5 Worst Tourist Scams in Italy 🇮🇹

[@illus1ve]

I was adressed by a Deaf/Mute scam once in Malaga. I wrote "IT'S A SCAM" in capital letters on the paper. The man suddenly was neither deaf nor mute

[@HMSBreadnought]

I was in Prague a few years ago and got one of those scammers. My friend(metal vocalist for 4 years) pretended to go do something while the guy talked to me. He snuck up behind and gave his heaviest, most disgusting low growl into the guy's ear and he jumped like I've never seen before. Deafness went away instantly

[@FOXMAN09]

I actually fell for this once so I'll do this next time I find one of these.

[@FOXMAN09]

@@BlueRazor69 they arent deaf or mute, the point is to ruin at least one sheet of paper but even better if they don't take the time to read it

[@astrologystar6060]

You legit cured him 😄

[@timjarvis9078]

Had that happen a few times in Thailand be sitting at a bar or eating in a restaurant and get approached by an individual they place a business card in front of you asking for a donation as they’re deaf.

[@enricomonti156]

As an Italian I sometimes feel ashamed of how Italian cities are plagued by these scammers, particularly illegal sellers. In my hometown of Bologna there rose sellers enter so many times in restaurants and they are soo annoying

[@sik2185]

Salvini help us.

[@soloataraxia]

Hi. Do you recommend living in Florence, or in Italy in general?

[@enricomonti156]

@@soloataraxia yes. I mean, there are more localities that are worth living all over Italy

[@soloataraxia]

@@enricomonti156 I Imagine! Would you mind name a few?

[@enricomonti156]

@@soloataraxia there are smaller places like Ravenna, Rimini, Siena, Sanremo, and the list can go on

[@letecmig]

I once became a 'victim' of this wrist band scam ..... I stood my ground and walked away with the gift keeping to say 'thanks, thanks for this beautiful gift' .... the nice person who gave it to me shouted something in a language I did not understand. I assume he was saying something like 'I love you'

[@mortisCZ]

Undoubtedly, they wished you lots of love. :-D

[@gregoryschmidt1233]

yeah. Too bad you don't speak Senegalese.

[@dunno1128]

@@gregoryschmidt1233 true but it is called Wolof by the way …the language.

[@AlastairjCarruthers]

Haha, same 😂 For some reason mine ran away when I started walking toward a cop. I wonder why? 🤔

[@HansBotMaker]

Oh holy shit! I think I got scammed with the wrist band scam too! Two “monks” literally came on to me and wrapped this bracelet around my wrist. Unfortunately I didn’t stand my ground like you tho. On the bright side, I only had coins on me, so that’s what I gave and ran away when the “monk” started gesturing. It pisses me off now thinking about it. I could’ve bought atleast two candy bars with the coins I gave away. Damn it.

[@Loboboracho]

One scam I caught onto quickly was the "return half you change, then wait to see if you leave" scam. This happened a couple of times, so I know it wasn't a fluke. You go to pay for something, wait for your change and they at first give you half of it, then pause. Many people think they've gotten it all back and leave. Luckily, I can be a bit particular in making sure I get the correct change back, so I start counting it...then the scumbag owner says, "Oh, here's the rest."

[@MrsMathews]

That happened to my mom and I in Colombia. One of the ladies was talking to us too -- but my mom was paying close attention to her money and wasn't having it.

[@stefu60]

That happened to me in Germany with a scammer being a native German ( at a gas station) while I myself am Italian.

[@lion9469]

Hey, bro! Awesome comment, btw, do you know what time it is?

[@MattiasSvanberg1987]

​@@lion9469 Do you??!!

[@julianfriends330]

Report directly to the police.

[@YouRegolo]

I'm from Italy, I worked 10 years in tourism in Florence. Thanks for this. Italians know how bad it gets with these and many more tourist traps (most of them affect also the locals as well as italian tourists), but way too many people and institutions passively accept that there is nothing more they can do about them as the solutions are complex, costly and difficult to execute. We need people like you giving more visibility to the issues, sadly the only thing that moves us to action is international shaming.

[@guguigugu]

a few patroling policemen would easily stop it, without any action even, these people run as soon as they see police.

[@8500gtNvidia]

The only thing the police is doing, is to wait the end of the month to get their salary!!!! Pizza, calcio e Aperitivi!!! Ma dove cazzo devono andare i poliziotti?! Si mettono la divisa tanto per avere il posto fisso!

[@soloataraxia]

Do you recommend living in Florence, or in Italy in general?

[@YouRegolo]

@@soloataraxia in general I absolutely do, it's a great place to live. We do have issues as any other country and it can be conplex to live in certain areas but most definetly living in Italy is much better than many other places imo.

[@soloataraxia]

@@YouRegolo I imagine, that's right! Which places do you recommend 😁?

[@alessandron1360]

5:57 as an Italian, I am truly ashamed that nobody came to your help. Italians are afraid to intervene, because there is a high chance that police would turn against them, not the scammers. This is the reality we live in. Scammers and thieves are tolerated, but if you react, you are in trouble. I live in Serbia now and if something like that had happened in Belgrade, five big Serbian guys would have made sure it never happened again.

[@jirislavicek9954]

Serbians don't share "European values" (= leftism and extreme political correctness). 👍👍👍

[@aleale6277]

@@jirislavicek9954 tough people

[@leolle5659]

"As an Italian" what you said it's not true

[@alessandron1360]

@@leolle5659 explain

[@leolle5659]

@@alessandron1360 It's not true that Italian police would turn against someone defending himself. When did it happen? Do you have data to support your statement? Plus these kind of encounters do usually resolve without violence, why would police intervene?

[@edivaldosantos8321]

Wait, what? A video outside Czech Republic? Omg! So nice to see you 2 expanding the channel. I hope to see you guys around all europe.

[@kjdempsey]

They’ve also done Slovakia

[@PercivalC]

They have done a video in Helsinki too

[@marekpuskac5282]

I mean theay had like 5 or 6 videos from NYC but they had to delete them as any other old video

[@firewhite]

@@marekpuskac5282 why tho

[@marekpuskac5282]

@@firewhite i think it was because of that company (seznam) they worked for. Because Seznam is basically google of Czech Republic, so they also have their own youtube (called stream, its actually older than youtube) and i guess the company demanded from them to delete those videos because of the its claims on those older videos

[@strattonskier7229]

I have traveled extensively in Europe while living in Austria for close to 10 years. I learned early on, “Do not accept anything or sign anything from people canvassing on street corners, 100% scam.”

[@LiftandCoa]

Funny side note since you lived in Austria. Just speak in a stereotypical aggressive german (either per accent or just staight up talking german). Start with a "Entschuldigung, wie bitte?!?!" People will most likely stop trying it.

[@Yessssz]

I do the same in the states. I don’t trust anyone who approaches me and wants something and nobody should be grabbing my arm or touching me

[@Jut1233456]

It's the same deal in Rome but 1000 times worse. The 'wrist band' scammers are really agressive and you can't go more than a few min without someone trying to slap a wristband on you.

[@fb55255]

I'm from Rome every time someone has tried that on me I walked away with a new wrist band!

[@yarpenzigrin1893]

Pepper spray them. Problem solved.

[@Jut1233456]

@@fb55255 Rome used to be one of my favourite cities, but after the last visit...nope...it's been swarmed with scammers.

[@Cheeseburger121]

EU & political correctness caused this shit to grow bigger, if you break the law then you fuck off, it’s plain and simple.

[@fb55255]

@@Jut1233456 sorry to hear your bad experience. Although scammers are nothing new, they've been there since I can remember. Plus that's not just a Rome thing every major city I've been to in Europe have scammers it's a consequence of turism. Hope to welcome you back in Rome soon!

[@blablak9942]

I was a victim of the wristband scam too, when I was 16 years old and walking up the steps of Sacre Coeur in Paris. A black guy approached me and ask me what time was to put me a bracelet on my wrist and then demanded money from me. I said no but then 3 other guys approached me and one of them put a blade near to my back, so I gave them my entire wallet. The worst of all is that it happened in a fucking crowded touristy place and nobody gave a fuck. This makes me still mad nowadays.

[@kris533d]

Almost had the fucking same experience at the same place! 6 black guys sorrounded me and my GF and wouldn't let us go. I tried to keep her behind me while the guys grapped my arms and asked: "Are you scared white boy????". We got away but it still pisses me off to this day. 100s of people around who did nothing.

[@TSBye-qo1vc]

They tried that on me in the same spot around 15 years ago, but I just kept walking. Long running scam.

[@PrimawanDwiNugroho]

Same location, same scammers. Forced me and my 2 other friends to give them 20 euros each. So it is 60 in total. We were very upset because there were a lot of people but they didn't help, even 50 meters from the location there were police but they didn't do anything. At that time, it is our first time traveling to Europe, we are still very innocent.

[@beerdoan6397]

That's not a scam, that's a robbery.

