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Cuba · Scam Patterns

Cuba — Scam Patterns & Local Risks

Documented scam patterns reported across forums, embassy advisories, and community alerts for Cuba.

0

High severity

2

Medium severity

1

Lower severity

Documented Patterns (3)

medium Overcharging

Two-currency confusion

CUC was retired in 2021 but some businesses still attempt to extract higher prices from tourists in old/new currency conversions.

Mitigation: Cuba uses CUP only now; always confirm prices in CUP and bring USD cash to exchange at official CADECA only.

medium Extortion

Casa particular "guest fee" surprise

Adding overnight guests can lead to surprise fees from house owners or CDR neighbourhood-watch reports to police.

Mitigation: Pre-book guest-friendly hotels (e.g., Hotel Inglaterra) rather than casas if entertaining.

low Taxi overcharge

Old-Havana taxi tourist rate

Old-American-car "almendrón" classic taxis charge 10x what a yellow taxi costs.

Mitigation: Yellow taxis with meters; agree fare before getting in.

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Related

Patterns curated April 2026 from community alerts, embassy advisories (UK FCDO, US State Dept), and forum reports. Refresh as the scam-alerts queue accumulates.