Scam City: Paris - Pick-up Artists, Pick-Pockets and Slight-of-hand Scams | Free Documentary

foreign cities famous for their culture and Beauty but there's something else waiting in the shadows the scammers the hustlers the thieves and they're all looking for tourists to con today against the wall Russian Roulette are you joking me I'm Connor Woodman and in scam City I set myself up as bait this is like being kidnapped victim to be fleeced I'll catch the scammers in the act and reveal the tricks of the trade because wise too dangerous and I'll expose them face to face we are filming you scamming me scam City I get scammed so you don't have to [Music] I'm in Paris city of love and romance and I'm trying to make friends with a gang of Street hustlers yeah I recognize it this way I recognize it I say right now same glasses different shirts it's not going according to plan [Music] Paris is full of inspiring Beauty [Music] action and elegance every year around 30 million people come here tourists there's bound to be a lot of scams and I've come here to find out whether they've taken it to an art form the first thing I need to pay for is a taxi ride into the center of town now I've been ripped off by taxis in cities all over the world but I'm expecting the creme de La Creme of Taxi scams in Paris foreign well it's something here by a direct route he's giving me the right change he's even given me a receipt which is all a bit disappointing I can't rely on the taxi drivers to rip me off here then this could be a bit harder than I thought [Music] my first Port of Call is one of the city's highest points the sacrika in Monmouth it's a magnet for tourists so the scammers can't be far away soon becomes clear that despite the police keeping a close eye on everything there's some kind of hustle going on but from where I'm standing I can't really see what it is time for a closer look what are you doing man what's this my boss are you speaking don't be scared finish Okay you're from where London Africa the first time you come here where are you from where in Africa yeah I'm not sure why but he's tying a bit of string around my wrist now you make you wish guy one two three okay so make a wish yeah secret don't tell your wife don't tell my wife look you wanted to give small people what's this yeah you give something okay so now he wants me to get out my wallet and give him some money but all he's done is tie a bit of string around my wrist you give something awesome he definitely gets the prize for the most basic scam I've ever come across I don't smile more I seem to upset my new friend this guy you want to be more like this guy look at this guy this guy's got a big smiling at me yeah I'll hand over some money but I still don't understand the meaning behind the bits of string what's this all about yeah yeah Bumble okay so that finally makes sense to me you put one of these on before you make bumbles yeah by selling Lucky Charms that they claim will help you in the bedroom these guys have found a way to capitalize on paris's reputation as a center of romance okay my friend you too man bye you have to wonder why anyone would really fall for this scam as Charming as it is my sights are set on something bigger foreign [Music] it's a short stroll to the shops of Monmouth part of Paris home to famous artists like Monet Picasso and Van Gogh but even when they worked here this place was all about the hustle today mon March is lined with dozens of galleries each one filled with hundreds of paintings that cater to the tourist demand for genuine but affordable French art there must be a lot of money being made here and my instincts tell me that where there are lots of tourists there are usually scans [Music] I nurse a coffee at the plastic tattoo and watch the action the square is packed with tourists all looking for a taste of the real Paris art scene giving them their fix a plenty of wannabe renoirs what are you doing your Picasso are you you've been missing for a while what are you drawing me oh why because it's very kind of you to say painting portraits Uninvited I'm not sure Picasso did that that's how you see me your interpretation of me so what do you do with this now you pay I pay I thought you were just painting me because you wanted to normalization that's a lot how long did that take you 10 minutes I didn't ask for this this is a this is a donation okay see you I give him 20 euros and take another look around I'm sure there's something more sophisticated going on around here but even as a moving Target you're not safe I'm sorry look where you come from from London London another artist tries to catch my portraits this time in silhouette with scissors and paper [Music] [Music] thank you foreign [Music] Picasso is amusing meeting two and the jokes already wearing thin [Music] but I am on a hat-trick so I take up another position overlooking the square and I don't have to wait long I'm feeling feeling pretty good A lot of people are taking an interest in your picture of me so yeah I'm looking forward to seeing this is horrible I can do you beautiful but I don't want to do it yeah at least he's not claiming to be Picasso let's see what he comes up with is this something I'm going to want to put on my wall oh it's not for a walk this is not for a wall this is more for for a bank because if somebody knows that you have my paintings in your wall your house will be robbed well I don't know about that but it's nice having my portrait painted and getting to know the artist a little bit which makes me wonder but do you think all of the art that's for sale here is all made here or you think some