[@jirislavicek9954]

Welcome to multicultural France! 🙈👎🤮

[@lorenzoferro5314]

As an Italian I can say these scams happen almost in every big city here, so if you are a tourist watch out for that.

[@DAKESIS17]

Thanks, we wouldnt have if you hadnt told us...duh.

[@stayawayfromthewoke3412]

But the scammers are not italian so it doesn’t give a bad impression

[@8500gtNvidia]

@@stayawayfromthewoke3412 ahahhahaha go to Naples brother 😂 they will scam your family too 😂 in Italy you cant say if there are more native of import scammers...Italians did invent the scam..remember 😂

[@TheMally11]

Not only in Italy ..

[@spaniardsrmoors6817]

@@d716agq Who's blaming the tourist dodo? Unless LAWS are changed WORLDWIDE they will continue scamming knowing they're a protected class of the leftist. The police know those arrests will be thrown out or the scammer disappears to another location without showing up in court.

[@hoelbraknofear4671]

Was there last year. Amount of scammers seemed unreal to me.. nearly got in a fight with a wristband dude, and helped a women get out of the step on a painting scam.

[@flammenwurst223]

Pretty out of date but a friend and myself went on a 1 month holiday through Italy, spending a week in Florence and the surrounding area. As South Africans, it was hilarious that we came thousands of miles to a foreign country, just to have the same Nigerian/Congolese guys trying to scam us there, that try it back home

[@Sercer25]

They're the same everywhere. Even here in USA. Cultures and not meant to be intertwined like this. They prey on the good nature of the Europeans.

[@gluarsabishvili1990]

The irony of this 2 guys. Ones ancestors probably from the Nederlands and the second probably from Britain. Complaining about migrants.

[@Sercer25]

@@gluarsabishvili1990 Do your own farts smell good? You're being replaced in your own country. Your kids are going to grow up strangers in their own lands. And you enjoy it. Cant wait for shit to kick off so we can waste people like you.

[@flammenwurst223]

@@gluarsabishvili1990 I didnt say I had an issue with migrants, it just just funny that the same guys we have hustling in South Africa, were hustling the same stuff/way 10000km away in Europe

[@AadhilRizwan]

@François Jean Jacques is it migrating or invading

[@gaia7240]

Guys I'm Italian and we are pissed too, they are everywhere and they really harass you, you just need to say NO in a firm voice, don't worry not being nice to them. Also people didn't help you because they didn't understand what you were saying and you were just talking, it happens so many times that someone argue with scammers that we got used to it

[@MesoScale]

Honestly I love Italian food, Italian weather, Italian people (there are a lot here in Germany, they are all great lovely people), Italian landscapes and so on, but the scammers are the reason 37 old me has never put a foot in your country so far.

[@SkillfulCurve]

@@MesoScale chill, If you use your brain and understand the language nothing it will happen to you. It's Just an excuse and If you go away from the center of the city youn can find a lot of rural areas with better food, prices and people. Its normal to find scammers in the centre of the cities or near the stations, it happens everywhere

[@hugolatra]

Its just like you say. Just yell NO. I am from Argentina, taking money from me its a pretty hard job. I suffer the wristle scam attempt in Brazil, Paris and Florence, the force sell of a rose to my wife in Venice, they are everywhere. Anyway, the worst thing happen to me in Italy was dealing with taxi drivers. What a bunch of thieves (at least all I had to deal with)

[@gaia7240]

@@hugolatra yeah we don't even use taxi, way too expensive

[@gaia7240]

@@MesoScale I can understand that, even many Italian restaurants scams tourists making them pay more, we hate that

[@andrewludwig9251]

Another thing to be aware of-- the subways of Italy are riddled with pick pocketers. Be especially aware if the escalator is out and you have luggage. Out of no where, "good Samaritans" will show up to lend you a helping hand getting up the stairs. Just realize that they want your wallet.

[@mesteme]

Never seen the escalator thing, but yes in Milan there are groups of 3-4 gypsy women who will swarm around tourists and elderly people to distract them while one steals from their purses.

[@WithmeVerissimusWhostoned]

I want to go to Italy,... I will cross Rubicon where Caesar crossed it and I will rip all the scammers along the way... AVE CAESAR! \o/

[@TheOnlyRaichuu]

I can confirm. 2016 in Rome main train station going into train with group of tourists. Some "nice helping men" came to help with carrying luggage because the train door would not be working, so you'd have to enter another wagon further away. Needless to say, some of the group got their wallets stolen there. My wallet wasn't stolen though because I stared into the gypsy eye like a psychopath and I already felt that they are pick pocketers. Same shit btw on Rome metro, some guy was trying to get into pockets of a friend on very crowded metro. I have spotted it and yelled at the guy so loudly that people started staring on what's happening and he didn't succeed. Also near Rome at the beach, parked our travel bus in the middle of day in big parking lot for the beach. When we came back 3 hours later, the bus was cracked open and all the luggage stolen like wtf. It was no shady area. It's sad how the local police didn't even care, saying it's just normal happens regularly. Unfortunate for the Italians but I'll never come back to Italy despite my huge admiration of ancient roman empire. I've never elsewhere met so many scammers and thiefs in my life.

[@theanonymouschicken169]

So JoJo Golden Wind is real :o

[@juandenz2008]

So true there are swarms of (especially Gypsy) scammers hanging around the subway and main train stations. Some of them were quite obvious just hanging around and watching passengers getting on and off.

[@philruu]

Big props for always throwing yourself between the scammer and the camera as protection

[@GhostSal]

Those guys aren’t “friendly”, that’s all an act and that could have gone very badly for them both.

[@oskarj3863]

As a person living in Florence, I'm so sad to see these scams affect the mood and joy of the tourists. Getting scammed on the street, Ponte Vecchio, or at the exchange office can destroy the mood for a whole trip. This video is great, hopefully, people visiting will know what is going on and not get caught by surprise anymore. The one positive about these scams is that they're rarely confrontational or turn violent. They want people to feel for them, and therefore they avoid being aggressive. The funnies thing to see is when the police come to Ponte Vecchio on bikes to disrupt the painting scams, they get away real fast.

[@PROVOCATEURSK]

We live in a weak society where the criminals don´t get punished properly so we deserve it.

[@oskarj3863]

@@PROVOCATEURSK true, I wish these organized groups would get penalized by the law. Unfortunately nothing seems to happen in that area…

[@tkautzor]

Nah, they are so many dumb tourists that accept to pay that these scams will go on forever

[@reginapolo3357]

My friends that tour Colombia, said that in some heavy tourist sites, they have dedicated Tourist Police to haul away these people. Italy should do the same.

[@oskarj3863]

@@reginapolo3357 I believe there is something similar in Florence, the police arriving on bikes are exclusively targeting the people selling printed posters on the ground, and other merchandise around the tourist spots. However I think the problem is much bigger than the "boots on the ground", dispursing them won't have much effect, they need to target the people organizing and making money off it.

[@warhead_beast7661]

Ah yes the good old wrist band scam... When I visited Rome with my parents, I got a wrist band and my parents just walked on like they didn't know me.... Well I got a free wrist band from that 😂

[@dragon.academy]

Ye, it happened to meet tho, he asked where I was from and I just froze for a second. Then he put the wristband on me and demanded 20 euros for 4 wristbands.

[@balalunga1]

Hope you didn‘t get any skin disease on your wrist 😅

[@dragon.academy]

@@balalunga1 What?

[@BohdanMelnychuk]

@@dragon.academy well they put those wristbands on dozens of different people, there is some risk associated with that from the health perspective.

[@ahmedaljorani8262]

@@BohdanMelnychuk there isn’t. You touch shit that people touch more than a thousand people touch every time u go out. Racist mfs I swear

[@taebarby496]

as an italian this is very sad to watch. unfortunately these traps are also used on locals and you can trust me when i say that EVERY italian has fallen for at least one of these scams, especially the wrist band one, so we’re all just used to them now

[@lightimagay00]

io ci sono cascata a quella dei finti muti/sordi era la prima volta in vita mia che mi succedeva è stato proprio brutto

[@giuliar2539]

@@lightimagay00 uguale, la tipa mi voleva far donare 20€ però almeno non sono stata così stupida da darne più di 5€. Userò questo mio sbaglio come lezione sul non essere troppo ingenua

[@strappystracci]

You talk about scammers in Italy and in Florence. You are truly an unfair person and it shows that you don't know Florence at all. 1 - The "swindlers" were all African immigrants (probably also clandestine) but none of them are Italian. 2 - This type of scam is widespread in all tourist cities of the world, including the United States. 3 - The bars in Florence especially in the center are very expensive and then you have to see what wine you ordered... In any case, if you have no money, avoid luxurious places. 4 - I believe that New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. do not guarantee the security that Italy offers. In the States you stayed at the time of the far west your police still do justice with guns in the streets, in schools... I also find that regarding the morality you boast about sexual orientation and racism you are a very hypocritical country, puritans and moralists... Bottom line, people like you better not post these nonsense videos.... Best regards from Tuscany.

