Are you embarking on your first or next trip to Paris? Although Paris is pretty safe, it is sadly a city with its fair share of scammers. In this blog post, “How to recognize Common Top Paris Travel Scams, I hilghlight 8 scams to protect you from devious con artists.
Read more: How to recognize Common top Paris travel ScamsTable of Contents
How to recognize Common Top Paris Scams
- Rose peddler’s Gambit: Someone will offer you a free rose. Accepting it might lead to an unexpecred demand for money.
- The friendship bracelet: Someone grabs your arm and wraps a bracelet around it or wrist and demands money to remove it.
- The clipboad: Women with a clipboard asking you to sign a petition or a survey for charity purposes. While they are distracting you, other accomplices are robbing you.
- Carrying your luggage: A child or children will ask you if you need help carrying your luggages up the stairs in the metro. If you accept, by the time you realize what is happening, they are already gone with your things
- Petty cabs at tourtistic spots near the Louvre Museum: They will ask you if you want a ride to go to the Eiffel Tower at a certain rate. Beware! Once you arrive at your destination, they will change the price and demand that you pay more money.
- Drop ring: Someone tells you that you have dropped a ring. Although you know that it is not yours, they insist to put it on you and if you let them do it, they demand for money in a treathening manner. Sadly, out of fear, you end up paying.
- Wifi: Be cautious with public wi-fi, especially when entering personal information.
- Illegal taxis at Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly airport: Men that are waiting for tourists to leave the bagage claim area to approach them.
Unveiling The Top Scams For Paris Travelers:Tourists horror story
Unveiling the top scams for Paris Travelers. On January 1, 2021 a couple visiting from Hong Kong was scammed into paying 230 euros from Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris’ 10th district when they should have only paid 53 euros for the ride. Due to this bad publicity, the taxi driver’s association (Les Nouveaux Taxis) has decided to take legal action against the driver accused of scamming the couple. Read the full story here.
How to protect yourself from fraudulent cab drivers in Paris
How to recognize common top Paris travel scams tips.
- Before getting into any taxi check to see if it has the right taxi sign as seen on photos above that says, ” Taxi Parisien”
- Double-check in advance the price of the ride and distance from the airport to your hotel with the hotel staff. This will ensure that a taxi driver does not drive you all around the city then charges you a fortune.
- ln case the taxi driver does not have a taxi meter make sure the driver and you agree on a set price.
- Get a map of Paris beforehand and take the time to research the area you will be staying in before your trip.
- If a taxi driver is aggressive demanding that you get in, do not argue. Just leave.
- Listen to your gut feeling. If it is telling you that something is not right, then it is not right. Do not insist.
Where to get help if you fall vicitm to a scam of fraudulent cab driver in Paris?
Despite all these tips if you you fall prey to scammers or a fraudulent cab driver contact the Police by dialing 17 and report the driver to the taxis association, Les Nouveaux taxis here.
Pro tips for a safe trip in Paris
- Secure your valuables: Use anti-theft backpacks and money belt to safeguard passports, cards and cash.
- Rely on reputable transportation: Paris’ metro system will take you easily around so rely on it as well as on reputable car sharing services and only officialm taxis with a visible identification sign.
- Blend in as much as you can.
For more tips, feel free to read these blog posts:
Conclusion
Be a smart traveler on how to recognize common top Paris scams. Do not let scam artists turn your Parisian trip into a nightmare. This blog post aims to arm you with the knowledge that you you need to travel safely. Use these tips to disscover and enjoy the enchanting beauty of Paris.
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