10 Biggest Tourist SCAMS in Paris (and How To AVOID Them)

Discover the 10 biggest tourist SCAMS in Paris so you don't get ripped off during your stay.

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⏱ Time codes (Top 9 Biggest Tourist SCAMS in Paris)
00:00 INTRO
00:34 Phone Theft on Terrasses
01:03 Found Gold Ring Scam
01:40 Fake Metro or Museum Tickets Scam
02:17 Pigalle Shows Expensive Champagne Scam
03:05 Free Bracelets Street Sellers Scam
03:41 Restaurant Scam
04:30 Fake Taxi Scam
05:29 Help Me I'm Lost Scam
06:12 Paris Pickpockets

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[Human-shapedbeing]

Then menu scam really hurt my feeling my first time in Paris lol. I went to a restaurant with some friends and they gave us an English menu without even asking. I then went the next day alone, feeling brave and wanting to practice my French, so I asked for the French menu and was super confused at how much the prices had gone down from what I ordered yesterday. 😅😢

[mitzyismad]

Very good advice. I was hit with 'The Gold Ring' scam on my first day and it was a warning from a Taxi Driver that made me ready. If I might just add, I was approached by a beautiful young girl, about 6 years old who was crying, she handed me a note in English, stating that her mother was in hospital and she needed help, as she handed me the note, there was a scuffle behind me and I found that three 'Roma' women had come up behind me and were grabbing at my camera case. A local business women, was pushing them away in a manner I would have never done. She then scolded me about allowing anyone to distract me in that way and walked off. She very likely saved me the loss of my camera.

[missmayflower]

You need to also mention groups of young people with clipboards collecting for “charity”. We politely declined in French, but they swarmed us and wouldn’t go away until we started yelling and got kind of nasty. Alarms went off in my head telling me we were going to be pickpocketed by them, so many all around us. Don’t hesitate to make a scene.

[ojjuiceman]

I knocked a pick pocket out in Amsterdam when I was 16. The dude looked shocked that someone actually stood up to him. He was bleeding everywhere and the cops got involved and arrested him. I couldn't say enough good things about the Amsterdam police world class.

[WWTormentor]

There is also a scam going on at the Disney Eruo in Paris.

While visiting Paris, we bought train tickets to go to Disney. When we arrived there (which was the last station) we (and almost every tourist) were approached by a group of young adults in security uniforms claiming to be “metro security” and stated that we had broke the law and bought a ticket for 1 zone but traveled to 2 zones and that we had a pay a fine of €75 per person. When we explained to them that we specifically bought the tickets from the train station and we should have to be penalized for their error, they told us that because it was a mistake that they would only charge us €150 instead of the €300. At this time I realized that I was a scam because if we had truly broken the law, they would not be giving us a discount, and no country expects you to pay right there and then but rather ticket you. So I told them if we have broken the law then call the police. At this time they got agitated and told us if the police come they will take us to jail. I insisted that they call the police. Shortly after that, another person came claiming to be a supervisor and told us he will let us through this time but next time to buy the proper ticket. Sadly we saw too many people that actually paid them. I guess it helped to live in NYC for 3 years and learn the subway tricks!

[scottfrye]

When me and my husband went to Paris, I wore a cross body bag. I always kept it in front of me and always kept my hands on the bag. I never it hung it on my chair in a restaurant. We kept everything in it we needed. Never kept our phones on the table either. I'm one of those very cautious peeps that locks their doors on the vehicle when getting gas.

[grantmillard]

Was in Paris in 2009. Was approached about both the gold ring and friendship bracelet scams and told them both to go away. Also had a woman try to distract me with a letter written in English she needed 'read' outside Notre Dame Cathedral but kept my back to some planters and told her to keep her distance. She too went away. Lastly, we were enjoying Dinner at a restaurant on the street and watched a 'crippled' beggar get up and walk away just before another 'cripple' sat down in her place and resumed begging. It's all very organized with schedules, territories and lots of teams. I haven't felt any desire to return.