of it is imported and here yes in the galleries around you can find the Chinese but here everybody must work in the place for The Fakes they're in the galleries Maybe not in all galleries but in some but in some galleries you have Chinese paintings but did they ever say that it's French when actually it's Chinese you should ask the people in gallery I really don't know oh wow this is beautiful thank you All You Need Is Love pamper around thank you very much that's all for me he's a good man I like English [Music] [Music] that artist seemed like the genuine article almost like a throwback to the famous painters of the past but what he said about Chinese art in the market has me thinking is there a problem with fake paintings [Music] foreign to meet a local contact Natalie who's offered to take me to a street where there are scams wherever you look [Music] to the root of Stan Kirk where I'm confronted by a familiar sight this looks like a French version of the three-card Monty a game I've seen played in many different cities and in many different languages One Thing Remains the Same though it's a complete scan congratulations the dealer uses slice of hand which encouraged the victim to believe he can spot the winning bet play this game and you will lose your money the Dealer's teammates are planted in the crowd and appear to win which makes you think you can win too time to make our bet what is this 20 minutes no minimum 50 plus it's 4100 you think it's on the middle one this this one is this one okay open this this [Music] it looks like some of these dealers are making a lot of money very quickly and there's several three-card Monty games taking place on this street they've taken all my money but the deal is acting nervous all at once they start to disperse taking the evidence with them this is the biggest three-card Monty operation I've ever seen and it makes me wonder how organized it is and whether there's one person behind it all [Music] Paris is enchanting it's no surprise that the city of light inspired so many world famous artists [Music] but I want to scratch a little beneath the surface and see if the art World on the Monmouth is all that it seems [Music] the possibility that Chinese fakes are corrupting the Art Market in Monmouth has been bugging me I bought a painting from a gallery who claimed it was by a local French artist but after what I heard I'm not so sure I'm meeting a local artist madani and Baki founding president of the association Paris Monmouth he might be able to tell me whether I've been scammed so I bought this yesterday I'm I'm very happy with it I think it looks lovely it's uh it's from a French artist I believe from an art school in Ren and I'm just wondering what you think of it wow wow wow this is immediately I see the style China Style China Star yeah yeah so you don't think this was produced in France no never never know and what things can you see on this that make you 100 sure that this is in China we review the the colors in China they have the artists they take to Euro for this one right it's not art from but we can solve this no problem but they have to put mad in China that's all right okay but this doesn't say made in China no nowhere I mean what they do what they tell you in the shop he told me it was this guy edu yeah up and coming French artists who trained at the the ren School of Art this is the edit the name they buy this without signature and the other name but is is there actually an art school in Ren we have we call that everywhere in each town in France we have we call that of course but this is not the we know we know everybody now this style it's China style 100 this is produced in China thousand percent China right I need to go uh I need to go back to the gallery I think I hope he give you back your money and he says excuse me I am I am not a good man we'll see yeah I think I think yeah [Music] well it looks like I've been ripped off what I thought was a work of art by a genuine French artist May well come from a sweatshop in China I'm going back to the gallery not to get my money back but just to get the truth unfortunately I'm not sure I get to the truth the gallery insists it's a French painting and they refuse to appear on camera it's disappointing that the gallery owners won't cooperate thank you I suspect an awful lot of Chinese paintings are being sold here and that's a hot subject after all who wants to buy a genuine mon March or a painting that's made in China I decide to go back to the street with a three-card Monty players are working this time I want to find out who the boss is because whoever it is he must be making a lot of money [Music] foreign but this time this street is empty and I can't see the game being played anywhere maybe it's because the police are on patrol but then I spot the cardboard boxes which means the players must be nearby well I've been up and down that street looking for the three-card Monty guys I saw before and there's no sign of any games and I can't see any recognizable faces either gonna have to come back another time and want to find a game foreign has one thing in common with many other major cities around the world it's got a pickpocket problem [Music] so I'm on my way to the Louvre to meet an expert in the art of lifting other people's belongings on my way I put my wallet in an obvious place to see if I can catch any pickpockets on the Metro the pickpockets aren't biting today but at the Louvre it's been a different story [Music] the world's most famous art gallery has been a big Target for pickpockets out to steal from the hordes of tourists who come here every day it now