Going to Paris? You Need to Know What Street Scams to Watch Out For

Going to Paris?

You Need to Kow What Street Scams to Watch Out For Films set in Paris often include two things -romance and petty street crime. Many filmmakers have chosen Paris to show the colorful lives that street criminals lead. Films such as Les Enfants du Paradis, Breathless, La Haine and French Kiss, among others, are famous for these portrayals. The city does have its share of petty criminals. If you're The petition scam The petition scam is plied at various tourist spots around Paris.

As you walk around looking at sights, you may be paper with something printed in French on it. The text in French details your promise to pay several hundred euros to an individual or organization. Once you put your signature down, you will have the petitioner and her colleagues bully you into paying up. If you don't pay, they threaten to drag you off to the police. You certainly shouldn't sign on anything that you don't understand - especially in a foreign country. If you do find that you've accidentally signed something, you should simply go off to the police and not pay up. The police would always take your side. For a preview of this kind of scam, you should check out videos documenting it on YouTube (a video called False Charity Deaf-Mutes in Paris is a decent example, for instance). The Montmartre friendship bracelet scam.

The Montmartre area, which is popular with tourists for the Basilica du SacràCoeur, is home to the infamous friendship bracelet or friendship ring scam. As you walk about the stepped Montmartre area, you might see a street artist approach you with a reel of string, asking you if woven right on your wrist. Since the area is full of street artists, you'd have no reason to believe that this person was a con. If you offer your wrist to this person, though, you'll soon find that she deftly ties your hands up really tightly. Right away, you will also be surrounded by tall, hefty, street thugs who completely cut you off. They will escort you to the nearest ATM and refuse to let you go until you give them plenty of money.

If you would like a video of this scam to make sure that you know what to avoid, videos on YouTube can due you in (a video called Friendship Bracelet Scam on the Stairs in Montmartre - Paris, France is one example). Incidentally, the friendship bracelet scam is popular in Rome, too. The jewelry scam is a silly trick that shouldn't really fool anyone. Unfortunately, it does fool many people. In this scam, a scam artist leaves what looks like a gold bracelet or ring on the street, in plain sight. When you pick it up to see what to do with it, you'll have the con artist rush forward and demand money for one reason or another.