Canadian Tourist Alleges Scam Attempt At Delhi Railway Station: "Insane"

In many parts of India, unsuspecting foreign tourists often fall prey to scams by individuals trying to take advantage of their unfamiliarity with local norms, currency, and prices. From inflated taxi fares and overpriced goods to fake tour guides and misleading travel packages, various tactics are used to extract extra money from visitors. Recently, a Canadian content creator named Klaudia Falenta shared her experience of an attempted scam at the New Delhi Railway Station during a solo trip to India.

In an Instagram video, Klaudia said that the incident occurred around 4:30 am when she arrived at the station to board a train to Varanasi. That's when a man approached her and claimed that her train ticket was invalid or "not real". He attempted to redirect her to another "office" outside the station to buy a new ticket. Klaudia believed the intent was to make her miss her actual train so she would be forced to purchase a fake ticket from him. 

Klaudia said that she "lost her cool" and became angry, which she felt was important to show as a realistic part of travel. Despite the stressful start, she successfully boarded her train and reported a pleasant 8-hour journey to Varanasi, where she met a friendly family. She concluded her post by reflecting that "travel is not always positive and happy" but noted such challenges contribute to personal growth.

"I almost didn't wanna include these clips, because it's so out of my character to be angry like this, and I don't like seeing it. But then, I wouldn't stay true to what I wanted to do, which is show travel for what it really is. The unfiltered and real travel is not always positive and happy, and that's when you grow the most as a person," she wrote in the caption of the video. 

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Klaudia Falenta | Travel Content Creator (@klauditravels)

Reacting to the video, one user wrote, "You're so brave, I must say! I hope you made some wonderful memories in India and that it gives you the strength to keep traveling the world solo."

Another commented, "You don't have to be nice to the ones that want something from you. I don't say you have to be rude just go on with your business and keep on walking. I hope Varanasi will be a pleasant experience."

"Well done recognising the scam and moving away from it. Look after yourself and enjoy your travels. Not the entire country is like this so enjoy. Varanasi is amazing, I just came back from there 2 weeks ago. Do let me know if you need any help, I have very generous and geniune people in the city who can help if needed. Happy travels my friend, you are stronger than you think and amazing experiences await you," added a third. 

Earlier, a Korean content creator shared a video on Instagram recounting his "frightening" experience of being scammed in Old Delhi by an elderly man posing as a "professor". The incident, which occurred during the final part of his trip, involved an inflated rickshaw fare and an attempt to extort about $100 (Rs 8,860) from him.