looks like the authorities are doing their best to clamp down on the thieves pickpocket warning signs are everywhere [Music] another one I think I've ever been anywhere with as many pickpocket signs [Music] I've come here to meet a professional called Christoph he says he wants to give me a pickpocketing demonstration not as a crime but as an art form and what better location than paris's biggest art gallery so if you don't mind I'm going to run my secret cameras yeah follow along now watch what you do okay if I estimate something I will get it to you so if you take something you're going to pass it on to me yeah I give it to you okay and I'm going to give it back to the person catch me yeah sorry okay fine you can just so you know I have to find the person I have to give it back to them yeah okay well let's see you at work let's go foreign [Music] the crowd like a master painter contemplating a blank canvas [Music] yeah it's more about timing and situation you know [Music] fine art painting is often about different ways of seeing the world right now I'm starting to see things from a pickpocket's point of view I've had a tour guide saw us yeah I know it's why uh I say okay okay we'll go close to the information desk because people are waiting where to watch the formation so it's the best place to steal people [Music] blood s [Music] finally Kristoff has found a target with a red jacket yeah you're not worried that her friends are going to see so we need more people Kristoff asks a member of our camera crew to be his decoy you will come close to me with like our friend we talk about the museum okay so we move in I think the Mona Lisa as well and take up positions around the mark yeah okay and now it's up to Kristoff to apply the master stroke okay I'm looking for the Mona Lisa Kristoff steals the woman's purse and then I move closer so he can hand it off to me now I've got to return the purse to its owner I just hope she appreciates the art of pickpocketing as much as I do excuse me hi my name's Connor what's your name were you approached about two minutes ago by Two Gentlemen yeah yes yeah one of them is a pickpocket but can you just check in your uh in your bag I think you're looking for this I'm very very sorry he picked you out as somebody who was vulnerable and he's very good at what he does our victim took it well but she'd better be more guarded about her possessions in future [Music] with our mission completed Kristoff and I head outside for a chat away from the security cameras people getting is an art for me you know it's not only still people okay so where are you do it because you have to to have a skill see the Leonardo of uh French pickpockets yeah I think so and what's the most you ever made in one hit I am sure 200 Japanese guys and maybe about 2 000 Euros two thousand Euros yeah yeah just in cash Japanese and cash so do you think you're an artist yeah I think so because you have to to have a skill I think pickpocketing is like Camellia Del Arte you know and you are funny sometimes sometimes you are sad you have yeah you're an actor the best and when you have two people so as we we did yeah so you have nothing on you okay sorry yeah I have nothing you can check on me I have no nothing you know you're worried nothing so okay why is the lobby the best place there is no camera hey it's a little bit no no piece of art and so do you think most of the skill is in the the actual the lift or is it in picking the right person picking the right person yeah how did you pick that lady that you stole the purse from she has his phone on his hand on hand she put it in a hair bag and if her bag is still open it means she has waiting for a call so for me it's perfect you know it's amazing isn't it that all around that museum there are posters saying beware of pickpockets and yet she can stand there with her bag here open phone wallet everything just waiting to be started yeah the human nature you are you big you become lazy and pickpockets are waiting for what so it's the perfect crime it's not a crime it's an art [Music] I've seen a few pickpockets in my time but that guy is something else I love the way Boulder's brass he talks about what he does not as a crime but practicing his art in the most famous art gallery in the world thank you [Music] I'm back up at monmart to see if the three-card Monty scam is up and running from what I've seen so far this has all the Hallmarks of organized crime so what I need is a cunning plan to flush out the main players and maybe even the boss okay so a little trick up my sleeve going back to where the three card Monty guys were operating yesterday and one of the things that they do is they operate as a gang and the Dealer I've got pictures of from yesterday's footage for example that was one of the dealers there but what's crucial to break their cover I think is to expose the fact they're operating as a gang now the three or four people pretending to play around him are all operating undercover as well but if they're there again today then the obvious question is how come you're back betting at the same place again today and if they deny that they were there yesterday well I've got pictures of them which might encourage them to talk to me foreign [Music] Kirk and I'm in luck the three card Monty is in full swing [Music] now that I've got my photographs some of the faces around here are recognizable guy to the left of the dealer with the sunglasses was one of the players from yesterday must be part of the Gang I recognize it all right now yeah you were playing here yesterday I think you were playing here yesterday I think that's you