Destinations › France › Paris › Scams
Paris, France
9 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Paris, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Metro Line 1 near major tourist stops — coordinated pickpocketing during doors-closing crowd surges.
Sacré-Cœur steps — 'friendship bracelet' group ties a bracelet before aggressively demanding payment; distraction cover for pickpocketing.
A rigged ATM slot jams an inserted card; a "helpful" bystander who was watching nearby offers assistance and pockets the card once the tourist steps away to find help.
Petition pickpocketing: a clipboard is thrust in front of a tourist for a "signature," while an accomplice uses the distraction to lift a wallet or phone.
Dating-app matches directing tourists to a specific bar near nightlife areas that presents a heavily inflated, undisclosed bill for shared drinks.
Fake 'gold ring found on the ground' approach near Notre-Dame, followed by a pressured sale.
Unofficial sellers near the Eiffel Tower offering 'skip the line' tickets at a heavy markup with no visible accreditation.
Mobile "water" vendors sell sealed-looking bottles for "1 euro" that have reportedly been refilled from unclean sources.
Three-card monty / shell game groups gather in tourist areas, using shills to make the game look winnable when it's rigged.
