Paris: Smart tourists know these 3 scams
Watch out for bracelet "sellers" at Sacre Coeur. Photo by Liz Webber.
By Liz Webber–
Sure, we all know Paris is a big city with it’s fair share of petty crime – even the announcements in the Metro stations warn tourists to “faire attention aux pickpockets.”
But aside from just generally watching your wallet or purse, there are a number of scams typically used on tourists in Paris. They should know it’s not so easy to con a Cheapo!
Here are a few of the most typical scams to watch out for:
1. “Free” bracelets at Sacre Coeur
Most days, as tourists start to walk up the steps to reach Sacre Coeur, they face a veritable gauntlet of men trying to trick them out of a few euros. This scam involves someone tying a string bracelet onto your wrist and then refusing to let go until you “pay” for the souvenir.
While these men can be aggressive, they are fairly easy to avoid. Often if you speak French they just leave you alone – a simple “non, merci” should do the trick.
2. “Did you drop this gold ring I just found?”
I don’t really understand how this one works, but it must, because so many scammers still do it. It starts like this: as you’re walking along the street, someone approaches you and asks, “Excuse me, did you drop this gold ring?” When you say, no, that’s not mine, the person then tries to foist the ring on you, saying it must be worth a lot of money.
Since he or she is in the country illegally, the person can’t possible sell the ring, but you as a respectable tourist should have no problem. Can you just give him or a her a little money (not even the value of the ring)? Of course, in reality the ring is worthless. Be on the lookout for this scam in the Jardin des Tuileries and the Champs de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower.
3. “Do you speak English?”
As foreigners in a strange land, we’ve all needed to ask for assistance at some point. So when someone asks if you speak English, the logical response is: “Yes, I do! How can I help?” However, the next step on the part of the asker is to hold up a card with a poorly written sob story asking for money.
This isn’t so much a scam as a clever way to engage with tourists before begging for some spare change. It’s up to you whether or not to part with a few euro coins. These alms seekers can be found in pretty much all the major tourist districts, and are especially abundant in the square facing Notre Dame.
Don’t panic!
As the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy would tell you, don’t panic! Like in any big city, it is important to remain on one’s toes in Paris, but that shouldn’t prevent you from having a good time. Just keep on eye on your belongings and use common sense and you should be fine!
Tell us your scam story
Have you witnessed or been the victim of a scam in Paris, or in any other city while traveling? Tell us about your experience–and what you’ve learned from it!
Popularity: 8% [?]
Related Posts:
- Stockholm: Avoid this popular tourist scam in Gamla Stan
- Barcelona Q&A: Is it safe to stay in the Gothic Quarter?
- Condor’s Featured Flights
- Athens: Tea Time in Thissio
- Dreaming of Living la Dolce Vita this Summer?
Help others find this post:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Technorati
Subscribe to blog
October 12th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Was in Paris this past May for a week. I read about all three of these scams before going and, sure enough, all three were attempted. That ring thing is very odd, how do they make any money on that one? I don’t get it. It is nice to be prepared for this before you go, so you aren’t taken unaware. Whenever someone pulled the “Do you speak English”, I shrugged and responded in gibberish. They retreated immediately. The string guys are VERY aggressive.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Ahh the post card trick. I was in France a few weeks ago and this one was pulled on me at Notre Dame and I thought it was pretty clever. It was used on me once again at the Eiffel Tower, and the card had the exact same text but from a different beggar. I reached into my pocket for some change and pulled out my hand doing the finger.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Watch out for cashiers doing the slow count. I was at a cafe once where the cashier took forever to count out the change. I grabbed the paper money and left the coin because I was rushing for a bus. When I got on the bus, I counted my bills and realized that I was short changed 5 euros. Color me red on that one. Now I make sure to carry small bills and pay in denominations as close to the total as possible.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I was in Paris last September and was walking by the Seine, right in front of the Louvre. A girl from one of the Eastern countries tried to pull the ring trick on me. I had no idea this was a trick but it just sounded way strange when she wanted to give me the ring even after I said it wasn’t mine. She just wouldn’t give up insisting. Be very careful! Thanks for letting people know about this!
October 19th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Having just experienced this one here’s a thought, I think the rings are brass compression fittings polished up, definatley not gold and ‘punched’ with a mark on the inside. Even if they hand over the ring it’s pence to replace them?
October 20th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Beware of any scam, ring or otherwise, that distracts your attention. That’s exactly how pickpockets work in pairs. While one of them distracts you, the other dips you. Also if anybody is counting out a large number of notes in change or exchange for you, and for some reason it disappears from view even for a second (e.g. loud noise behind you causes you to glance around to see what’s going on), insist that it’s counted again.
October 24th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
hello, this isn’t really a scam, but it was so frightening that i am posting it on all websites for tourists to Paris.
I witnessed an italian tourist almost beaten to death on the train by two young robbers from the airport to Paris around 8pm on the 22nd of October 2009. I got involved and was bashed around too by these kids. But unlike the italian tourist, i fought back (i know, i know…could have gotten killed).