[gemmayk]

In Paris right now, and I had the gold ring scam crossing the bridge over the Seine from the Louvre and someone try to stop me to sign a petition. Thanks to these videos, I spotted and easily avoided both. Having a fab time here 🎉

[garykorner]

Great advice. I had an attempted pickpocket on the train from CDG to Gare de Nord. Thanks to you I knew they were fishy and kept a tight grip on my luggage and had my wallet in my front pocket(I always do). The train stopped and one guy tried to grab my bag while the other tried to put his hand in my pocket. I yelled "hey, hey, hey" and they ran away. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

[ThrawnSr]

Another scam I saw was at Notre Dame. I was in the forecourt and a youth came up to me and said 'English?' I said 'yes', and they held up a sign saying that their brother had been detained at the border and they needed money to got him released. I refused. Later I saw a different youth walk up to a couple and say 'English?' They replied 'Nein". Then the youth said 'Deutsch?' They said 'Ja'. Then the youth proceeded to hold up a sign in German saying the exact same story, fishing for money.

[charlsedeii]

I wish I had seen this video sooner. I got scammed last year in the summer and these guys are really spilling the truth. Take their advice to heart.

[Bugsybugs]

I have been to Paris several times.Never been scammed, although came close.Got into a”taxi” at the airport and he took off with us then charged us some outrageous amount.I started to yell at him to take us back to the airport or I would get the police. He took us straight back.You have to be assertive and question when things don’t feel right and be highly attentive to what’s going on

[moussetache]

Parisian here. The "gold ring" technique is used all over the planet in bit touristic cities. I've oberved it in Venice recently, with variants in items but basically the same thing all the time.

[cavannaro]

Not sure if you’d call it a scam, but always check your restaurant bill for items you didn’t have, and also to see if they’ve already added service charges. Applies everywhere, I guess, not just on vacation.

[DaveTexas]

My first time in Paris, my friends and I went to a restaurant for lunch. It was in a touristy area and none of us spoke much French, but we were able to communicate well enough with the waiter, who spoke a bit of English. At the end of the meal we asked for the bill, and when we got it we saw that we had been charged for several items we didn’t order (or receive). All of a sudden our waiter spoke no English whatsoever, and he kept acting like he had no idea what we were saying when we tried to dispute the extra charges on the bill. I speak English, Spanish, and German fluently, so I told him in all three of those languages, plus some broken French, that we were NOT paying for items we didn’t order. He still played dumb. I made a big scene and even went to the front door so I could scream for the police. That finally got the idiot’s attention and our bill got "corrected." Lots of apologizing from the manager or owner, like he wasn’t in on the whole thing. That was in 1990 and I didn’t return to Paris for 25 years despite traveling to other parts of Europe several additional times. That one experience made me hate France and the French people for decades.

[gregoryschmidt]

I still enjoy travel, but I am finished with the big cities. Now I budget for a rental car, and head for the countryside. Authentic food, great scenery, much cheaper prices, and I don't have to spend my entire trip saying, "Eff off!" in Senegalese.

[davidhemann]

Lots of wisdom there! When I was in Paris you’d always have these guys come up to you with a Polaroid camera and they would take your picture and then make you feel guilty if you didn’t buy it. When I saw them coming I would raise my camera and take their picture first. I actually did this and the guy cracked up laughing because he knew that I had him figured out!

[Unknown-lfhq]

A few years ago me and my family were in Paris in a museum. A pickpocket was slowly creeping up on my dad to grab his wallet and make a run for it, but fortunately my dad was quick and caught the pickpocketer before they could steal anything

[P.Johanna]

I was in Paris on the first week of September. After all my research online, I decided to not look like a tourist and I can tell you, no one bothered me or the rest of my family.

[kenreilly]

We have been to Paris twice and it is a beautiful City. The first time we didn't encounter any problems but the last time was during December and someone tried to pull the gold ring scam on us and we just walked away and we almost got caught up in the braclet scam at the Eifle Tower.. So sad that so much goes on at a place like Paris.