[@Whatwhat1235]

and the police dont care

[@janedoe12]

Why doesn't your police do anything about it? In my country all these scammers would be thrown away

[@soleil8486]

Just yesterday my family and I were visiting the pantheon and there were so many guys carrying bracelets and throwing them at people. I was over by the fountain when 2 tourists were stopped by one of the bracelet scammers and I was roped in. He threw the bracelet at me and I jumped out of the way and told the guys to drop the bracelets and walk away. The bracelet scammer got more aggressive and started cussing me out and telling me to go back to my country (I was born in Italy) I walked away back to my family and the guy followed me and started cussing me out. My dad told him to buzz off but he didn’t until pantheon security walked by. The whole time I was in line for the pantheon they were circling us. A few hours later my family and I were riding some electric scooters through Rome and we ended up back in the pantheon we’re we saw the same guy, this time he was going home and he saw me. He pointed me out to his friends and started running after me. Of course he couldn’t out run the fully charged lime scooter I was on so since I have brain cells I drove away. Don’t take anything from anyone in Rome. Please. (Thank you for reading through my essay)

[@Korozzz]

It looks like a tourist must bring a pepper gas with him, to such places. Why don't you call police immediately ?? Why your family didnt take a photo of that guy ?

[@LindaMimoza]

Thank God I lived in Rome (Campo dei Fiori) in the 1980s. I was very happy there, and none of these scans existed - nor were there any Africans!

[@LindaMimoza]

Scams

[@whodatninja439]

@@Korozzz the police dont care.

[@Kate-qq3ez]

Do not hesitate to call the police. Of course these guys are not Italian at all, working for kind of gangs of illegal migrants. That’ s a shame…

[@Danne89]

The wristband scam happened to me and my wife in Italy too. We were in Milan and four african men came up to us and tied wristbands on our wrists saying it's a gift and that it's good for fertility (wtf!). Asking us where we're from, saying they love Zlatan when they hear we're from Sweden, then showing pictures of their "families". They got very agressive when we said we don't have any cash and said we stole from them... We couldn't take the wristbands off to give back as they were tied. It was a scary experience. We were out sightseeing in a ruin and we were all alone with these people. It's so sad that this is the first thing I think of when I think back to our vacation there. :(

[@irondasgr]

Oh dear God, hearing on the spot "We are from Sweden" feels instantly like hyenas on wounded antelopes

[@VikingFitness00]

how did the situation end? did they attack you ?

[@GhostSal]

The really sad thing if you speak out you are labeled a racist, this whole situation is absurd. People need to stop accepting this behavior and letting people get away with the narrative that it’s about race, because it isn’t about race. It’s about keeping bad people out and keeping everyone else safe. When people do this or any violent-crìmes kick them out and don’t let them back in. Speak out and stop standing for this. I watched a video on Vice saying how bad the racist Italian right is, the narrative is absurd, you can’t even defend yourself anymore without being called a racist. Personally I don’t care what people say, this isn’t about race, non violent decent people of all races are welcome. Guys like in this video and violent people are not, kick them out!

[@VikingFitness00]

@@GhostSal 100% agree. Bad and good people come in all colours and people calling others racist to protect these scum bag predators are just as bad.

[@glennwatson3313]

Damn, thats terrible.

[@Zodliness]

I can't get over the way the deaf guy could hear questions softly spoken through a mask and answer them. Must've been a bloody miracle! 🤣

[@JJ-Malone]

The wristband/bracelet thing is very common in Spain. I had to fight off a couple of african women who literally just randomly grabbed my 2 year old girls arm to put bracelet on and wouldn't let go of her arm. Made me so angry.

[@Catandthespoon]

Oh shit, that really crosses the line. If anyone did that to my young kids I would be fuming too. Would probably take a lot of restraint not to nock them out. But you know the moment you do that, six others will jump you from behind...

[@lion9469]

Oh shit, I feel so sorry for you man! Btw, do you know what the time is?

[@el_polloloco6247]

​@@lion9469doesn't your phone have a clock

[@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223]

Take note: not a single scammer in this video was actually Italian

[@appleturnover519]

Why don't they deport those Africans?

[@florenna]

Yes. Most were black people. That should tell you something...

[@biran44r]

who allows them to scam people? italians...

[@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223]

@@biran44r The woke European Comission allowes it...

[@lorenzodanieli9480]

@@biran44rif it was for the people things would be handled differently

[@Ygy2020]

As Italian, specifically from Florence, I can say: except from the "high price" (tourist traps) the other are all illegal. Many time police ignore them because they're unharmfull, sometimes the local police go on "patrol" and all the seller run and hide (without no one that really follow them) until police go away. It always amused me to see this patetic scene with scammer who run and police who just walk and look around then turn the corner and all the scammer coming out again. Some tips from a local: - Do not buy or sign anything on the street. Only real shop or market stall (here in Florence in example the ones in San Lorenzo) are legal and legitimate, anything else (donation, flying toys, art pictures, art audio guide etc) are pretty much scam. - Many, many, many restaurant and cafè in any italian city center are tourist traps. Not all, but many of them are traps. Best way to be sure to avoid traps is going further from city center (with the problem that is highly possible that there they do not speak english) or try to ask locals, if you can the best is ask to young people (from 20s to 30s) since they more likely speak english and usually hate and avoid like pest any tourist trap places. - Info points: if they are not from the city goverment, there is an high chance that they have "marketing" contract with cafè and restaurants. This also happen when you ask for information to your hotel staff, every hotel have "marketing" contract with restaurant and bars, so is pretty difficult that they give you valid information. - Look close any single price and fee on any menu, usually here in italy just because you sit on a table you get to pay the "coperto" fee, wich is usually 1 or 2€ but in city center can be even 4/5€. - In the city center restaurants ABSOLUTELY DO NOT choose any tipical or regional plate. They overcharge the price in absurd way for the tipical food. If you want regional and local food go outside the city center, the best place for regional food are in the suburbs or in the country side. - If you come from place with different currency do not change money, use your card instead, by law every single shop, bar or restaurant is forced to accept them. If you absolutely need to have cash for something (I know that many bar find excuses to not accept cards for a single espresso in example) use atm that are located in a bank or in post office (Poste Italiane). Avoid at all cost ATM and Cash Machine that are not from post offices or from banks, in the city center there is always plenty of both so you absolutely don't need to withdraw from ATM in some tourist shop and pay absurd fee on your money.

[@juandenz2008]

Good tips !

[@GhostSal]

How about speaking out in Italy and getting rid of scammers, more importantly vìolent people? Seems to me people are afraid to be called racists, when this has nothing to do with race, it’s only about keeping out bad people.

[@glennwatson3313]

I'm guessing you don't work for the chamber of commerce.

[@xxcrazyxxnonesisto6138]

Man i miss florence was born and raised there and when i was 11 we immigrated to another country. Still miss florence even now.

[@azazelcaos]

i vigili si prendono la loro percentuale

[@robthi6742]

Haha, Laughed so hard as you suddenly spoke some words in german. Love this channel, guys. Can not wait to visit prague again, but this time knowing your channel!

[@Redshaark]

It's called the Hans Landa move 😂

[@llejk]

And the scammer indeed answered with fluent German.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Difficult to say which one spoke fluent German.. 🤔

[@dodatroda]

Suddenly? The guy literally said he was from Germany.

[@MrMajsterixx]

@@dodatrodaThe guy is speaking about Honest Guide which is Czech

[@FIDEL_CASHFLOW_]

I've been to eight different countries and while I had a lot of great times, there was always this tension of always having to be on your guard because of the non-stop scams people were trying to perpetuate. It's incredibly aggravating and exhausting to never be able to fully relax because if you do, someone will be right there waiting to take your money.

[@Dr.y88]

True, it is very exhausting need to be on guard every second. Can’t even enjoy the beautiful city

[@SuperGamli]

Same. I don´t enjoy going to these countries anymore. I also don´t understand why the authorities don´t stop it? Some are harder then others, but for example selling things illegally in places you are not allowed to sell things, must be a easy scam to stop (like those picture dudes, stupid flying things etc.). Also, fake charities are banned in my country, those scumbags would be in jail.

[@dimitrism.1814]

Which countries are you referring to? Cause i find it very hard to get scammed ,at least in Europe. All you have to do is to use debit/credit cards and go to the touristic areas only for sightseeing. There are dozens of websites and guides for eating ,drinking and walking like locals do

[@Reinonordinn]

Not in Nordic countries. I've only seen beggars on the street (on bigger citys only) and they won't even approach you, all they do is stay on the ground trying to look miserable.

