Why I Would NEVER Return to ISTANBUL (Scams 2023)🇹🇷

#istanbul #turkey #turkiye

A city with an incredible history and amazing people but unfortunately a huge issue with scammers. This is ISTANBUL, Turkiye.

I travelled to Istanbul many times and every single time I faced some sort of scam. in this video I will show you the 5 most common (and potentially very dangerous) scams you might be facing if you travel to the capital of Turkiye as well as tip and tricks on how to avoid them.

1- The Nightclub Scam
2- The Ticket Machine Scam
3- The Restaurant Scam
4- The Taxi Scam
5- The Shoe Shine Scam

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[whereisgabri]

What a city! Full of history, incredible food, amazing people and….SCAMS. Loads of them. In this video I talk about the top 5 I faced while travelling there. What’s your experience in ISTANBUL?

[jnina]

I been many times in istanbul and I will go again and again .scammers everywhere in the world you need just to be smart my friend

[TheEnginator]

As a Turk, I sadly know lots of Turks who fell for these scams. The only reason I never got scammed is probably because I am a huge male who looks broke and grim and keeps ignoring anyone who talks to me on the street.

[Jan.]

A 'shoe-shinner' walking ahead of me in downtown Istanbul 'dropped' his shoe shinning brush. I just ignored and continued walking. The locals around me were looking keenly to my reaction. When looked back, the 'shoe-shinner' was there to pick his brush....
Also avoid the restaurants where the waiters standing outside their respective restaurents in touristic areas invite you for a cup of free tea.. Nothing's for free and you're the one who's gonna potentially pay huge amounts at the end..

[Adventurescot]

Wow very interesting. I was in Istanbul in 2022. I went into a shop to buy something and the guy owner got chatting. He then said "I would love to speak about your travels, why don't we go for a drink?".
Me like a clown followed him to a busy restaurant. He said it's his friends so we can go sit upstairs on balcony. We were the only ones up there. Next food starts to arrive. I told them "I don't want any food as I've eaten". This guy scoffed loads and more drinks and food kept coming. I told them to stop but they just kept bringing. This git then went off to toilet and never returned. The waiter then brings me a bill for €175!! I refused to pay it but within minutes I'm surrounded by four of them from the restaurant who are now threatening me. I had no option and had to pay or they would have robbed me.
I certainly won't be going back to Istanbul in a hurry!!

[Hispandinavian]

I have an overnight layover in Istanbul going to Finland from Panama. The last time, I had a couple Algerian guy approach me telling me they needed $200 to get a ticket. I was suspicious because it was on the airside of the terminal with ticketed passengers. I don´t mean any disrespect to Turkey, but I don´t like being in that country longer than I have to. I feel like people are trying to hustle me left and right, when I just landed. I just want to get through the night without any drama, or getting ripped of money or property.

[jjam]

I got caught with the taxi scam. He said 300TL and I gave him 3 x100TL notes, he immediately said I only gave him 30TL. This was an official yellow cab from the square. Always take a pic of the registration number, taxi number and driver's face. I wanted to go to the airport and he said he would buy me a coffee at his friend's restaurant, I said no but he took me there anyway. Without asking, the waiters piled my table with food. I didn't eat any as it was only 11am. They brought jumbo shrimp, lamb chops, fish everything. I was on my own and they insisted I paid. It was just criminal. They charged about $200, I was mad. I will never visit Turkey again.

[LindaMimoza]

Don’t use taxis in Istanbul! Public transport is excellent! Trams run across Galata Bridge! Hotels often work together with taxi companies, so don’t trust them and don’t ask them to order a taxi for you!

[Bolade]

Ankara is the capital of Turkey ... not Istanbul

[samerelsahih]

That's sad to hear ! My personal worse experience was actually in Rome.
1- My mother's purse got stolen while we were sitting down, the thief was incredibly sneaky because we didn't hear anything.
2- Some young girls tried to take money out of my father's pockets, I turned around just in time by mistake to catch them and they ran away.
3- But the most shocking thing was actually the police, called "carabinieri" I think, who when we rushed to tell them about the stolen purse, said "yes this happens all the time around here what do you want us to do ?". Not even some general guidance on what to do or any sense of wanting to help out whatsoever..

I had never experience such a thing before, although in general, Italy is beautiful :) We just need to be more careful and aware with the huge numbers of people traveling these days

[figaroqua]

Can sympathise with your experience. However, I was twice in Istanbul, just got back 3 days ago, and have to say I didn't experience any scam. Maybe as I'm reasonably savvy to these things, but also I never caught a taxi, (used IstanbulKart for travel) never got my shoes shined nor went to any nightclubs. Restaurants I ate in were more downmarket and prices clearly marked. I also picked up tips from YouTube vids. Live and learn!

[LindaMimoza]

The nightclub scam is famous, and happens in Italy too - several of my students from Russia fell for this in Rome

[kevinmartines]

The wife and I spent a few days in Istanbul in May 2023 and it was a great & fun experience from the mosques to the restaurants & night clubs we never had an issue.

[johnsinger]

I was also scamed by a taxi driver in Istanbul who charged me more than 100% with the excuse that he drove longer distance bc the shorter was full of traffic. I didn't know at that time there was UBER in Istanbul, which is the best way to avoid these horrible Istanbul taxi-drivers.

[marslanouk]

They scammers should be punished and arrested, the Turkish government should not allow this

[kimshin]

We got a taxi to the airport
The driver was going really really slow but so slow at least 300 cars overtook us some where angry and flashed there lights or beeped the horn
When we get close to the airport he says he got a notification on his phone that he got two Speeding tickets while driving us to the airport
When we got to the airport he asked us do you want to pay for or help with the speeding ticket fines

[MrHS]

🙂Nice video, we´re in Istanbul now, been here a few times and can only say yeah, especially the taxi scam, we had argument with a driver it was kinda funny as I told him to call the Taxi Police and he actually did, it was the real police but he had been driving us up the wrong way on one way streets and taken us up dead end streets, ended with the Taxi police actually supported us, all the time the driver had not turned of his meter and asked the police for us to pay, cops said no way, they pay the ride and get back to work. 😊 Let me just add, always be aware when travelling and remember "stranger danger" if it looks or sounds too good, often it´s a scam. Keep SMILING and keep travelling 😊😊😊 Thanks for Sharing 🙂

[zainjutt]

Once i took taxi and he tried to snatch my shoulder bag i had money in it. I got out of the taxi he called some turks and tried to get pressure on me that why i left the taxii and he demands 500 TL instead of 65 TL which was the actually bill showing on his taxi meter
Secondly the do not reset the taxi counting meter no matters if you say them twice or thrice they are scammers and even they can hurt you physically too.

[secaattinakyuz]

Taxi scam is everywhere, it happened to me once in Toronto in Canada and once in New York City. You have to be careful wherever you go. You are a little bit exaggerated same reason. I have been in Istanbul many times I haven’t met this kind of any scam.

[abukamara]

Recently i came to Istanbul,
And taxi driver scammed me!
Imagine from the new airport to Esenyurt Martyrs' Park about 45km driver which is less than 30mins drive, and the driver bravely and scammedly charge me 180usd 😮.
Complete scam 😠 and up to today date i felt that scammed.
Without yellow taxi never take black car for drive especially in the airport they are scammers