What is the false-taxi (paseo millonario) scam?

An express-kidnapping pattern where a hailed kerb-taxi turns out to be fake; the victim is driven between ATMs while accomplices empty bank accounts. Documented in Bogotá and Medellín for decades. The fix is simple: never hail a kerb-taxi in Bogotá. Use Uber, Cabify or DiDi instead — drivers usually ask you to sit in the front to look less like a ride-hail passenger. From El Dorado airport, use the official inside-terminal taxi booths or the designated rideshare pickup, not the unmarked tout-cars outside.

Is the scopolamine 'flyer' scam real in Bogotá?

The scopolamine risk in Bogotá is real but the delivery vector is almost always a spiked drink at a bar or a contact-poisoning over hours of conversation — not a flyer handed on the street. The street-flyer version is mostly urban myth. Don't be paranoid about strangers handing you brochures; do be careful about accepting drinks, cigarettes or food from new acquaintances, especially at bars or in hostel common rooms where someone has been working a conversation for an unusually long time.

Common Tourist Scams in La Candelaria, Bogotá (and How to Avoid Them)

By The Kakapo Editorial Team · Last updated 2026-05-21 · Part of the La Candelaria, Bogotá safety guide

FAQ

What is the false-taxi (paseo millonario) scam?: An express-kidnapping pattern where a hailed kerb-taxi turns out to be fake; the victim is driven between ATMs while accomplices empty bank accounts. Documented in Bogotá and Medellín for decades. The fix is simple: never hail a kerb-taxi in Bogotá. Use Uber, Cabify or DiDi instead — drivers usually ask you to sit in the front to look less like a ride-hail passenger. From El Dorado airport, use the official inside-terminal taxi booths or the designated rideshare pickup, not the unmarked tout-cars outside.
Is the scopolamine 'flyer' scam real in Bogotá?: The scopolamine risk in Bogotá is real but the delivery vector is almost always a spiked drink at a bar or a contact-poisoning over hours of conversation — not a flyer handed on the street. The street-flyer version is mostly urban myth. Don't be paranoid about strangers handing you brochures; do be careful about accepting drinks, cigarettes or food from new acquaintances, especially at bars or in hostel common rooms where someone has been working a conversation for an unusually long time.

Read the full La Candelaria, Bogotá safety guide — score breakdown, every neighbourhood, all 4 sources →

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Sources

Scores are the Kakapo Safety Index — compiled from government travel advisories and public crime, health and transit data. All data sources.