How to Avoid the 10 Biggest Tourist Scams & Rip-Offs in Paris

paris is a dream destination for many of us the sites are amazing the food is scrumptious and there are a lot of scams that you need to be aware of so in this video we're going to tell you what they are where they are and specifically how to avoid them all together and what to do if it happened paris is a safe place so why are we talking about scams because they're here and they're happening and you need to know about it and the odds are in your favor that these things will never happen to you but paris is a big touristic city and like any big city where you have people who are distracted with cash and cameras and bags from shopping you're going to find people who want to take advantage of that opportunists go where they see opportunity now there's no reason to be afraid but we do want you to be aware we want you to know what's going on so you can recognize it avoid it keep off their radar or know what to do if someone engages so where the scams happen in paris or in all the major tourist attraction so the eiffel tower the arc de triomphe the champs-elysees le louvre museum all the places around and montmartre the sakurakura and place details and the metro now other places where we're usually more alert are like big train stations or places that are very crowded where people are standing shoulder to shoulder so places like gardellion gardiner those are the places where we're going to be more alert [Music] people have told me they felt really stupid when they got scammed but you have to know it's not about smart or dumb cameras are looking for a few things when they choose who they want to target and this is what they're looking for obviously they're looking for people who look like they have something worth taking like tourists with cash and cameras and things they want anything they can sell they're looking for people who are distracted or people that they could easily distract while their partner is working on the blind side and they're looking for people that they expect to be nice or helpful the kind of people who won't make a scene or call attention to what's going on they want people who are likely to be embarrassed and not speak up another thing that i hear when people are giving advice about this is don't look like a tourist well good luck with that because you are a tourist but the first thing i'll tell you about not looking like a tourist is don't wear a beret go ahead and buy one wear it while you're taking your pictures but put it away and don't wear them walking around parisians don't wear berets french people wear comfortable shoes simple wardrobe items that can interchange and they avoid flashy colors the bright stuff in the wardrobe usually comes in as accessories and for the most part they're very sensible practical and discreet people which brings me to the last characteristic i want to mention french people tell me that they often identify americans as the ones being loud so if you don't want to look like a tourist use a soft voice and those are some great ways to look like the kind of person that a scammer doesn't want now the types of scams and thefts that you're going to find in paris will vary from location to location here are the top scams you might find number one is the pickpockets and they are pretty much everywhere but more specifically in the metro in line one and in line four which are the two main metro lines that are crisscrossing paris and going through the main attractions now the next thing you're going to see are fake taxis and those are in the airport and in the train station the way they play that game is they're inside or just outside the door and they say ed you want a taxi and if you say yes next thing you know they're whisking you away to the car and they're taking you off the problem is they're not real taxi and they want cash only and they're going to ask you for two times or three times the amount that a regular taxi would charge you taxis are always and only an official taxi stand not a single official taxi will ever solicit you inside the train station or inside the airport just say no and go to an official line where you'll get a real taxi and there is a flat rate from the airport or from a train station to any big destination in paris so make sure to look for the taxi stand and if it doesn't have the taxi name on top of the car it's a fake one just walk away get your luggage and walk away now the next scam is people selling fake tickets and it's a big problem specifically at the louvre but also all the big attractions around paris and the good news is they just arrested 14 people at le louvre that were selling fake tickets look there's no other way to say it but don't ever ever ever buy a ticket from someone in the street only buy them at the official website or at the official booth at the attraction now another scam that we've heard from people is the tuk tuks that will have a tendency to change the price according to who they're dealing with like for example you know 15 sounds a lot like 50 so they'll say 15 15. and then you get in and once you get to your destination they're like oh no it's 50 that's what i said it's 50. or they'll say no it was 15 per person so you got in thinking it was 15 for the ride but it was 15 for person now it's three of you it's 45 euros it's a total different ball game so that's another type of scam that you're going to get here's the deal negotiate the price before make sure you know exactly how much it's going to be to your destination and if it gets confrontational or they pretend they don't speak english just walk away next you'll see a lot of fake survey takers specifically around walmart and around the eiffel tower it's just people walking about with a clipboard and asking you to sign and just give a couple of euros for a good cause now hear me out there is no official organization in france or in paris that will go at a main attraction