I find this incident rather bizarre because i am 47 woman and there were at least 5 men on the train in good enough physical condition to help. But the French are very passive when it comes to things like this. So, for your own safety, never, ever take the RER B from CDG airport to Gard du Nord UNLESS it is the nonstop train. The other one i took stops in all the welfare project type towns with bunches of angry young men who make a fortune stealing cell phones and whatever from tourists. Thanks for posting this. Nani
October 26th, 2009 at 2:51 am
[...] This article comes from the helpful folks at EuroCheapo, and it outlines three ways people will try to help you part ways with your hard-earned travel money. One of them is really common, one of them seems so weird that it could never work (but it clearly does or they wouldn’t keep trying it), and one of them is so blunt you almost want to give them credit for being up front with you. [...]
October 27th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Near the Eiffel Tower a man tried to hand me a rose and said “for the beautiful lady”, I said no thank you and kept walking, he insisted, I said I’m not buying and kept walking, he insisted, I said I’m not giving you any money and kept walking, he still insisted on giving me the rose so I took it. He then went around behind us to my husband and said “3 Euros.” I laughed and handed the rose back. The failed scammer gave us a very dirty look.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
When getting money out of an ATM on the street, don’t let yourself get distracted. A few friends were caught off guard by some small children bum rushing them and one of the kids grabbed the money as it came out of the machine.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Watch out on escalators. One “accidentally” drops something like a coin just at the top and bends down to pick it up, and as you bump into them another pikey behind tries to pick your pocket.
I misread it and thought the one in front was trying to trip me; let’s just say I wouldn’t have got away with what I did to him if I’d done it to an opponent on a Rugby pitch…
April 18th, 2010 at 11:32 am
[...] a shame that were the tourists hang out there are many scamming attempts. We encountered three of the most common ones: the gold ring scam, the “do you speak English” scam and the string men of [...]
June 11th, 2010 at 8:43 am
I just witnessed the lost gold ring scam in Paris. Same method and I had not even read about this scam. I just walked away. Anything that is too good to be true is exactly that. I have also been approached with the do you speak English scam, again i shook head and walk away. I wonder what else is out there.
June 16th, 2010 at 6:41 am
My boyfriend’s sister has just been victim of what looks like a scam, however we are not sure about this and would like to check if it has happened to anyone.
On Monday evening, in Paris, she was approached by an Australian man who claimed that he had come to Paris Eurodisney with his girlfriend and children.
He claimed he had only one cash card, that he had tried to get money out of a cash machine, however the girlfiend used her PIN code instead of his three times and the card had been blocked.
He needed 45 euros to go back to the girlfriend and children (not sure where these were, as 45 euros will definitely get you a lot farther than Eurodisney from Paris). He was insisting he was very ashamed and embarassed and that he could leave them his passport (???) or his watch (he probably had 50 worthless watches under his coat), that he was a businessman and had a secretary etc. etc. and please come with him to the girlfriend and children to check they were real.
She gave in and gave him 5 euros, and I was glad she did not follow him, however we thought this was a scam.
Has anyone else had the same experience?
Thank you for posting.
June 21st, 2010 at 8:23 pm
I have just returned from Paris today and have been scammed twice……………….. i wish I had read this first.
First night walking to montmarte got hooked by the string guys, actually thought they were quite sweet braceets and my better half had one too…………….. now the scam…………. he wanted 10 euros each…………….I laughed and stared in disbelief and said no you are joking, he said he wasn’t……Then because I am english and get too embarressed etc said 10 euros for both, so yes guys I paid £8.50 for 2 pieces of string. Daft thing is \i would of quite happily paid 2 euros for one so maybe if they were abit more honets they would make more money, instead of robbing us.
Secondly when walking along seine was asked by a lady did you drop this ring? No I reply, she says oh its gold are you sure? No I reply. She then said she was from bosnia looking for a job as a cleaner and her religion prevented her from having jewelry and thrust the ring on us. We were wary but also concerned as a coach had just unloaded and we were worried that if someone had jsut dropped it then they would be upset, so we about turned and went back towards the coach but no one there. Then the lady appeared again and told us that she was hungry and had no job and could we give her some money for food……………. That’s when my senses pricked up, I dug in my pocket and gave her my chang (about 3 or 4 euros), she then said it wasn’t enough and could i give her more. I told her I had no more money on me and she left.
So 4 days and 2 scams…………….. didn’t get scammed anywhewre else unless you count the ridiculous prices they charge for a brew!!!
July 14th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Whilst holidaying in Paris with my family, we would often be approached be the “do you speak English?” women. It began to get very frustrating as we were approached many times a day. Eventually, I began saying “yes, I speak perfect English” and walking off. The silly gypsy women were visibly annoyed often responding with angry soundy French that was no doubt abuse. That’ll show ‘em.