AFP:
Multiple tourists are crammed into a single chopper, but each insurance company gets billed for the flight. The trekking operators, lodge owners, helicopter companies, and even hospitals pocket the extra cash.Related: The Horn on Netflix is terrific.
The fraud became so acute that Nepal's government, which relies heavily on tourism, launched a probe in June in a bid to keep insurers from pulling out altogether.
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The helicopter scam has become such a money-maker that some budget tour operators are luring customers by selling treks at below cost price -- knowing they can make enough profit on kickbacks when the tourists are evacuated.
In some cases, trekkers themselves are in on the scam, opting for a quick ride home billed to their insurance, while others are being scared into rescues for minor illnesses.
