over 90% of the beaches found in Phu Quoc are public beaches. The rare exceptions being a few tiny islets located off the coast of An Thoi Town and military zones. However certain beach front establishments employ staff to bully or threaten non-guests from using the beach near their property while some unlawfully charge a “usage fee” or will place signs claiming that the beach is reserved for their guests only.

Method of validation:

1. Vietnam Law review.

2. Phu Quoc Night Market Seafood Scam

The Phu Quoc Night Market is a famous tourist landmark found next to the Duong Dong River in the heart of Duong Dong Town, which is Phu Quoc’s economic capital. The market consists of a few streets lined with street vendors, souvenir stalls, bars, and seafood restaurants – the latter being the subject of this scam. Every evening, these Phu Quoc seafood restaurants display their menu items on a bed of ice. All claim that their seafood is “fresh”. However, it is to be noted that nothing is wasted in Vietnam and that seafood on display may not always be truly “fresh”. Fish can be frozen and defrosted nightly until it is sold – some scheming restaurants even apply chemicals and preservatives to prevent seafood from decomposing or change color. Then there is the “bait-and-switch” technique where fresh seafood is on display for the consumer, but switched with an older fish by the cooks in the back. Eating older seafood can cause extreme stomach cramps and ruin your vacation.

Tip: When dining at the Phu Quoc Night Market, look for restaurants with a large customer base – this usually indicates high turnover. Choose locally sourced seafood such as squid, bonito, cobia, and crab over imported varieties.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

3. Phu Quoc Taxi Scam

For the most part, taxi drivers working in Phu Quoc are honest. There are, however, some who will take advantage of customers by driving around and racking up fares. The more scheming ones will bring you somewhere secluded and then demand an exorbitant amount to send you back. To counter this, it is best to use your smartphones GPS device and Google Maps and show the taxi driver exactly where you want to go.

What to do?

If you feel like you are getting scammed by the taxi driver, you can contact the Phu Quoc Police: 84 297 3846 051. Text them your GPS location as well, which you can find in Google Maps.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

4. Dinh Cau Temple Touts

The Dinh Cau Temple is one of Phu Quoc’s most iconic landmarks and admission is free. However at the steps that lead to the top of the temple there sometimes will be touts, mostly children or older women, who will try to earn some money off you with a myriad of ways. Some may claim that you have to pay an entrance fee or claim that the temple is closed however if you pay a certain amount, you will be allowed in.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

5. Motorbike Rental Scam

The motorbike scam involves rental shops renting out a broken motorbike and then claim that you broke it and ask for excessive fees. They may even get a local police officer involved, who will be in on the scam.

What to do?

To avoid the hassle – make sure you carefully inspect the motorbike, and take a lot of pictures on your phone before committing to the rental. Also try to rent a motorbike from your resort. If they do not have one available, then try finding a place that exclusively rents out motorbikes – most of which can be found in Long Beach Village.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

6. Credit & Debit Card Scams

ATM skimming devices are becoming more common in remote areas of the island. To avoid being scammed, withdraw money from Duong Dong Town, Bai Ong Lang, at the Phu Quoc International Airport, or at Long Beach Village. All these areas have cameras and transactions for the most part are secure.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

7. Phu Quoc Visa Scam

International tourists who visit Phu Quoc Island via a direct or indirect flight, and plan on only staying in Phu Quoc and no other destination in Vietnam are eligible for a 30 day Vietnam Visa exemption.

The scam here involves fining individuals who are eligible for the Phu Quoc Visa exemption, which normally occurs in either China or Thailand. Most of the time this is mainly due to lack of training – not everyone working in travel is aware that Phu Quoc is a visa-free region, the only visa free region in all of Vietnam. As such, we have provided an International Air Transport Association (IATA) screen that states that Phu Quoc is indeed a visa exempt region in Vietnam. Guests only need to remind the airline check-in counter employees to review their IATA terminal for Phu Quoc to verify.

Then there are those who will fine tourists in order to exploit their fears – without paying the fine, tourists will not be allowed on the flight, and thus forfeit and expensive airplane ticket and vacation.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

8. “Local” Guide Scam

Although discovering all of Phu Quoc’s major attractions can be seen without a dedicated guide, especially with the aide of PQ Places App, there are those travelers who like the comfort of having a “local” guide with them. It is important to note that “local guides” are something new to Phu Quoc and that most “guides” have immigrated to Phu Quoc from mainland Vietnam. Anyone who is “Vietnamese” can claim to be a local guide, and the ones who speak fluid English have a competitive advantage over those who don’t.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

9. “Duggy Dugong” Scam

The “Duggy Dugong” scam is commonly referred to as the “idiot scam” by the local people of Phu Quoc. The scam involves businesses on the island of Phu Quoc placing recycling and other green logos on their flyers, maps, etc hoping to capitalize on the “green tourism” movement. A “racist yellow-face sea cow” aka Dugong (marine animal), is the symbol for this scam.

Sadly, as of 2018, there is no recycling on Phu Quoc Island.

Method of validation:

1. Tourist feedback.
2. Field observation.

Ready to plan your adventure trip to Phú Quốc?

Have a safe & comfortable time on the island with the following Phu Quoc hotel & resort recommendations and deals.

Traveler recommended & last minute deals.

Luxury beach resorts starting at $50

Last updated: August 2026. Prices, schedules and opening hours change — check locally before you rely on them.