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5) The Restaurant Scam – Be careful in the very touristy areas in Paris, especially if you can’t read or speak French. When you go to a restaurant, if you want to avoid being scammed then don’t ask for the English menu, use the French one. Some restaurants will put higher prices on their English menus than they do on the French one, relying on you being a stupid tourist and not really knowing how much food should cost in Paris. I last went to Paris about three years ago, and found that you can easily eat out for between 15 and 25 euros a head, obviously you can pay more in very upmarket places, but as a rule of thumb a steak and chips isn’t going to drain your holiday money.
4) Taxi Scam – This is the only scam I’ve come close to falling for. On my first every trip to Paris about 5 years ago, me and by Girlfriend arrived at the Gare du Nord station having travelled by Eurostar from London. As soon as we got outside the station, we were faced with about three taxis directly in front of us, parked next to the pavement immediately outside of the station. All with signs on their roofs that said libra, which french for free – as in available. A man approached us and asked us where we were going. I told him, he pulled out a sheet of paper and pointed at a price (it was about 80 euros, I believe). Being new to Paris, I had no idea if this was a normal price, but I did think it was expensive. I ushered my girlfriend towards it, and she looked a little unsure. I said it was fine and I gave the bloke my bag to put in the taxi. I would have gone through with it, having not ever heard of this scam, however as he was loading the bag, then the driver kept asking me where I wanted to go and how to get there. Odd for a taxi driver – they usually know how to get places as it’s their job, especially when it’s a famous chain hotel. I then peaked into the taxi and noticed absolutely no identification for the driver or any of the usual taxi radio equipment you would expect. Glancing over to the right-hand side of the station you could see all the train travellers in a queue for the real taxi rank. Our taxi was a scam. They charge you too much and they’re not licensed. The best case is they’ll rip you off, the worse case is they’ll drive you somewhere remote and steal all your money.
3) Gold Ring or Free Gift Scam – Walking along a river side to catch a tour boat, my girlfriend and I came across a scruffy looking woman. As we passed her, she exclaimed (in English), “Oh my God, excuse me, you have dropped your ring!”. We glance around and she’s picking a ring up from the dirt. We just carried on walking, but the way this scam works is that she “gives” you the ring, but it doesn’t have to a ring, it could just be a free gift or a fortune reading or something, but then she tells you how poor and hungry her children are and asks for a little bit of money. Of course, the ring she gives you is a piece of crap and whatever you offer her isn’t enough. She’ll keep going until she gets what she thinks is reasonable, especially since the ring is worth so much!
2) Tat Scam – Not so much a scam but it’s really annoying. Go anywhere touristy, like the Louvre and you’ll see lots of people holding great big racks of souvenir stuff, like mini Eiffel towers. Truth be told, this stuff is probably no worse than things you’d buy in the shops, but you could end up paying too much and finding it difficult to be left alone. Usually, a man will approach you and ask you in English if you want to buy a gift. If you say yes, you will find it very difficult to get away from them – they will keep trying to sell you crap even if you do by the gift, and might end up following you around. And if you’re unfamiliar with how much rubbish like this should cost, you’ll end up being ripped off too.
1) Metro Scam – While most of Paris is beautiful, historical and a delight to explore, there are some less appealing areas. My girlfriend and I took the metro to an outdoor fleamarket on a rougher side of town. The area was just more run down, which wouldn’t have been a problem if we’d found any bargains at the flea market. But to be honest, this trip was just spoilt by what happened in the metro. As we arrived, a Chinese girl moved her way towards and through the metro barriers, waving her iPad in the air. At that moment, one of many pick pocketers who stand at the side of the station waiting for silly tourists like that, runs towards her and snatches the iPad from her hand. Thankfully, she screamed and held on, making the pickpocket run away. The Metro guards watch on as if everything is normal. As in every city, don’t wave expensive items around. Keep them out of side, ideally zipped up.
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The worst is when the driver takes you on the longest trip possible
Dashiell Stevens Every Taxi driver around the world is a rip off, Engeland are the worst.Please these scams are in every big city. It has always been like that.
The ones in HK are honest and very cheap, comparable to an Uber. However, for a few drivers, their mannerisms can be greatly improved, though.
thanks for this info ,i,m going in 4 weeks time ! especially like the info on the fake cabs and the gold ring scam
Currently in Paris ??
CreeperGaming me too but my boyfriend speaks French so I’m good?
I’m surprised the restaurant menu thing happens…in the US it’s a known that tourist areas are always higher in price but to have to separate menu that targets tourist is a quick way to lose your license. I’m surprised cities let known restaurants get away with that. Maybe it does happens in the US but I’ve never heard of it. The other scams I can see happening in most places.
This is what mass immigration results in..
Adam Anderson They tear apart our city.
No. It is true.Gypsies are some of them who can be very aggressive.
There are just too many foreigners in Paris. You hardly meet any real French people there anymore.
nativetexanful lmao…..yes you do…..
mass “uncontrolled” immigration …is a deliberate policy to create chaos out of which the establishment will restore order, the kind of order you won’t like.
Take Uber around Paris.
Mark Rita yes, we’ve had great experiences with Uber in Paris.
Whats the price range?
Uber may be cheaper…but NOT safer…be highly suspect of foreign looking drivers.. You may find yourself in a bad situation..especially if you are female…groups of females are not any safer than one..