[@gaia7240]

@@SuperGamli it's because we are satured with it, there are so many that even of they arrest them they Will be free in a couple of days because jails are full

[@sousatta]

The real shame here is the italian police. They do nothing. Once i was there with a group, one of us got robbed at the metro (kids do it at plain sight) and when we found a police car, they literally roll their tongues talking with us just like they could not speak or understand us talking in english. That was truly ridiculous! When we found the nearby police station, the same cops were there, warning the others about our arrival, so the others didnt open the doors. When finally a car drove out their garage, we enter there. Instantly the cops rush from the station, saying "you cannot be here!". Keep it in mind, if you need some help, you wont get it. This is what i remember from Italy, bravo!

[@sousatta]

​@@Coconut2050llWell, you can decide the name of the movie but keep in mind that it is definitely in the horror genre.

[@LunnaJannah]

They usual don’t speak English. If the zio DIDNT run Italy im sure they would care more!! Carabinieri are the ones to look for in case you go again. Sorry u went through this

[@LunnaJannah]

There’s no chance the police are in on it.

[@Mustlovedogscatstoo]

From what I’ve read these scams or being a thief is not a crime.

[@andrewdalbert7078]

Italian police go to arrest good people that plant medical cannabis for their illness or health conditions , and don’t care about real criminals, dem a bloodclaats

[@squideww]

As an Italian I can attest to Florence being particularly bad in terms of tourist traps. It's one of the more "commercial" cities in Italy, filled with tourists the entire year. Definitely not an accurate picture of the entire country.

[@Jimages_uk]

Having travelled extensively throughout Italy, (and the whole of Europe) I agree, most of the smaller places are really nice, but it is common in just about every large city. I think Venice is the worst. Especially where it comes to price hikes for tourists, my time in Italy has always been working, so generally visit restaurants etc with the locals I am working with, and always pay local rates, but when on my own, they will always try to charge me tourist prices, but I stand my ground, and only pay the correct amount. I love Italy, but hate visiting any large city, just because of everyone wanting to run a scam.

[@PRODAt3]

Le chiamano tourist trap in inglese le città come Firenze. Io ci lavoro e devo dire che la città dove vivo che è a un'ora di macchina da Firenze è molto meglio.

[@waldirsegundo]

This happens in Every major City in The world, dont worry

[@squideww]

@@waldirsegundo No, Florence is especially bad believe me. There's a stark difference between even a city like Rome compared Florence. And Rome is already bad in its own right with overtly tourist-catered attractions. Florence however truly takes the cake.

[@darioidk2508]

@@PRODAt3 di dove sei?

[@BenSenneck92]

I spent two weeks travelling Italy with my sister a few years ago. We were scammed on the first day, very aggressively too (the wristband scam but they surrounded us and demanded money). I noted that the police stood by and watched. We also noticed that food prices were significantly higher than we had budgeted for, I guess “tourist prices”. We paid for breakfast included in all of the hotels we stayed at(a significant extra cost)- a slice of cake and an espresso was a little less than we’d hoped for. Overall I was glad we saw the sights but didn’t feel safe or valued as a tourist, thus am in no hurry to return.

[@kevindennehy7105]

Go up to the Dolomites. Beautiful scenery, interesting history, no scammers and no rip offs.

[@dimmacommunication]

@@kevindennehy7105 Dolomites are luxury places , but hey unfortunately here in Italy people always want to rip off tourists ... it's a shame.

[@gregoryschmidt1233]

There are plenty of beautiful places in the world you can travel to that are not overrun with scammers. Vote with your feet and your wallet. If tourists started staying away, maybe governments would actually do something about it. i've seen all the capitals once. Now I get a rental car and head for the countryside. Much calmer, cheaper, and free of Senegalese/Sudanese scammers.

[@dimmacommunication]

@@gregoryschmidt1233 You are almost right , governament doesn't give a damn about tourism , they are doing nothing. Deep state is what matters , they don't care.

[@GhostSal]

Sorry to hear what happen to you and Zero people came to help here because if it escalated into a fight, even for defense, the fight would described as “racist Italians attack blk immigrants”. I’ve actually seen this happen over and over, the sjw-crowd makes it so that defending yourself or others is now racist. The video would get out and be edited to make it look like the Italians were in the wrong. Personally, I wouldn’t just stand there and do nothing but I am the exception. Also, people really need to speak out and not let anyone silence you. This has zero to do with race, this is about keeping out bad people of any race that are a danger to everyone else.

[@pigfarm808]

Congratulations for 1 million subscribers! Keep up the good work, love from Australia 🇦🇺 🇨🇿

[@BobSaysWhat22]

I am Japanese and when I was traveling France and Italy, don’t know how many times I was called and yelled “Hey China!” from these scammers. Luckily I can speak English so I responded them just to make sure they understand not all Japanese is quiet.

[@leox8038]

Thanks for exposing those scammers, they are a plague to our society, love from Italy!

[@kingerbread]

I called out the bracelet scam in Rome when it was happening to a woman. I told her to throw it on the ground and just leave. She listened and walked away. The scammer turned on me and started yelling profanities and wouldn’t stop following me. I had to buy some food at a nearby shop, and the owner kicked the harasser out.

[@TheP4U111]

This is awful! Sorry to his happened to you

[@roningarcia5771]

My friend has the habit of pretending to be a tourist on purpose and saying goodbye you said it's free it's mine now. 😅

[@Tee55118]

Yes, I've had to run into a hotel or shop for protection from street criminals, too. Only in Europe. Nowhere else.

[@nuudelz3711]

It’s crazy how fast they turn from pleasant to complete scum

[@MrSouthernlord]

Where are the police?

[@ErroTheCube]

We fell for that bracelet scam when in Paris with my family. Again it was a group of africans that tried to be really friendly and told us about how friendly their people are and how rough the migration was. Then when we refused to pay they became agressive and gathered a circle around us and again, 0 people helping out.

[@LosBocadillosDelRio]

Ah les anglais encore

[@davidcarroll9917]

We encountered this in Morocco 25 years ago when a kid pushed a bracelet into my daughter's hand and tried to take her baseball cap as payment when we didn't give him money. A large German woman in our tour group whacked the little punk good and he left us alone! Now, that's international diplomacy!

[@f0ns0r]

Happened the same to me in Montmartre. Sorrounded and at some point grabbed by the jacket. I had to scream to allert people there and let me free.

[@Account-br9kc]

@@davidcarroll9917 hahhahaha I love this!

[@Noctaru]

Aha not even surprised... this is Paris for ya , always the same type of people too ... like in this video... what a coincidence... :) People wouldn't help ya , unless they want to spend the day beaten up by 5 guys. Sadly nothing we can do

[@kuroohazamak]

I truly hate people who fake diseases and conditions to scam others. This is the exact reason why i dont donate or help out anyone in general. Nobody can be trusted anymore nowadays, i hate how society has become. Thank you so much for calling these concerns out and showing us them on video, you earned a sub.

[@felipetorres1050]

I have been scammed with the "wristband scam" in Paris. About 8 Africans surrounded my wife and me at Sacre Coeur, demanding money. After they steal the money from me, I talked to the police who were 10 meters away, and they said there was nothing they could do. It´s so sad that local police in Tourist cities just don´t care if the tourist is being robbed.

[@peachpink123]

Was it possible to scream for help? Scream loud

[@felipetorres1050]

@@peachpink123 Just like the video shows, nobody cares. It was raining at the time, but even though we saw four couples and a small Chinese group passing by, no one cared. There was also this other time, in Parma, when my family and I were surrounded by a group of Africans. No one said a word, even though we had a 9-month-old baby along. I can't blame anyone, it is scary...

[@claudiiusmaximus652]

Europeans are suicidal to tolerate those parasite in to their lands, should have sunk their boats in the Mediterranean sea

[@genericwatcher2439]

When I was in Rome early in the morning, I literally saw someone arrive well dressed, with a backpack, they pulled out there cardboard, put some junky clothes on overtop and then rubbed coal on their face before starting to beg that they were a homeless poor person... It is so hard that we are supposed to give to the needy and yet there are fully capable people who could work, but are taking begging money away from the truly disabled.

[@AceOfStars0]

Yeah fake homeless people also exist in America. It can be pretty obvious to distinguish them though, since the fakers show up looking healthy with a t-shirt and jeans, while the real ones look like they're about to die, with a backpack.

[@Explorer2277]

@@alessandroferrari5755 : well well well, in Italy governmental help does exist and is powerful. There’s a large multitude of scammers named M5stars. Government loads a special bank card for each one of them. Every month. In scammers’ Italy, this is called “citizenship revenue”. A scamming worldwide record.

[@Threemore650]

No one needs to beg in Europe.

[@mattia8327]

There are systems in place to help people in need. DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO BEGGARS WHEN YOUR ARE A TOURIST.

