Most Common Paris Scams (and how to avoid them)
Millions of people travel to Paris every year! It is an absolute dream to be among the people who get the chance to travel. Among these travelers, however, about half of them are scammed out of money and personal belongings. Don’t be one of them. Here are the most common Paris scams and how to avoid them.
Pickpocketing
The absolute most common Paris scam you’ll find is pickpocketing. It is all too common throughout the city and many fall victim to it during their travels. Unassuming scammers will target you and your family with just a quick glance. Then they’ll brush by you and cause a distraction. Before you know it you’ll find your wallet, passport, phone, or other essential documents missing. It is an action so small but can have a big effect on your trip. The most common locations for pickpocketing are at outdoor cafes, on the Paris metro, and at crowded tourist sites. These sites include the Eiffel Tower, outside the Louvre, and around the Champs Elysees. Be aware of how common pickpocketers are and keep reading to the end to find out how to avoid the trouble.
Restaurant Overcharging
Another of the most common Paris scams is restaurant overcharging. This one happens way too much and anyone can fall victim to it. Excited tourists find themselves excited to eat authentic Parisian food and find themselves overpaying for simple croissants or soups. You might not realize you were overcharged at first, but when you find yourself at another restaurant with normal prices, you will find yourself feeling shameful for willingly paying so much. You wouldn’t think a professional establishment would try to scam tourists but know they will. This happens at restaurants closest to tourist attractions. If you find a cafe or restaurant right outside the Eiffel Tower or along the Champs Elysees, it is likely just a tourist trap looking to overcharge you.
Friendship bracelets at the steps to Sacre Coeur
Next is the friendship bracelet scam. This one is one of the most annoying scams and has the potential to ruin your travel day. I found that the friendship bracelet scam is most common at the steps to Sacre Coeur and around that area, but be aware of it in case you find it anywhere else in the city.
The friendship bracelet scam involves a nice, friendly-looking Parisian coming up to you and tying a friendship bracelet around your wrist. First, they’ll make friendly conversation as they braid the string, they’ll laugh with you and ask you where you are coming from, then tie the bracelet onto your wrist as a gift. Then all of a sudden everything changes quickly. Your nice new friend who “gifted” you the bracelet and demands you pay him for it and won’t let you go until you do. This one is tricky if you get caught with the bracelet, but in the end, I’ll discuss how to get out of this one and how to avoid it altogether.
Rose scam
The next of the most common Paris scams is the free rose scam. The free rose scam you’ll usually find in effect around the Eiffel Tower and along the Seine. These scammers take advantage of Paris’ reputation as one of the most Romantic cities in the world. This scam targets women and couples specifically. The rose scammer will act in awe of your beauty and be incredibly grateful to find you here in Paris. What a stereotypical Paris love story, except that it isn’t.
Just like the friendship bracelet scammer, this scammer will offer you a bright beautiful rose and insist that you take it. Once you do, your new friend turns the tables and demands that you pay for it. When you try to give it back he will refuse and make the situation uncomfortable, pressuring you to pay up. The men get targeted too. If you are in a couple, or look like one, the scammer will give your lady the rose and then demand that you pay and urge that you’d be disappointing her if you don’t.
ATM Scam
This is another of the most common Paris scams that is actually quite dangerous. You want to make sure you take preventative measures to avoid this one at all costs. If you are not quick and smart, you can end up losing a lot of money with this one. This ATM scam can happen anywhere throughout the entire city, day or night.
While you withdraw cash from an ATM, a “kind” stranger will come up to you offering to help with translation or any button issues. Instead of helping, this stranger will watch you input your PIN. Once you do, the kindness is over. The stranger will grab your card and run off far away. Just a few moments later, you’ll get a notification from your bank letting you know a large amount of money has been withdrawn from your account and there is nothing you can do about it. I will discuss how to avoid this trap, but if you do find yourself falling victim to it, you must act very quickly. If you can, open your bank app and close the card that was just stolen before they get the chance to withdraw from another atm.
