scams across the world, what yours?

infoman01

Paris around the louvre and along the seine just up from the eifel tower.
Some one comes towards you, then approx three feet away they bend down and pick up a gold ring claiming its "YOURS"

I am not sure if they will then attempt to go through your pockets or a second person who is close by go through your pockets

Happened twice in four days,has this scam happened to you or have you had any other scams you would to tell us all about

Ponster

Welcome to Boards.ie !



What happens next is that the guy presents it to you claiming that it's your lucky day, hands you the ring and shakes your hand.
Next he asks for a small reward/present of a couple of euros for having offered the ring to you rather than keeping it himself.

Silly though not really a con as such. Happened to me once so far in Paris and once in Galway.

The people up by Sacre Coeur will usaully put a friendship bracelet on your wrist before looking for a cash donation for it. Can be a bitch to actually get off so is best not making the eye contact in the first place.

Three card monte is spread through the city and is usually a good laugh to watch tourists getting conned


EDIT : For everyone's info, the usual operation involving the braclets involves targeting a couple, one guy offering the girl the friendship bracelet/ring/flower and the other guy charging the boyfriend for the gift which he feels he has to do as the girl loves it so much. Again not a scam but pushy sales tactics.

watna

My ex got scammed in Paris for letting one of those guys at the Sacre coueur put a friendship bracelet on him. He just held out his hand when they asked like a muppet. I was so annoyed at him for being so stupid. They kept trying to grab my hand too put I shoved them in my pockets and kept saying no. They badgered me the whole time it took him to get the bracelet on. I was fuming with him. Travelling with him was a nightmare, he had no street smarts at all. Luckily my current bf grew up in Johannesburg, you can't get anything past him!

Another annoying Paris scam was that rose sellers beside the Eiffel Tower kept badgering you to buy a rose and then when you wouldn't, put it down your top between your cleavage. They did this to me and I was not impressed. I just took it out and threw it as far as I could so they'd have to go get it and told them to piss off.

Ponster

Yeah, I agree that's it's most annoying when you refuse something only for them to force the rose upon you. I mean, do they really think you're going to change your mind when they stick the flower in your bra ?

P. Breathnach

Ponster wrote: »

I mean, do they really think you're going to change your mind when they stick the flower in your bra ?

These guys have a living to make, and have probably worked out all the effective strategies. I'd guess that enough people do change their minds, or they wouldn't do it.

Or maybe they just like messing about in women's cleavages.

paulanthony

I came across this scam in the Barcelona underground (and I'm sure it may go on elsewhere)

You're going down an escalator and the guy in front of you drops a single key onto the steps. As he "tries" to pick it up as you are getting towards the bottom everyone starts getting squashed together. You're getting pushed into him and the guy behind you is getting pushed into you. You're too busy thinking what an eejit the guy in front is to realise the guy behind you is going through your pockets.
It happened to my dad. He found the wallet in a nearby bin with everything in it except the cash (only about 20 euros thankfully) but still had to cancel credit cards etc and go through that hassle.

I try not to look like a tourist in places like bus and train stations in cities. No looking at maps etc.

Gordon

My Dad was in Nigeria iirc and a guy came up to him talking loudly and fast and occasionally trying to flick his feet in front of my fathers. He would quickly flit his feet around my fathers and try to kick him a little. This made my fathers attention concentrated on him and his feet while someone craftily picked his pocket. Simple misdirection, if you see something obvious due to a loud noise or a shiny thing: always check behind you and around you.