[@chronic2023]

Truly disabled? The truly disabled are generally well taken care of in the EU. People who are truly disabled on the streets have been brought into richer countries (particularly from Romania) as part of an organized effort to scam tourists and locals alike. You'll see their handler not so far away smoking a cigarette and keeping an eye on them. They have their designated areas and I have seen the same beggars in the same place for decades where I live. They rotate regularly because they go back to their homes but you get to know who they are.

[@TheCombativeChannel]

As a Roman, I’m happy that you came in Italy to warn tourists about these scams. Wristband trick is the most popular scam. Harald Baldr’s video is hilarious and sad at the same time. Hope to see new abroad videos

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

If everyone stopped visiting Italy for a couple years- I guarantee the government would miraculously start caring about the tourist scams/abuse.

[@veksone77]

Lmaoooo, you think this only happens in Italy? This happens in every city.

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

@@veksone77 lmaoooo nobody said this “only happens in Italy”. Keep up with the rest of the class, please. 👍

[@vickikay54]

👍👍 It would only require one season, not years.

[@GhostSal]

They already care about tourists but they can’t really do much about it because this is happening because of who was let in… and if they try to do anything substantial to stop it, they will be labeled “racíst”. This is all orchestrated from the EU/US leadership.

[@Mustlovedogscatstoo]

It’s not a crime to be a scammer or a thief in most if not all of Europe. Those incidents have been decriminalized. Therefore law enforcement will not respond. It’s the same crap in LA, NYC, Chicago, New Orleans to name a few in the USA. Liberal policies have ruined Europe and for the last few years America!

[@WorldWideWebObserver]

Wow! Seeing the Italian police blatantly ignoring the ripping off of tourists has changed our minds about wanting to visit Italy and spend money there. Thanks for this valuable information.

[@fmls8266]

Police can't do anything, they literally gave up trying. You cannot arrest those scammers, you cannot sue them, most of them are illegals with not even documents. Good luck kicking them out of the Country either.

[@thomasmaresh5264]

Exactly why I've been avoiding Europe for many years and going to private beaches in Dubai.

[@olmomedina1339]

They have orders to do so, in order to avoid making a scene. The local governments don't want videos of the police restraining and arresting these vendors in social media, because they are always taken out of context for easy clicks. It ends up hurting the local PD and the city's image more than it helps them in the long run.

[@user-nt5et9jb4h]

I've lived all across, In Italy the police are passive but effective at the same time, where as the ones in most places of the world are agressive and entitled, "hunting" you to fill quotas and pockets. The only other place where i've seen such passive cops, believe it or not, wass in Shanghai back in 2008 - that is not how things are anymore tho, not with hongkong, taiwan, XinJiang, lockdowns..

[@tangomango8474]

@@thomasmaresh5264 Hope you're joking

[@GG99999]

I had that wristband scam in Rome and it was exactly the same scenario. African guy asks a quick question, then gives a couple of wristbands, asking where you are from and "oh that's great and says whatever he knows about that country", shows his kids, asks for money. If you reject or don't give him enough money, he just takes them back.

[@leelegad2641]

Happened to me today at the Colosseum. Guy asked me where i was from i told him where and said some shit about gift so i said ok snd walked off

[@GG99999]

@@leelegad2641 it's sad that you can't even walk in a big city without being stopped by scammers. Most of the times they try really hard, they don't leave people just easily. I wonder what all the police do. In front of Eiffel is also full of scams.

[@mpwheatley]

I was outside the Pantheon and got the whole 'I like your shoes routine' even though I was wearing flip-flops. After him badgering me and my elderly mother for a few minutes I gave him five euros just to go away, even though he wanted ten. Snatched the money and walked off, no thank you or anything.

[@vibekered7784]

Genova is the worst!

[@arttay1090]

I dont ever respond to anyone asking me anything on the streets in Rome. But the best was when I didnt answer an African guy he asked if I didnt like black people.

[@fatcontroller12]

I remember when I visited Italy, I was constantly targeted by the wristbands scammers. Several of the people in our group found out the hard way on that. It went as far as them following me for an small time around a fountain behind me. This was in Milan.

[@alessandropelucchini3654]

As an italian i can say to you that this is a good way to get free wristbands

[@IslandHopperTV]

Rome does have scammers around and pick pockets but still don’t let that stop you from visiting! Thank you for the heads up!

[@christiannnnnnnnnn]

What bothers me even more is that the police is always present but they just don't care

[@alexlanyi2329]

I guess cause there are thousands of these scammers all around. There is not much You can do

[@d716agq]

@@alexlanyi2329 the police in other countries just give a damn. Police here have a job for life and there's little incentive for them as individual police officers to bother. The system promotes those who are politically connected not those who try to do a decent job. This particularly discourages those who do want to do a good job.

[@gerardofede6922]

@Max შემიწყალე unfortunately they would be free before the day ends! Law overprotect shitty people here

[@mesteme]

Cops can't keep arresting people that don't get indicted. Unless a violent crime is reported you'll hardly see any action. Larger cities currently are run by leftist admins that don't care if we are flooded by low level criminals harming tourists and regular tax-payers.

[@d716agq]

@@mesteme sure it's not just the police that is at fault. The justice system is glacial. I've heard of cases where people went to prison 10+years after they comitted the crime. As for electing the wrong politicians, start electing politicians who do care, who are honest, who don't promote their friends, who fire public officials who are bad performers. I don't know quite how dishonest a candidate needs to be in Italy for them not to be elected. Other counties have a far better situation with regards to scammers.

[@yummm8775]

Italy needs to do undercover sting operations and deport all the scammers.

[@GhostSal]

Agreed and anyone caught committing a víolent críme.

[@Sophie-5]

Laws need to change. Because now you may catch but if law says you cannot hold them, then what??

[@gaia7240]

Yeah good luck 😂😅 I'm Italian, it won't happen because immigrants laws

[@davide7708]

If you try you'd have thousands of people calling for "Racism!!"

[@SkillfulCurve]

the police dosent care they act only if you call them

[@td0003]

As an Italian (I'm from Como) i can confirm it happens in all the big cities. The best thing you can do is say you have no physical money with you, and that you only use your credit card, and most of them will just walk away.

[@lee6198]

Ohhh. I'll be in Como this summer. Can't wait. 3 days there to relax after almost 2 weeks of touring big and smaller cities in Northern Italy.

[@Kepps-ff3rg]

No best thing is to just ignore them. Literally do not aknowledge them or say a strong: NO

[@dodatroda]

@@Kepps-ff3rg Exactly. Do NOT talk to them.

[@dodatroda]

Terrible advice.

[@user-mu6td2kc5v]

Thank you for the advice, it's a shame that this problem is not taken as seriously as it should. I went to Turin with my family on vacation and we stopped in a square to have lunch. Suddenly we noticed a apparently-poor man who started searching in trash bins . My father felt bad for him and gave him 10 euros to go eat something. We later found out that the guy was used to search bins right in front of tourists, pretending to look for food, just to use all the money on beer. That's because of people like him that I, and probably lots of people, struggle to trust the ones in need

[@lahire1295]

I heard stories of people being physically attacked by scammer during the day and in plain sight, and this video just confirms it is possible.... Those passerby are truly spineless... A whole freaking crowd of it.

[@TheWeepingDalek]

where are the police?

[@toniomiklo2406]

The judiciary in Italy is left-wing. You risk getting in trouble if you defend yourself or defend others from illegal immigrants.

[@damn_jaz9895]

​@@TheWeepingDalek as a local inhabitant, i would say that they are probably busy to stop some teens smoking joints.... those are their priorities

[@toniomiklo2406]

@@witebatman Links? Only from Italian newspapers possibly. That the judiciary is left wing is known by everybody in Italy, unless they have been living under a rock. Why do you think these scammers are let go around and scam people or threat them with violence? They know the system is on their side. Same in America and other countries. Believe your eyes.

[@gaia7240]

@@damn_jaz9895 Police cant literally arrest them because of european laws on immigrants

[@CaesarWongSzeYui]

My scam experience in Italy (Roma): Sat down in a restaurant, server came introduce the dishes, picked different dish, server asked if I want to change the sauce without telling me the price, changed it, bill came, sauce cost 25 euro.

[@VikingFitness00]

disgusting how they treat tourist in some places wow

[@jofx4051]

Bruh

[@peachpink123]

I wonder if these restaurants are opened by locals there or some foreign scammers

[@Pcpr-5y]

@@peachpink123 Locals, because they know the rules and know you won't go back

[@Hamster-py2lf]

At that point I would've just said "fuck this" and run away from that restaurant, lol.

[@zeph_os]

I had the exact wristband scam happen to me when I visited the Bahamas. Some woman just fronted the wristband for me and asked for a donation, I very tediously unknotted the band before she could tighten it and gave it back to her to avoid that kind of pressure. I don't travel internationally a lot but I'm glad my intuition was correct

[@ilya1421]

You should have taken it and say her "thank you, you gave it yourself to me"

[@zeph_os]

@@ilya1421 You make a good point

[@Itoshimi]

I’ve been to the Bahamas over 30 times and have never seen a bracelet scam. In fact, I’ve ever seen the bracelet scam outside of Europe. Why do you people lie so much?

