Parents' Guide to

Scam City

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

How con men trick tourists is edgy but informative.

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Part reality series, part investigative exposé, Scam City highlights the daily routines of seasoned criminals around the world in order to uncover the various methods by which they are able to cash in on unsuspecting foreign visitors. It also reveals how some of these criminal activities are connected to larger, more sophisticated enterprises, some of which have surprising dealings with local political and social institutions.

It's interesting, but the moments when Woodman combines conversations about cultural practices with discussions of tourist-targeted crimes creates a potential for perpetuating negative generalizations about the places he visits and the people who live there. Meanwhile, it focuses more on the crimes themselves, and not the various steps tourists should take to avoid falling victim to them. Nonetheless, it offers some important information that even the most seasoned travelers can benefit from.

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