Trip Scam

DestinationsIrelandDublinScams

Dublin, Ireland

Common scams in Dublin

10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Dublin, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.

Last updated 2026-08-09

Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Dublin
Photo: Unhindered by Talent · CC BY SA 2.0 · source

Pictured: Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Dublin.

high1. Rental overbooking

Rental and short-let listings taking deposits for properties that do not exist, a persistent problem given the housing shortage. Never pay a deposit before viewing.

high2. Distraction theft

Pickpocketing and bag theft in the crowded bar district at weekends, and phone snatching from pavement tables.

medium3. Fake job / work offer

Advance-fee employment and visa offers aimed at arriving workers, charging for placements that do not exist.

medium4. Other

Unlicensed tour operators selling day trips that run to a materially different itinerary than described.

medium5. Fake tickets

Resold concert and event tickets that are already used or non-transferable, sold outside venues on the night.

medium6. Counterfeit goods

Counterfeit branded goods and 'Irish-made' knitwear that is imported, sold in tourist shops as genuine.

medium7. Other

Fake charity collectors with clipboards working the main pedestrian shopping streets.

medium8. Currency shortchange

Dynamic currency conversion at card terminals and independent cash machines at poor rates.

medium9. Menu / bill switching

Bars in the tourist district applying undisclosed service charges and adding rounds not ordered to running tabs.

medium10. Taxi meter fraud

Drivers taking extended routes from the airport and applying surcharges that do not apply. Meters are compulsory and rates are regulated.

Every entry above describes a pattern reported in an area of Dublin, not an accusation against a specific business. Sources are labelled on each entry.

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