Uber drivers are at least documented and trackable. There’s also customer support. To say foreign looking drivers (e.g. not white I guess?) are suspect is prejudiced and short-sighted.
cap4life1 uber has the live location of the vechical at all times, also has a function for the passenger to turn on location and it will send family or friends your live location on your drive. Also has our (drivers) license card, insurance, social security, proof of ownership of car(vin #, plates) and back ground checks. Pretty much everything a taxi driver has and more. Also for people who are scared to get in a car with a stranger , isn’t a taxi driver a stranger as well? Haha
Those cheap street merchants are great, I bought 10 key rings for 2 euros (that’s 10 euros in a regular tourist store) and although I couldn’t speak French, he was very kind and told us to enjoy Paris.
Airflow Aviation , I bought the same from an african seller in Trocadero and ask him to take my pictures as I am traveling alone, he took several nice pictures of me and handed him an extra euro, he was sort of surprised and he handed me an extra set of five which I refused .
Honestly i felt no bad vibes w. The black fellas in paris, they seemed to be runnin a square little blanket shop. The rabs on other hand are the real turds in the ice cream.
I had a rogue taxi grab my stuff while in Bucaresti, Romania. Never let a stranger grab your stuff. They knew it was the overnight train so you are a bit out of it.
I had some try the gold ring scam near the Eifel tower back in November. I gave him the ring back and told him I couldnt help and walked away.
Thank you! Great video.
Real taxi drivers never leave their cars and go touting for business on foot.
They probably don’t want the chance of one of these ‘others’ stealing their car!
I feel bad I didn’t watch this video before I went to Paris, I was pick pocketed my first day and I believe it was the nice guy who helped me carry my huge bag in the past the gate. He made me get into a very crowded subway car and I believe that’s where they struck and took my wallet with 300€ and my id, luckily they didn’t take my passport or credit card/phone which was in my other pocket, really bummed me out cause I am a student and it affected my whole time plus I have social anxiety disorder and that nearly made me regress a lot. Happy to all those who helped me after though. Next time France only with friends .
Pick pocket is very common in Paris.
Go to the smaller towns in France they’re really beautiful with no tourists traps, and also gives off a peaceful small town aesthetic.
Asome Prod I agree but the only problem is they dont speak English 🙁
I agree, smaller towns in France are lovely. If you just speak a little bit of French, the locals are very kind.
My brother almost got mugged in Paris, well he technically was, but when the mugger found out he was English, he backed off. No idea why.
But considering how important tourism is to Paris, you’d think they’d crack down on this.
i find you always on random vids lol
No idea why they let all of these scams and petty crimes go on there. For one, it doesn’t help those living this way better themselves. They make good enough money from it and aren’t motivated to do something honest. Second, it breeds racism against the ethnic groups most commonly associated with the scams and petty crimes. Third, some of them are indebted to crime bosses and have to give their earnings to a middleman who sends the money back to a crime boss, usually in Romania or Bulgaria. So letting all of this continue also fuels that problem.
Maybe he is one of the Muslim migrant driver.Many of them are very aggressive.
I don’t know about you, but I just have teabags in my pockets. And a picture of the Queen.
I went to London and Paris! Paris has it’s dangers! At the tower two black street venders got back to back around my sister in-law! One was trying to distract her by selling something and the other one was sneaking behind her! I yelled at her to watch out and told her that the two men were trying to mug her! My brother and I both ran over to protect her we got back to back! These two black men were not afraid because thier was no police to be found in the tourist area! This is Paris for you! In the end the two black men walked away! All we got over charge at a pizza restaurant! It was four of us we had four small salad with cheese and one medium pizza pie! They charged us $120.00! Paris are fill with crooked people! Becareful with people that have big smiles from any country!!
The grin of a shark!
Wow!
Pariss tourist industry is dying no one wants to visit that cesspool
The city is beautiful and the hidden treasures it offers are unspeakably beautiful. Dont let the ? in the meadow ruin the ? for you. Bring a shovel instead.
You’re uninformed. Like another person said, it’s clear you haven’t been there nor have you read the news. Paris last year was the most visited city in the world, and topped at number 1.
someone we know was warned about this, by other people,before they went there this kind of thing happens all the time in Europe in tourist areas a thing happened to a friend in London , some phone trick, where someone tried to get close to try and snatch the purse from his wife, lucky the police was near by. in Paris the ring trick happened in a park by the Louver. before they went there and were told to get a bit loud whe stuff happens and send them on their way , i hear they don’t like the attension , and it worked for them. just don’t act the victim and get intimidated. one more experience. in Rome one of otheir travel companions had her purse pick pocketed in front of about 15 people in a plaza close to the spanish steps and didn’t find out till they were in the bus. was warned by the gov about Mexico but they never said anything about Europe and this is very common in the old world i hear they don’ even arrest them if the stolen merchandise is below 400 euros, they give them a ticket, don’t know if that is true but if it is they’ll continue.
A similar taxi thing happened to me. My gut/intuition told me not to go with a man claiming to be a “taximan” because I thought why would a taximan be in the Gare du Nord train station and not in his taxi driving around and then being asked to stop by potential passengers. Basically, similar practice to American taxis or taxi drivers in the rest of Europe. Anyway, I looked to the right and saw the official and more professional taxi rank so I told him we’re not going with him. Police were standing at the entrance of the taxi rank. Now I wish I had told them about this “taximan”. I always wondered if I was being paranoid over that. Now hearing about your experience, clearly my gut feeling was right!
The police don’t seem to care about foreigners being ripped-off…
73 dislikes from scammers.
You missed a couple, there are the guys at Sacre Coeur who want to braid you a bracelet for free, then guilt you into giving them money.
Also the ‘Romans’ who pretend they are mute and want you to sign a petition and then make a ‘donation’.