[@flavianofloris4459]

Me in Florence this January with my Canadian wife... A guy gift her a bracelets I said inmidiatly I'm not going to pay for it! my wife was surprised with the gift, I said I'm not paying for it no one pay for a gift. The "vendor" get angry so he trow to me one bracelet I give it back to him telling him to find a real job. I'm italian we have to deal with this Africans, est, middle est or Arabic scammers every day. Be careful when you're in Italy

[@VolkovVelikan]

Yeah they’re scum. One of them tried the same with my dad.

[@ehmzed]

I live there and I've definitely seen more people willingly buying the prints than accidentally stepping on them and buying them for guilt 😭 To the point that I always ask myself who in the world would want a printed JPEG file that's been laying on the super dirty ground. The fact that it's actually supposed to be a scam kind of reassures me though 😂

[@felixklusener5530]

A girl from my high school in Germany experienced the wristband scam on a trip with her French class to Paris. The scammer started a long discussion with one of the two teachers (male; 1,85 m; a lot of muscles) who wanted to help her. After about 5 min. the other teacher (female; 1,50 m; not physically strong at all) approached the two arguing men and asked if there is a problem she could help solving. When the scammer started to tell her what happened, she quickly responded that she was willing to call the police to resolve the problem and took out her phone. That was the scammers sore point, because most of these scammers don't have the legal documents to stay in France forever and police doesn't care as long as they don't cause any trouble. The scammer ran away immediately and the whole class learned that you don't need to be physically strong to stand your ground. Sometimes it's just a good argument that helps you out.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

It's also noteworthy, that this happens in all cities where tourist arrive by the busload. Italy just has more than average of those. I've been trick-robbed in Alicante, Spain, and scammed in Istanbul, Turkey, but never had problems in Italy.

[@alexanderanghel7946]

Id just threaten to beat them if they dont get lost.

[@ilya1421]

@@eljanrimsa5843 Not really. It usually happens, where Africans can easily get

[@ilya1421]

Sometimes you need to show your muscles work

[@aaronfitzgerald9109]

That's what Africans in France do

[@l.d.3325]

As an Italian I would like to thank you.Not even italian understand what a beautifull country we have and how important tourism is for us , and those scammers are destroying it.

[@antoniousai1989]

Tourism is not that important to us, stop begging for a job as a waiter, for fuck's sake, it's pathetic. Italy is a big country with lots of tech companies, and export and tourism is a small percentage of our GDP. Worry about all those fucking houses for tourists that are making it fucking impossible to find accommodation.

[@agaadamczyk3083]

Italy really is beautiful and I come there very often because of that reason. Italians and the rest of EU, need to say stop to illegal immigrants coming on „banana boats” and welcoming them. Immediately sending back those who commit crimes. Italians are lovely people but those pesky imigrant scammers and criminals are ruining the whole visiting experience.

[@GhostSal]

Need to hold the politicians accountable and send those scammers back to their home countries.

[@juki3451]

My cousin went to Italy for her honeymoon back in 2002 & loved it. She decided to go back for her 20th Anniversary gift in 2022, but recalls the moment she stepped off the airport, herself & husband regretted it. During the 10 day vacation, not one day, someone or some establishment tried & at times, ripped them off. She thought to herself, never again. In fact, she said, Europe as a whole never again. She'll stick to the all-inclusive resorts from now on 😊

[@LindaMimoza]

You can’t say Europe as a whole! It has over 30 countries! I’m Swedish and there are no scammers in Sweden, nor have I seen any in the other Nordic or Baltic countries. Switzerland, the Netherlands, most of the UK and several other countries are also scam free. In the Balkan countries (I’m currently living in Bulgaria) it’s just the taxi drivers, but there are ways around it (using an app or having locals call and order for you)

[@lorenzogreco402]

if you notice most of the scammers weren't actually italian :)

[@mh1972]

Scammers are 99% foreigners

[@younot-ez3xr]

Why are the foreigners so desperate?

[@maxxomilk5599]

@@younot-ez3xr maybe because they don't have papers so the only way that they know is to scam people, or maybe sell drugs and i think it's better to be a inoffensiv scammer than a drug dealer

[@younot-ez3xr]

@@maxxomilk5599 OK I get what you're saying

[@maggg.a]

Believe me plenty Italians scamming people too, was scammed by few unfortunately.

[@wripiii]

I happened to be in Rome earlier this year, and these guys were so annoying. You couldn't sit down on a public place without them trying to "gift" me or my girlfriend something every 5 minutes even tho we always declined right away. One of them tried to take my girlfriends arm to put the bracelet on. That was when I got really loud, and they got aggressive as well. Luckily, there were Karabinieri right around the corner, or it could have ended badly.

[@monkeytennis8861]

When I was in Madrid, on Plaza Mayor, we were constantly getting hassled by people in costumes trying to get in photos. Just stayed away from there after that.

[@Tee55118]

Exactly. I only eat in private homes in Rome, and never at sidewalk restaurants. Too much harrassment.

[@mr.voidroy6869]

I went to Florence and the painting scam was everywhere. After the 5th time of encourntering it i went out of my way to intentionally walk on the painting with my group and we all shuffled on them and destroyed them and ran off.

[@herbertlappert96]

Well done 🤝

[@SDArgo_FoC]

Nice

[@GianlucaLi]

good job dude

[@NCSGaming15]

One of the dudes was setting one up and a police officer just stomped all over it, and started yelling things at him in Italian as he scurried off. I only know basic Italian, but I think he said some very choice things because literally every Italian gasped at one of the things he said.

[@Tee55118]

@@NCSGaming15 Thanks for giving me a good laugh! I didn't know that the police cared! Now, I know that the police do care! Thank you. There is hope for Western civilization, yet!

[@Wulfryk]

When i visited Italy with my friend i was so happy with one of them that was with us. He legit enjoyed some extreme haggling with the illegal sellers and always managed to easily dismiss scammers. Was fun to watch him in action

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

I have a simple rule that's easy to follow. When strangers approach you randomly in the street ignore them and walk on.

[@SimVally92]

Man it makes me mad to see and hear stories about scammers in my city. It's a travesty that our law enforcement does not speak a lick of English thus being next to useless when a foreigner approaches them

[@ArteGamingHQ]

Same here in Spain, where mostly anyone speaks even english, not speaking of "rarer" languages like german, italian, japanese, korean... or french! So tourists are just defenseless against scammers, problems, or accidents. Like 40% of our income is from tourism...

[@giovanni8943]

as an Italian thank you very much! I used to watch your videos about prague some time ago, they were really interesting even if ive never been in prague, and its really amazing that you are doing it here now!

[@PingupowerMMA]

ppl usually will help you if you call for help but you didnt also it helps to call specific help like "help me im getting assaulted" "help thiefs" and so on

[@sirtsupirtsu]

I have visited Italy several times. My first visit was to Milan and oh boy... That square in front of Duomo was infested with the scammers. I experienced this for the first time, but got over my innocence very very quickly. I had this bracelet forcibly tied around my arm. I also had a dove-scammer approach me. There were lots of birds, doves, on that square. And one guy just gave me some seeds and asked to hold them and he summoned those doves. I do not even remember how. I guess he whistled. And the whole flock suddenly flew at me. I dropped the seeds because I was scared. It happened so suddenly. After that first day I learned how to behave like a local - just stare blank point in front of me, walk past them like they are invisible, and not make ANY eye contact with anyone who looks like they might want something. I used the same tactic also later on in Rome, in Florence and it worked like a charm. But I agree, it is so bad in Italy. I have not seen anything that bad in any other country.

[@Deathboy_is_in_hell_now]

go to india ^^

[@tetee6789]

What's the point of calling birds to fly to you?

[@sirtsupirtsu]

@@tetee6789 And of course, he just shoved these seeds in my hand suddenly. And then started asking for money, following me around. I did not want those seeds to begin with. It seems the same tactic as with those bracelets they tie around your hand as a free "gift" and then ask money. I was lucky that none of the birds pooped on me :D

[@tetee6789]

@@sirtsupirtsu But what is that scam about? What do they want? Why bother with the seeds??

[@sirtsupirtsu]

@@tetee6789 they ask money in return for their kind seed "services"

[@dk5468]

I've seen more scams and robberies take place in Italy than in most other European countries that I've visited. It's such a shame because when you are on holiday, you just want to relax and instead, you have to be hyper-vigilant with your personal space and belongings at all times. You kind of expect it in more impoverished countries, but it happens everywhere unfortunately.

[@FNA27601]

Honestly doesn't happen in the middle East or east Asia (outside of Bali and Turkey) if you just wanna chill without being annoyed or scammed. Only scams I've seen are the airport shuttles in these places but make sure to be vigilant about your stuff in Thailand.

