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A British woman visiting Delhi has claimed she was almost caught in a tourist-booking scam near Connaught Place. Sharing her experience, she said several people appeared to be working together to mislead travellers under the guise of an “official tourist office.” Her detailed post on Instagram has caught widespread attention online with many people agreeing that similar scams are common in the area. The woman, identified as Emma, described how she was almost scammed when she tried to book a train to Agra. ‘Thought It Was Conspiracy But I Was Wrong’ According to Emma, a man approached her on the street and advised her to visit the “official tourist office” to book train or bus tickets. “Everyone here’s in cahoots to try and get us to the tourist office which we did yesterday to try and book a train to Agra. One minute we’re booking a train to Agra, the next they’re planning our whole trip and they were trying to charge us 1,000 quid which obviously we ain’t bloody paying,” she said in the video. In the caption, Emma detailed her experience where she wrote, “They’re all on it. Scam confirmed!!! If someone in Delhi tells you to “go to the official tourist office to book your train or bus”… RUN!!!! I genuinely thought it was just a conspiracy theory. Like, there’s no way everyone’s in on it, right? WRONG!!!!” According to Emma, she was told “multiple times” that all trains were “cancelled” and the only way to book was through the “government office.” She said the place looked “legit” with maps, travel posters and men dressed formally but things soon began to feel off. Within minutes, the conversation shifted from a single train ticket to a full travel package costing around £1,400 (approximately Rs 1.6 lakh) which is a huge jump from the roughly £10 (over Rs 1,150) she expected to pay. “The whole thing felt off… They were talking over each other, rushing us, and insisting we book “right now.” That’s when it clicked,” Emma wrote. She further added, “Tuk-tuk drivers get commission for taking tourists there, and EVERYONE’S in on it & the reviews are SHOCKING for the tours & multiple scams in those too!!” Emma’s Takeaways She also listed a few takeaways from her experience: If someone says trains or buses are cancelled, they’re lying. The “official tourist office” near Connaught Place is fake. Tuk-tuk drivers get paid to take tourists there. You can safely book everything yourself on IRCTC, 12Go Asia, or RedBus. Trust your gut!!! If something feels off, it probably is. Emma explained that while she can now laugh about it, the situation was stressful at the time as the man became “rude” when she denied. “Honestly, I get how people fall for it. It feels legit, and when you’re tired and overwhelmed, you just want someone to help. So yeah. Consider this your warning,” Emma concluded. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emma ✈️? UGC | BANGKOK ?? | Backpacking South East Asia✨ (@discoverwithemma_) How People Reacted The post got significant attention online with hundreds of comments. Many agreed with her saying such incidents are not rare. One user commented, “I’m Indian, living in India even though I get scammed sometimes.” Someone added, “Come to kerala, you will love it.” Another suggested, “You should buy it online sister. Don’t go then just book it online and always buy first class tickets – never buy general coach because if you do, you will see a nightmare with open eyes that you’ve never imagined in your life.” “Avoid Delhi completely, there are so many other places in central India, far better and more peaceful,” someone else advised. “They are trying to scam you. You don’t believe in these types of people – book the tickets online from genuine sites,” read another comment. One user asked Emma why she hadn’t simply booked a tour company to “drive her around.” Emma replied that she chose not to because she wanted more flexibility in her travel plans.
