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Peru (PE)

Peru combines world-class food, ancient Inca heritage, Pacific coastline, Amazon rainforest, Andean cities and one of Latin America's lower cost-of-living profiles.

Capital: Lima
Region: Americas
Language: Spanish
Currency: PEN (S/)
Cost of living: Very affordable (index 30)
Emergency: 105
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Scam Warnings

Common scams targeting expats in Peru.

Peru recorded 42,161 cybercrime reports in 2024 — a 879% rise since 2018 — with phishing, identity fraud and financial scams topping the list. Physical risks remain high: express kidnappings via illegal street taxis (paseo millonario) are documented in Lima, and phone theft leading to instant banking drain is the leading street crime. The highest-risk areas for expats are rentals, unregulated taxis, counterfeit currency, fake tour operators (Cusco/Machu Picchu) and property title fraud. Verify every claim through official portals before paying anything.

Paseo Millonario — Express Kidnapping via Street Taxi

critical

Unlicensed "taxi pirata" drivers pick up passengers, then stop to collect armed accomplices. Victims are driven to multiple ATMs and forced to withdraw the daily maximum from each account before being released. This crime is documented in Lima and major cities; tourists and newly arrived expats are primary targets. Australian and US government travel advisories flag it specifically.

How to spot it
  • - Taxi is hailed from the street rather than booked via app or official desk
  • - No visible taxi ID card, meter, or company branding
  • - Driver takes unexpected detour or stops to pick up additional passengers
  • - Vehicle does not match the app booking or pre-agreed description
  • - Approach happens near Lima airport, bus terminals or late at night
What to do: Never hail a taxi from the street in Lima. Use only app-based services (InDriver, Cabify, Beat, Uber) or the official airport taxi desk inside Jorge Chávez airport. Share your live trip with a contact. If taken, cooperate calmly and report immediately to PNP on 105.

Fake Apartment Deposit Fraud

critical

Scammer lists an attractive flat below market price, claims to be abroad, and demands wire transfer or crypto deposit before any in-person or live-video viewing. Once paid, communication stops. Listings appear on OLX, Facebook Marketplace and WhatsApp groups.

How to spot it
  • - Rent is notably below comparable properties in the area
  • - Owner refuses in-person or live-video viewing before payment
  • - Payment requested by bank transfer, Yape, Plin or cryptocurrency
  • - Property documents do not match SUNARP registry records
  • - Pressure to "secure it today before someone else does"
What to do: Never transfer money before visiting in person. Verify ownership via SUNARP (sunarp.gob.pe) using the property partida registral. Use a written lease contract and official receipt. Report fraud to INDECOPI (indecopi.gob.pe) or PNP 105.

Phone Theft and Instant Banking Drain

critical

Phones are grabbed from restaurant tables, car windows or sidewalks — typically by a motorbike-mounted thief. Within minutes, thieves attempt to drain bank accounts via Yape, Plin or BCP/Interbank apps using the unlocked device. This is Lima's most frequently reported street crime against expats.

How to spot it
  • - Using phone visibly near street edge, open car window or on a restaurant table facing the street
  • - Banking apps open without PIN or biometric re-lock
  • - No SIM PIN set — SIM can be swapped to a new device immediately
  • - Motorbike slowing alongside pedestrians or seated diners
What to do: Set a SIM PIN with your carrier. Enable biometric lock on all banking apps and set daily transfer limits to the minimum you need. Enable Google/Apple remote wipe. Keep phone in a front pocket in public. Report theft to PNP (105) and your bank immediately.

Fake Migraciones or SUNAT Fine Call

critical

Caller claims to be from Migraciones (immigration) or SUNAT (tax authority) and states that you have an outstanding fine, visa violation or tax debt. Immediate payment is demanded to avoid arrest or deportation. A separate variant impersonates the SBS (financial regulator) alleging account freezes.

How to spot it
  • - Unsolicited call threatening arrest or deportation unless payment made immediately
  • - Payment requested to a personal account, via crypto or gift card
  • - Caller refuses to provide a case number verifiable on official portals
  • - Caller ID may be spoofed to look like a real government number
  • - Urgency and secrecy — "do not tell anyone or we will proceed"
What to do: Hang up immediately. Log into migraciones.gob.pe or sunat.gob.pe directly to check your real status. Call SUNAT at 0-801-12-100 or Migraciones at 200-1000 to verify. Never pay over the phone. Report the call to DIVINDAT (PNP cybercrime) at 431-8898.

Counterfeit Soles and USD Notes

warning

Peru is a major global source of counterfeit currency. Fake S/50, S/100 and S/200 soles notes and counterfeit USD circulate in informal exchange booths, markets and small shops. Fake notes are sometimes passed in change during taxi rides or at unlicensed street changers.