[@valeriadinzeo5271]

'cause you people only go to Rome, Milan, Florence and all big cities that of course are not quiet at all! Like if I go to London OF COURSE I CAN HAVE PROBLEMS. Just learn about Italy, where you have to go to find peace, quiet, nature, history and good people.

[@miltiades3407]

I’m on a school trip and one of my classmates’s dad’s wallet got taken on the metro

[@strappystracci]

You talk about scammers in Italy and in Florence. You are truly an unfair person and it shows that you don't know Florence at all. 1 - The "swindlers" were all African immigrants (probably also clandestine) but none of them are Italian. 2 - This type of scam is widespread in all tourist cities of the world, including the United States. 3 - The bars in Florence especially in the center are very expensive and then you have to see what wine you ordered... In any case, if you have no money, avoid luxurious places. 4 - I believe that New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. do not guarantee the security that Italy offers. In the States you stayed at the time of the far west your police still do justice with guns in the streets, in schools... I also find that regarding the morality you boast about sexual orientation and racism you are a very hypocritical country, puritans and moralists... Bottom line, people like you better not post these nonsense videos.... Best regards from Tuscany.

[@dimitrism.1814]

Have you ever been in Athens??

[@cz.travelmaster]

This is honestly the reason I don't enjoy travelling to big cities in Italy anymore. I'd say I'm an experienced traveller, I know to be cautious and I know how not to get ripped off, but in Italy the scam attempts just got to the level that it ruins your visit. When I travel, I want to enjoy the country, not constantly look over my shoulder and question the honesty of each individual that I talk to.

[@neggroplease]

You are so right! These people are freaking annoying. You have to mind your surrounding at all times and it's exhausting!

[@eljanrimsa5843]

Don't let this discourage you to travel. It's only in the most touristy spots. I've visited many cities in Italy over the years (Genoa, Palermo, Trieste, Livorno, Ferrara), walking all over the place, and can recommend them all, never have been bullied or felt unsafe. And with online reviews, it's easy to avoid the rare restaurants which live on selling bad service to one-time visitors.

[@felicepompa1702]

You have to do your best trying to seem less of a tourist and they will leave you alone. Sometimes when i was a kid when me and my family were in rome, scammers would try to scam us because me beeing really blonde made them think my whole family was from sweden or something. Also if you really have to ask someone, trust young italians and families and avoid people that walk alone and/or are not italian

[@RosequartzDivination]

So true. It's a big put off. Cities should do something about it.

[@valeriadinzeo5271]

'cause you people only go to Rome, Milan, Florence and all big cities that of course are not quiet at all! Like if I go to London OF COURSE I CAN HAVE PROBLEMS. Just learn about Italy, where you have to go to find peace, quiet, nature, history and good people. Italy is big and full of surprises.

[@Awderuk]

We were in Rome and the amount of wristband scam we seen at tourist sites was huge, They were doing in clear sight and Police did nothing.

[@KyleBJobey]

I got hit with the wristband scam in Rome a couple of years ago. Dude said it was his wedding soon and he was celebrating it, the wristband, the "it's free" the picture of a kid, the good vibes, the goodbye then turn around asking for a donation for his kid, it all went exactly the same.. Scumbags.

[@unluckyloris]

I worked in the city center of Florence for 2 years. the trick is to avoid any social interaction with any strangers, especially with people selling stuff/asking for money. In the most crowded place watch out for your purse/wallet, there are a lot of pickpockets.

[@SamFrostDigitalMarketing]

My wife and I got "sort of" scammed in Italy a few years ago when in Venice as part of a trip around the country. However, it worked out for us in the end. When we checked in at our hotel in Venice, the concierge told us that if we wanted to go to Murano there was a water taxi organised daily for hotel guests that would depart as a group (I was aware already of the "free water taxi" scam in the sense that they offer an individual a free taxi, but this seemed more legitimate as he even had a little schedule of times etc). Next morning we had breakfast and waited for the taxi rep in the lobby. Nobody else came, but we figured that maybe nobody else was interested. We got a lovely ride out on the water taxi to Murano, where we pulled up outside the back entrance to a glass factory (can't remember which) and then a man came out and escorted us inside. We watched the glass blowing demonstration - which was very impressive, and there were multiple other people there who had come independently - but at the end of the demonstration the man from the factory ushered us into a side room. This is where the scam kicks in. Everything in the room (a separate shop, about the size of a typical museum store) was clearly very overpriced. We actually were interested in buying a small souvenir to take home, but the cheapest item was several hundred euros. As we walked around, the man became increasingly agitated and pushy, basically saying we needed to pick something and it was all good value. By this point, we'd figured out we were being conned, but I'm always wary of making a scene in a country where I don't know the laws and customs. He was hovering around and being very pushy, and I was a bit wary of calling him out on the scam. However, I asked him to unlock a cabinet that contained some expensive item (so we could inspect it) and while his back was turned we shot out of what looked like a fire exit and then into another store ... which had the same sort of stuff at much more reasonable prices. Long story short, we bought some nice trinkets for fair value from another seller, and got a free water taxi ride. Caught the vaporetto back the hotel and have many nice memories. That being said, I can easily see how someone else could have been conned badly here. I guess be wary of this scam too. Normally I'm quite switched on, but I'll confess I got suckered in by the free ride being a benefit for the hotel guests (I guess the concierge is on a commission or something?)

[@tariklyacoubi8197]

I might add that there are hundreds of shops scattered all around Venice so don't feel the need to buy from first you see, and also be wary of counterfeit goods, unfortunately there are a lot of shops who sell fake stuff.

[@Catandthespoon]

Hope you included this information in your review of the hotel to warn other guests.

[@yokepiew]

I am from Singapore, and I was scammed at Rome Itally by a taxi driver in 2011. First he purposely drove a much longer distance from train station to my hotel. Second, upon reaching my hotel, I gave him 50 euros and he took my money, turned around and said I gave him 10 euro. I had to top up additional cash to settle the shortage. I went to the police station and lodged a police statement with the car plate of the taxi. To my surprise, no action was taken against the scammer. As a tourist, I had a very bad impression of this beautiful country. If this happened in my country, these scammers will be arrested and jailed.

[@IoT_]

Man, I am sorry for you but Italy is the fourth world country. I live here, and the problem is not with the scammers but with population's negect. Neither police nor regular folks (as it was shown in the video) will help you out if the scammers attack you or scam you.

[@dillonsmith2882]

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of bracelet scammers in Rome. I constantly saw people falling for it too. Thankfully I already knew of it when I went but it’s still incredibly annoying

[@sonyablade4720]

Just got to watching this vid I’m so glad you and Honza are vocal about these scams and are warning people about potential dangers they may face, especially tourists. I’ve had a great opportunity to live in Florence for a year during my study there. Most of the time I never felt safe in the center because some of those scammers are very pushy and aggressive. The scam situation haven’t gotten any better as I can see and police never seems to care. Scammers feel comfortable doing their evil things right under the gaze too..

[@felicepompa1702]

Sadly police can't do anything to them. By law if they are irregular immigrants they can't be punished, and they don't even have Id or documents. At most they can just keep them a night in the police station. But after you do it 10 times you just don't care anymore

[@domdumdum5081]

I got the wristband thing in Rome. Didn’t give him any money though, so I have a free bracelet.

[@nico-s29]

Same

[@landro6619]

I ran into this kind of scam in Mauritius. Didn't expect that Africa starts in Florence.

[@GS-zc4sk]

Nice.

[@InevitableTruthTeller]

What a coincidence, they're almost all from Romania, the Middle East or Africa. Amazing!

[@Itoshimi]

You missed the part where restaurants raise prices on cheap things to scam tourists? Natives do that. Amazing!

[@pelizdr]

On holiday in Italy, was told by our tour guide to beware of non-licensed street vendors, if they are not clearly displaying a license (around their neck) then they are most likely not legit (you will see them run away when the police show up), to add insult to injury, as a consumer YOU can be charged with buying from an unlicensed vendor, and the fines can be quite high. It pays to be aware and skeptical.

[@andreibirta5569]

I started laughing when he asked: "Are you from Romania? " 😂 yeah... You won't believe how many deaf and mute people we have. Basically, at every corner. The sad thing is, they make more money scamming people than the people working regular jobs.

[@TartanArmy85]

haha tax free also

[@Bolognabeef]

Most of the time they're not even "normal" Romanians but gypsies

[@claudiiusmaximus652]

Roma “people” have an extremely bad reputation whenever they go, they do this to themselves, they don’t give two sh!ts if they’re caught, they are immune to shame

[@celestialfortuna37]

i like your friendly presentation style when politely confronting and addressing it. keep up the good work.