from yesterday yeah let's see sunglasses different shirt we want to make why you make pictures with me I'm interested in what's going on here would you talk to me a little bit about it no problem I'm not from the police or anything like that it's not interesting my friend is not good for this for what you make no no because it's not good for me I'm not gonna make a problem because this is what I do I go around the world making a kind of TV show about the kind of things that happened to tourists his team is getting really nervous about me talking to him how the game works how you guys kind of had the first sign of trouble these guys disappear I don't know I don't can't even want to TV show or something like this you know because it's not good it's not something good whatever I know it's not something good what about if we compensate he's still suspicious but slowly he starts to talk to me explain to me maybe because I have his photograph but I see this game all over the world I've Seen It in America I see it in yeah yeah yeah I like the game I find the game clever I find the way that it works something stupid you know before he's played this game is stupid really whoever plays the game because they can't win yeah yeah you know yeah I mean I'm genuinely interested to hear more about the game it's dangerous you know because it is for how long three months three months yeah do you ever do the dealing are you always the actor yeah you're an actor something like this okay I was right he's a member of a team and his role is to fool members of the public into thinking they might win but the person I really want to speak to is his boss for example oh from east Europe Romania yes okay what's what's your name okay maybe another day can we yeah can I get a number can I can I call you oh yeah you have a French number Christian gives me a number hopefully I'll get to meet him and his boss tomorrow [Music] okay so yeah [Music] I was so not sure whether he was going to flip or not when I first started speaking to him he was adamant no way I was not here yesterday I don't know you I don't know anything about this game and then when I showed him the picture you see that little moment of doubt in his eyes come on come at me and then he started talking and well clear as day anyone who plays this game is an idiot they're just going to lose their money but what's brilliant is that I've gone in with that gang and if he does meet me tomorrow then I've got a question for him who's in control of the three-card Monty operation on that street [Music] there's another type of Hustler in Paris one who isn't after money but sex known as the city of love couples come to Paris and paddle up their Devotion to each other on the famous Pond desert so it's the perfect place for pickup artists to declare undying love when the only thing thereafter is a one-night stand do they Prey Upon women who are seduced by the city's romantic Aura Louise is a friend of the crew she's agreed to act as bait so we can observe a pickup artist in action Connor nice to meet you you step in like quietly over here I've got a plan okay so I've heard there's a whole bunch of uh pickup artists that operate over here by the fountain around this kind of time and I want to see kind of how they operate and a girl like you is absolutely perfect to be bait for me over there what I'd like to do is put a microphone on you okay maybe get you to carry a camera that's okay this is gonna be your secret camera yeah and we're just going to put that over the shoulder and I'm in the shop yeah cool perfect let's see what happens okay okay great [Music] now we sit and wait [Music] there are loads of guys walking by checking her out I mean this is Paris and this is a romantic place the man holding his jacket seems to be on the prowl oh no there's a guy I so thought he was going to talk to a couple of guys already that close to coming and talking to her [Music] there's another guy there checking her out now [Music] oh it's gone in I come from London and you just ask him for a vacation yeah I mean yeah he speaks English she's good he's established that she's from London she's playing it perfectly she hasn't said that she lives here you've just come along [Music] I was with some friends and you lost them yeah no he's lost his friends so very busy architecture I don't know oh he's got his phone out he's asked for a number you get to know me later you know because uh what do you have to do tomorrow tomorrow it's taking a number he's taking a number excellent what's your name my name is Louise she used a real name oh really late oh a couple of kisses they've exchanged numbers excellent okay brilliant oh she's done a great job friend yes I did so you've exchanged numbers I gave him my number okay and he said he was free tomorrow night and he wants to go for a drink yeah okay brilliant yeah it's what might be kind of funny yeah is if you arrange to meet him for a drink yeah but rather than you turn up we send someone else see what he has to say for himself [Music] with so many people looking for love Paris must be the ideal spot for a pickup artist tomorrow I'll try to persuade one to reveal the tricks of his trade [Music] [Music] the next day I get a call from Christian from the three card Monty gang he says his boss wants to negotiate giving an on-camera interview hey hi we decide to secretly film the meeting he's very nervous there's only one thing on his mind is [Music] [Music] but I'm not here to pay them I've come here to get information are you going to play today my scam is to keep him talking he's happy to chat and without him realizing it he reveals