How to spot it
  • - Paper feels thin, smooth or different from genuine notes — genuine soles have distinctive raised ink
  • - No holographic strip or watermark visible when held to light
  • - Serial number does not shift colour when tilted (on S/100 and above)
  • - Street changer rushes the count or distracts you during the transaction
  • - Notes given as change late at night or in poor lighting
What to do: Exchange money only at banks (BCP, Interbank, BBVA) or licensed casas de cambio. Check notes immediately. Carry a UV torch if handling cash frequently. Report counterfeit notes to the SBS at sbs.gob.pe or any bank branch.

Fake Machu Picchu / Cusco Tour Operator

warning

Unlicensed operators sell Machu Picchu entry tickets (including counterfeit QR-code tickets), Inca Trail packages and Amazon jungle tours that exclude permits, licensed guides, safe transport or valid insurance. Nearly 80% of Cusco tour providers reportedly lack proper licensing. Fake QR tickets fail to scan at the gate.

How to spot it
  • - Operator cannot show RUC (tax registration) or MINCETUR tourism licence
  • - Machu Picchu tickets offered outside the official site machupicchu.gob.pe
  • - No written itinerary, emergency contact or insurance details provided
  • - Cash-only payment with no official receipt
  • - Tickets sold near the Aguas Calientes bus stop at inflated prices
What to do: Purchase Machu Picchu tickets only at machupicchu.gob.pe using your exact passport details. Use MINCETUR-registered operators. Request a written contract and receipt. Report unlicensed operators to MINCETUR or INDECOPI.

Property Title Fraud

critical

Seller presents a property without clean title: hidden heirs, unregistered encumbrances, municipal debts, or restrictions in border zones and agricultural land. Some fraudsters use forged SUNARP extracts. Foreigners cannot legally own property in certain border areas.

How to spot it
  • - No SUNARP partida registral available, or seller provides only a photocopy
  • - Pressure to use the seller's lawyer exclusively
  • - Price significantly below comparable properties in the area
  • - Rushed closing timeline with no time for due diligence
  • - Property located near a border zone or classified as agricultural land
What to do: Hire an independent Peruvian notary and lawyer. Run a live SUNARP title search (sunarp.gob.pe). Check municipal debt (arbitrios/predios) at the relevant municipality. Verify with a licensed appraiser. Never pay before clear title is confirmed.

Romance / Pig-Butchering Investment Scam

critical

Online contact builds a relationship over weeks then introduces a "guaranteed" crypto or forex investment platform. After initial profits appear, victims are pressured to invest larger sums. When withdrawal is attempted, "taxes" or "fees" are demanded. All funds are then lost. Cybercrime reports in Peru for this category rose sharply in 2024–2025.

How to spot it
  • - Online contact refuses live video calls or videos appear pre-recorded/deepfake
  • - Investment platform not registered with SBS (sbs.gob.pe)
  • - Screenshots shown of extraordinary returns — 5–20% per week
  • - Pressure to invest more before a "window closes"
  • - Withdrawal blocked pending "tax" or "compliance fee" payments
What to do: Do not invest via romantic contacts. Verify all investment platforms with SBS (sbs.gob.pe). Report immediately to DIVINDAT (431-8898) and your bank. Cut contact — do not send additional money trying to recover losses.

Fake Restaurant Menu Overcharging

info

In tourist areas of Lima (Miraflores, Barranco), Cusco and Arequipa, some restaurants present a "menu turístico" with inflated prices different from the regular carta, or add undisclosed cover charges, service fees and items not ordered. Menus may be in English with no prices, or prices may be switched after ordering.

How to spot it
  • - Menu given to foreigners differs from the Spanish-language carta shown to locals
  • - No prices listed on the English menu
  • - Bill includes charges for bread, water or "cubierto" (cover) not disclosed upfront
  • - Aggressive staff pressure to order quickly
What to do: Ask for a priced menu before ordering. Query any unrecognised charges on the bill. Peruvian consumer law entitles you to an itemised receipt. Disputes can be lodged via the Libro de Reclamaciones (mandatory in all commercial premises) or INDECOPI at 224-7777.

Reporting

Where to report: PNP DIVINDAT (cybercrime): Av. España 323, Cercado de Lima — tel 431-8898; report at any PNP comisaría (105). INDECOPI (consumer fraud): indecopi.gob.pe. SBS (financial regulator, unlicensed investment schemes): sbs.gob.pe. SUNAT (tax impersonation): 0-801-12-100. Migraciones (immigration impersonation): 200-1000.

Consumer helpline: INDECOPI: 224-7777 (Lima, paid) | 0-800-4-4040 (regions, free) | indecopi.gob.pe. Emergency police: 105. Fire: 116. Ambulance (SAMU): 106. EsSalud ambulance: 117.