Ratnapura shop wants us to invest in a moonstone because the road is amber anyway - walk out?
Driver said the A4 is ugly Saturday so we might as well see a gem mine. Then a man in a pressed shirt offered unmounted stones, "no tax if you carry them", cousin in Colombo will certify. We are not gem people. Is any of this real.
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2 Answers from travellers
Walk out. Unmounted "investment" stones, no-tax export stories, and a cousin with a certificate are the classic set. If you want a souvenir moonstone, buy a finished small piece from a shop you can return to, at a price that feels like jewellery not a hedge fund. Real mines are not a 20-minute tourist hole next to a showroom.
Scam Watch: colombo
Driver claims the meter is broken and quotes an inflated flat rate. Common on arrival at airport or railway stations when tourists are tired and disoriented.
Drivers wearing official-looking uniforms claim to be "government-approved" and charge 3-5x normal rates. They may have fake badges or ID cards.
Women with babies approach asking you to buy milk powder at a nearby shop (not cash). The shop is run by accomplices and charges 5-10x normal price.
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