a few tricks of the trade um these guys clearly aren't stupid he realizes he's saying too much and he guesses that I've been filming all along okay well that's full okay even for half an hour not interested oh no no no no and with that he's off he's adamant that he won't tell me anything more about his scam but I've already heard quite a lot I'd like to know even more but I'm not going to hear it from him I've still got Christian's number but in the meantime I've got a hot date [Music] okay Louise has arranged to meet her French pickup artist and a little cafe down here what he doesn't realize is that she's not going to turn up I'm going to turn up in her place and then I'm gonna see what he has to say for himself foreign yes of course maybe you were expecting someone else tonight maybe uh right it's all beautiful blonde girl called Louise don't worry don't worry I'm not I'm not I'm not the boyfriend okay fine I got a confession to make yes okay I set you up a little bit I heard the place where you met Louise yesterday was uh where lovers meet in Paris um yes sometime yes it's a very beautiful place yeah indeed and uh and I and I also heard it's the kind of place that men sometimes go and pick up girls sometimes yes of course so when you were doing your magic yes I'm afraid I was I was watching oh yes yeah that's better is that a place that you go and uh you go and pick up girls often Paris is a really really beautiful city so everywhere is a good place to to meet uh girls do you think there's more beautiful women in Paris than anywhere else they are but most beautiful women in the world in Paris I guarantee you all my money back yeah yeah so you know I kind of got an idea maybe that you um you're a typical example of uh I had a French what we would call in English a pickup artist I like the word artist because everybody do it his own way you know there's not one way to to meet and seduce women how many women do you think you have seduced in your too many women but uh more than 100 maybe more and how would you what would you describe your style I like to be a direct the woman horizontal if you want uh she wants sex you just said to a woman are you attracted to me if she doesn't answer it's yes if she answer yes it's yes if she answer no maybe it's yes okay here's your question yeah let's go so what I'm doing here in town I'm making a TV show oh okay okay so what would be fun maybe if you if you were if you're a game is maybe we could film you doing you'll think okay okay you do that okay but it's because it's sure I think he's flirting with me now I'd better watch it we rig our man up with a hidden camera and then we watch him go to work it's not good usually you know better to meet a woman alone a woman we are looking for he's a beautiful woman who wants to meet a guy the way you say it sounds easy no it's just you want to visualize I don't know what's your type performance for example this woman is alone he spots a woman passing by and he makes his move foreign [Music] now he's playing the sympathy card let's see if it works dedicated [Music] foreign she's even buying the drinks [Music] and he's gone just like that it took him about 90 seconds to pick up a girl about another two minutes and he's gone for a drink there isn't a woman in Paris safe for that guy around not a single one foreign ly a member of our crew reveals our secret to the unwitting girl hello [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] later that evening I make a final call to Christian by contacting the three card Monty gang he agrees to meet me but in secret without his dealer thank you this could be my final chance to find out who is in charge of the three-card Monty operation [Music] hey man I see hi thanks for meeting me again one thing one big question for me when I walked up the street yes there were 8 9 10 games yeah are they all working individually or is it one organized again [Music] everybody worked for the foreign for his team everybody has one team if you make three thousand if you don't give for another no this is like a competition something like this yeah so it's not organized crime every man for himself and how much is uh is a good day now for a table you can make thousand two thousand maybe three thousand three thousand Euros in one day each table and what is it that he does how does he do it he hit here with the white right and there is the black blacks on the bottom whites in the top it's one of the oldest scams in the book and yet people still queue up to lose their money to it in this game you need the exactly 20 one Euro because you need that one and a newspaper for this yeah and this is 10 euro because you need one Euro for the newspaper yeah and this is 20 Euro for the distance yeah and then you can make a thousand Euros in a day yeah [Music] well I've got to say I'm pretty surprised that there's no one individual running all of those tables down that street but actually once you started to explain it to me I could kind of see why all you need are a couple of cardboard boxes three black discs and half a dozen friends who know how to play the game and you're in the three-card Monty business [Music] [Music] paris's Elegance is obvious for all to see [Music] produced by its charms but don't get too distracted by its artistry because it's scam artists could leave you with a very different impression [Music]

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 384,739

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), scam city, scams, paris scams, paris

Id: jJgrvuuEm8k

Length: 47min 58sec (2878 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 30 2023