It's a national pastime, a mark of distinction, a necessary survival skill in a country with an annual income slightly higher than what we pay to join a workout gym for a year.

A FEW THINGS TO KNOW:
Westerners take scams very personally. They get all hot and bothered, puff up like a blowfish and turn dangerously red in the tropical heat. The Vietnamese don't understand this kind of behavior at all. To them a scam is like a practical joke - something you try to put over on people just to see if you can. The way they look at it, if they can fool you and earn some money into the bargain, great (you can afford it anyway). If you catch them at it, they just laugh and shrug - the joke's on them. If you catch them after the fact, you both laugh and go have a beer. They never offer an apology and never expect one. And the truth is, you can afford it. Hell, you paid $1000 to come to Vietnam and you're mad because some cyclo driver's overcharging you 50 cents on the fare? You need a beer.

SCAMS: YOU ON THEM Forging paperwork, faking ID, bribes and getting around roadblocks and doctoring visa extentions - anything is possible. Be creative. Remember, there is a scam at the end of every official "NO". P.S. Ducking out of cyclo fares and private guesthouses is not scamming - its cheating, and it's cheap.

SCAMS: THEM ON YOU
Most of those beautiful Rolex watches have fake innards. Ditto with the lovely blackmarket Nikon cameras. Real stuff comes at real prices - and even then, open it up and see for yourself.

Cyclo drivers will often take you the long way around to add to the price. You can avoid this by negotiating the fare up front.

Unless you have a HUGE pack, luggage doesn't cost extra on the bus. And even if you're 6'6', you still only count as one person.

If someone tells you there's no bus to your destination but you can hire his jeep (motorbike, car, etc.), go find the bus. Wave to him as you drive by.

The air conditioner in your room may work just fine but not have any antifreeze in it.

Changing money - the possible scams here are endless. The blocks of cash you get may have bills on the outside and newsprint on the inside. They might set up a "police raid" in the middle of counting out your money and duck out with all of it. They may simply miscount. Just remember, great deals never are. If the exchange rate is too good to be true, it isn't true.

If you look like a victim (walking around with a spaghetti-string purse or staggering out of a bar drunk at one in the morning) you will probably become one...

The Vietnamese are very respectful of personal space. If someone is crowding you in a bus or leaning over you to get at the window, suspect a thief.

Use your own lock in guesthouses. Occasionally the owners are involved in a scam.

OFFICIAL SCAMS
The government charges "foreign prices" on almost everything from public transport to hotels. They have some ingenious ways to make you pay...