and ask for money full stop if you give it to them you're making a donation to whoever that person is working for which is not a non-profit organization i can guarantee you that it's a scam just walk away with a firm no now the next camp that we've heard is restaurants in the touristic areas that are over charging for stuff like they overcharge for coffee or beverages or they'll upsell to the most expensive product that they have on their menu look it just happened to us last week we were with some friends from out of town we stopped at a cafe near pale royale and we ordered four glasses of champagne and the waiter asked small or big and our guest said four big ones and then next thing we knew we had a 92 euro tab for four large glasses of champagne that was a little stiff and i was disappointed that i got caught in that one but that's how easy it is to get caught up in a silly scout the next time you're in a restaurant and you order for something make sure to ask them which means how much so you get the price before you order it another one that we've heard is the little bracelets that they will do specifically around walmart they'll tile or bracelet around your wrist and then next thing you know you have to pay 5-10 euros they'll tell you it's free but then you have to pay for something for a good cause it's a scam they're trying to get you but once they have your wrist and they have this thing which is impossible to take out by the way unless you cut it but you don't have scissors with you so you feel obligated to pay it's usually not much it's five ten euros but you feel taken and again it's a scam and the last one is the three cup trick where they're moving the cup and you have to find out where the ball is and you gamble look it's a scam you're not going to win they're going to let you win a couple of times and they're going to take all your money you see that usually around the eiffel tower sometime around montmartre and i've seen it pretty much all over the world so it's the same scam that's working out there just walk away you're not going to win now here's what you need to know most cans in paris are non-violent all they want is your money they are very quick and it's a split second and they're gone before you know it and remember they don't want to be caught and they don't want to be seen they'll avoid conflict and they'll run away if it gets too much attention they really want your cash or your valuables that's it now know that most of these scammers work in teams they're never alone one will try to distract you while the other one is trying to take your stuff you also have groups of kids but mostly teenagers that are roaming the metro and are looking to take advantage of people they're extremely skillful at the arts of distraction so if you see that just be very careful and walk away here's a solid tip for you avoid trying to buy a metro ticket in a busy touristic metro station buy them in advance in a small station away from the big attractions you'll feel a lot less vulnerable that way trust me the same goes with taking cash out of an atm avoid the big touristic area for atm machines if you're confronted with any of the scams that i talk to you about make a lot of noise or just simply walk away [Music] now if you're confronted with a scam or a witness to one here's what you need to know and the things that you can do my grandma used to carry this whistle with her at all time when she was in paris and she told me that she used it only twice but both times she scared the crap out of the person that was looking for trouble it scared the person so bad that they ran away as fast as they could thieves and scammers don't want to be caught or be seen and they will avoid confrontation if they can if you find yourself in a situation make a scene scream blow a whistle this will alert any authority that is nearby and get everybody to look at you also known as eyewitnesses under no circumstances should you get physical with them because you may be charged with assault a thief can always deny that they were stealing he or she can say that they found it or that they were returning it they have to be caught with the hand in the cookie jar and if they're caught most of the time they'll just drop it on the floor and they say that wasn't me now the self-defense law in france are very strict you can't just beat up someone on the suspicion of theft even if you saw it you need to let the police do their job so here are a few numbers to remember with a mobile phone just dial one one two and ask for an english speaking operator for the police directly dial 17 and for medical emergency dial 15. now another thing that i would recommend is to start video recording on your phone what's going on i don't recommend putting your phone in people's face but have a record of what was said and what happened always best not to engage and escalate the situation it's always best to walk away escalation leads to violence and that's never a good thing now another thing i recommend is don't make eye contact with scammers but let them know you know they're there and remember that you cannot detain them and you should avoid physical contact at all cost let the police handle it well that does it for today remember paris is a safe city be aware be alert and take care and have some fun so until next time au revoir [Music] you

Channel: Les Frenchies

Views: 364,957

Keywords: top 9 scams paris, les frenchies, les frenchies travel, scams in paris, tourist scams in paris, paris metro pickpockets, gold ring scam paris, restaurant scam paris, taxi scam paris, biggest tourist scams in paris, paris scams, biggest scams in paris, paris travel tips, paris scam, biggest tourist scams, tourist scams bracelet, paris scams tourist, paris street scams, paris travel, paris travel guide, paris travel vlog, visit paris, Paris vlog

Id: 1rf_lDJBNV0

Length: 11min 20sec (680 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 18 2022