[@thomasherrmann3634]

There is a very simple way to avoid most of scams: ignore any chat attempts with strangers

[@wastedspam385]

When I was in Rome I had the wristband scam done to me. But instead of putting on an already prepared wristband, he weaved one around my wrist using several pieces of string, in about 10 seconds time. I actually kinda liked it, but when he asked for 10 euro for it I laughed and told him that was way too much, and I gave him 2 instead. I was genuinely impressed by how fast he was able to make that wristband and I wore it for a couple of weeks, so I didn't feel scammed. Definetly a better experience than the metro pickpockets.

[@jimbob4447]

Visited Florence a few years ago and had a great time, found the food to be excellent, the sights great and the prices surprisingly cheap. That being said we specifically avoided eating in any tourist areas and always asked the local hotel staff where they recommended going and they never steered us wrong.

[@esistreal]

I have seen more and more of these clipboard scammers in Germany recently. And I'm not talking about the city center of Berlin or Munich but random supermarket parking lots in small towns. It's so sad that people still fall for this crap.

[@Сте-е4ь]

The guys who ask signature and later donation are of two types, i seen them in florence since 2007. The one who asks signature, then donation, is usually an african guy who wants signature for women rights in africa, he has been for many years in via Alfani. The other variety is signature against drugs. They have a table, i dnt know of they scam, but i sure dnt know how they spend that money

[@sanilkamat]

Well done guys...one of the very few blogs working HONESTLY and for the tourist community

[@Dr.Kananga]

I remember when it happened to me in Milan in 2000, the guy said it was a gift then I immediately gave him some coins (2 euros of today) and he was stunned laughing. Back then they weren't aggressive at all, they just wanted to sell you these bracelets and it was fine for a transaction. The reason why today nobody will intervene to help you is because people are afraid of being labeled "racist" and even the cops had enough so they don't want the bad press; so when the police are called they question these vendors and ask for ID and papers which they don't have, then they start becoming aggressive and make a fuss to the point they have to be restrained and only then you will have a gathering crowd filming everything with their phone telling the cops how racist they are. Next day you have the media publishing selected frames and shots of these videos making cops look dirty, but this material help sells newspaper copies and subscription. Rinse and repeat on a daily basis for all tourist cities and then you have police stations clogged with these petty crimes to process, unable to dedicate their resources towards major cases while local governments do nothing afraid of their public image for their next election.

[@paulw5039]

Seems more racist to just let them continue scamming to be honest. Kind of "oh, they're African, so that's just how they behave" kind of thing. Holding everyone to the same standards regardless of ethnicity is actual equality.

[@joebloggs8292]

Well put

[@UltimateAzumanger]

@@paulw5039 well, the locals don't see it that way, unfortunately.

[@SuperGamli]

Public imagine? The image is that these cities are in a state of chaos, and people don´t look left or right and ignore every other person in the city. Stop being held hostage like some children ffs.

[@TheFlual22]

I was in Florence 17 years ago and there were already this scammers around. I was strolling around with a friend, took a wrong turn and suddenly 5 of this wristband guys surrounded us. I was 17 years old at the time and got really scared. Good to see that the city got rid of them.....

[@AdamSternberg]

It's amazing how the "police" don't do anything to prevent these obvious scammers.

[@Ubya_]

Too much hassle for them. These guys don't have any kind of ID, they are most of the time irregular immigrants, but because of immigration laws here they can't just be deported. Instead ot taking them to a police station every night and releasing them they just ignore everything that isn't a major crime

[@claudionunziante9347]

Unfortunately they literally can't do anything against immigrants, if you go to basically any major italian city you will see that all the scammer are..... let's say NOT Italians (with some famous exemptions in some notorious italian cities that i cannot nominate)

[@azazelcaos]

@@claudionunziante9347 ma de che si prendono la loro fetta

[@felicepompa1702]

Sadly since they are irregular immigrants 99% of the time, they can at most keep them a night in the police station but they can't punish, arrest, fine or deport them

[@teodorugabriel2175]

The police only intervene if someone important misses something, else the rest are just part with the scamer

[@xxxx85]

"Here is my son, don't you want to help my son?" No. You help your son. I help my son. Here, a picture of my son, why don't YOU give ME money now?

[@manu.yt25]

That's great, you guys should definitly expand in Europe from time to time, it's really different than what we're not (too much) used to see on the channel

[@son_o_day]

I was 17 and I went to Paris on a school trip, my friends were getting caught in a wristband scam and I knew it because of KZbin and I was telling to stop talking to them, then 1 of the men got aggressive and starting calling me racist because I said he was scamming, saying because I'm "white skin".. then they took 20 euro off my friend for the 'free' wristbands, his gf started screaming at them and eventually they gave the money back as they were causing a commotion..

[@Catandthespoon]

I think that's the new ploy. Taking advantage of the notion of "white guilt and white privilege" that's been relentlessly pushed on today's youth by far left media and educational establishments. If that doesn't work, calling someone racist is sure to persuade a few people to part with their cash.

[@Robin_Goodfellow]

I got hit with the wristband scam in Paris, and lost 7 Euros. Not a week later, I was hit with the deaf-mute scam in Berlin, but thankfully realized what it was before I gave any money. Man oh man, being scammed the first time is bad, but being scammed a second time like that makes you feel stupid beyond words. The education I've received from this channel will hopefully prevent a third time next time I travel.

[@DavidCtin02]

Got scammed with wristband scam in Athens one year ago. I still feel dumb, so dumb. Lost 4 euros for nothing.

[@ronv6637]

Was just on Florence,Pisa and Rome. Never even was approached or recognized the scam early. Something about living and working in very rough areas(Chicago NYC Detroit) your body language is recognized. The one incident I did have was in Rome at Termini Station, platform for train Leonardo Express to airport wasn't listed on board or signs Older gentleman obviously saw my frustration and showed me which platform almost in aggressive manner but was helpful and earned a small tip.

[@john_john_john]

Looks like the Italian police is as crooked as the scammers. I wish I too was handsomely paid to put on a stylish uniform and drive around doing nothing.

[@gerardofede6922]

1300 euros is not a handsome pay

[@YouRegolo]

worse than crooked, most of them are passive and laizy as they don't want to do their job, weather they don't think they can really have an impact or they believe they are not payed enough for how heavy/difficult some of these issues are to handle.

[@john_john_john]

@@gerardofede6922 It is if the standard response for someone in trouble is "no speak english sorry :)"

[@Jack-me3ii]

@@john_john_john the problem is that if they arrest these scammers they would be released in 5 minutes cause in italy the fucking laws protect the criminals and not the good people

[@giuliotonellifilm25]

I'm italian and you have an excellent pronunciation man, great work!

[@vladimirv.g.1436]

watching these videos from other countries of Europe, makes me feel so comfortable and happy about the country I live

[@mustufahusna3316]

Which country are you?

[@jaimeg4272]

I once confronted a deaf mute scammer in Bilbao and she magically recovered speech and threatened me. It was a miracle! I’m so happy for her!

[@EliasProbst]

I'm pretty sure I've seen the German speaking scammers in Tübingen (Germany) very often until a few years ago. Whenever I saw them, I tried to warn people they were approaching of this scam - at some point the scammers (esp. the female colleague) got quite angry at me, but suddenly got quiet and immediately left when I pulled out my phone to call the police. Haven't seen them in a long time - crazy to see them again in Florence now.

[@peffken8834]

I was already harassed with the slips of paper for signatures and the wristbands in exactly the same way 28 years ago in Barcelona. If at all, I only fell for it once when I was 21 years old. It's amazing that it still seems to work. Good that you @HONEST GUIDE point out that you don't have to expect any support from your environment. Apart from that, Italians are generally a very open, relaxed (often too relaxed), grounded and honest people. My tip: off the beaten tourist track, you will not only find real life and the beauty of the culture, but also many small family-run inns frequented by locals. These restaurants (trattoria, osteria) are recognisable because they are simply designed (paper tablecloths) without a lot of frills and without tourists. The food is authentic, tasty, uncomplicated and the prices are fair. If you honour this, you will quickly be accepted after initial scepticism. Viva la dolce vita!

[@Happy-wb8gi]

So sad, especially when these people are guests in Italy and instead of respecting Italy, they ruin it.

[@koppilork]

Well, that is what gipsies do, where ever they go.

[@mariesc5996]

I must add one lovely anti-scam: piazza Saint-Peter's basilica, Rome. Young man wants to sell me a trinket. I say, with no eye contact: No, but can you tell me where there's a washroom? He switches gear, goes into a great explanation. I am so grateful I give him 2 euros for the info. He hands over a trinket and i say, smiling: Ma, no, not necessary..we then make eye contact. He insists, smiles back and says: A souvenir. It was a lovely humanizing moment. On the other hand... a restaurant in Trastevere let in a begger lady who stood over me (i travel alone) and insisted on my giving her something. I refused. I was the only one left in the restaurant. Italians were at the terrace NOT being bothered. I felt really "had" by the owners and still left a friggin tip!!! I am Canadian.