Petition Scam
Now, the petition scam I have only witnessed in the area around Notre Dame and the Louvre. However, you want to be aware of it, in case they ever change locations. In this scam, you will find either Women or innocent-looking children traveling around with clipboards. They’ll ask you to sign either in a language you don’t understand or with a false sad story of what their cause is. Then, once they have your undivided attention and hold on to your heartstrings, they’ll pressure you into donating. When you try to leave, they’ll push their cause and really sell it, some even claiming it is required after signing your name. Know it is all fake. There is no cause, the money goes to themselves or the person in charge of them.
Gold ring scam
This is another of the most common Paris scams. The gold ring scam involves someone picking up a gold, sometimes silver, ring on the floor and running up to you. They’ll as if it was yours and if you dropped it. Once you confirm that it isn’t, they’ll inspect the ring and whisper about how valuable it looks. Then once you are sold and tricked, they will try to sell it to you at a high cost. Of course, the ring is cheap, fake, and not worth a thing. Once you find that out, it will be too late and your money will be long gone.
Cup Game
Oh, the cup game scam. This is one of the oldest and most common scams in Paris. In fact, it is featured in so many cartoons, TV shows, and movies set in Paris. Yet, travelers continue to fall victim to this scam. As you may already know, the cup game scam features a ball, or something small, being shuffled around with three cups. The goal of the game is to pick which cup the object is after a series of spinning, switching, and shuffling.
You’ll agree to play and bet some money. You either lose the money or they let you win the first round to give you the perception of false luck. Then comes round two, where they’ve convinced you to double your bet, thinking you’ll surely win. What you don’t know is that the majority of the audience is in on the scam. Then you quickly lose whatever money you bet. Be aware that these scams do still happen. The crowd of scammers make a big whoop to make the game look exciting to entice you to play. Know that it is all a scam and don’t give in to it.
Street vendors
This scam got one of the members of my family, as she was not aware of it before we went on the trip. Around the Eiffel Tower, streets of the Louvre, and many other touristy locations in Paris, you’ll find people just standing around with souvenirs on chains or in a bag or on a blanket on the floor. It might be a pretty Paris umbrella, a model of the Eiffel Tower, and socks. They are legitimate souvenirs, however, they are ridiculously priced.
These vendors are buying these souvenirs for low prices and selling them for way more than they should. First, they’ll judge you by how easy of a sale you might be, and then they’ll give you a high price, not expecting you to fight it. Then when you walk into an official souvenir store in Paris, you might find even better souvenirs for a much lower price. This one isn’t a major scam, however, it is one of the most common Paris scams and forces you to spend more money than you should.
How to avoid them
Now that we know the most common Paris scams, here is how to avoid them! For the scams that involve you holding something, the simple trick is to hide your hands and look straight ahead. For the ring scam, petition, rose, and bracelet scam, place your hands in your pockets or cross your arms around your chest. If that doesn’t keep them away, give them a firm no and keep moving forward. Look straight ahead to your destination and pretend they don’t exist, even if they persist. They will eventually give up.
For pickpocketing scams, the best practice is to not be a target. Don’t speak obnoxiously loud, don’t dress stereotypically like a tourist, and don’t wear an open purse out. You don’t want to take out any wallets or have your purse open showing all its contents. Keep your belongings in your inner jacket pocket or wear an antitheft bag. Then just be aware of your surroundings.
For the ATM scam, avoid public ATMs like the plague. If you must, go only early in the morning as you start your day when they aren’t out yet. Avoid ATMs in high-crowd areas. The absolute best thing you can do is withdraw your cash from a bank or the airport That way there is no risk of this issue at all.
For the cup scam, it is pretty easy, just don’t play. Don’t think you can somehow outsmart them and find a way to win. It is not a game, it is a show, and you are already the loser just by showing up.
Lastly for overcharging scams. Do your research on restaurants and stores before heading inside of them. That way you know the average costs for the meals, know the reviews, and know if it is legitimate or not.
Be safe
All in all, Paris is a wonderful place to travel. Because of this, you will find many scams that plague the city. Once you are aware of them and take the steps to avoid them, you are sure to have a lovely trip!
Need more tips to ensure your Paris vacation goes smoothly? Check out Travel Mistakes to Avoid in Paris and 6 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Paris for the First Time!