Scammed in Europe! 5 Things to Look Out For to Save Your Wallet

Heading to travel and worried about scam artists? Well that is a good thing to watch out for, but there are a few things you can do as a traveler to cut down on your risk of getting scammed. From looking up scams in the destination you are going to, to not falling for every sob story you hear.
How to avoid getting scammed when you travel.
Filmed in New York City
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[@jcnlaw]

I was in Rome in 2020. Went to the subway station but couldn’t figure out how to use the kiosk to buy a ticket. After a couple of minutes, the two teenaged girls who were waiting behind me to buy their ticket approached me and in broken English said, “sir, do you need help?” I replied, “yes, I’m not sure what I am doing wrong”. At that moment, one of the girls put her own euro coins in the kiosk, and a ticket came out of the kiosk. One of the girls took the ticket, handed it to me then looked at her friend, sighed, and shook her head side to side and muttered “Americano”. I offered to give her my euro but she wouldn’t take it. She just said in broken English “don’t worry, pay it forward”. I guess this was an “anti-scam” but a great true story. Moral of the story, there are still some kind people out there. Just be very, very careful as you go about your business.

[@millyhartz5604]

Impressive!

[@samuelpreciado1336]

Yeah I had a similar story in Sevilla, Spain. There are wonderful people out there. Just touch your soul

[@missj.4760]

It is true and it can happen everywhere, even in places with a bad reputation. In Mexico city a guy ran after me to give me back my change.

[@ctrimbath828]

I was at Penn Station in Newark, and a seemingly homeless man was begging for money to buy a meal at BK. I didn't have cash, so I bought him a meal at the BK on my card. He threw it on the ground and cursed me out for not just giving him money. It negatively affected my level of compassion for people begging.

[@viktor.egelund]

I'll make it simple for you: *Just avoid any person who approaches you.*

[@AstarionWifey]

Yes 🙌 😂

[@Stanf954]

My true NY'r comes out whenever I travel and my wife hates it. I don't mean to be rude but that's how I survived living in NYC. Hard habit to break.

[@DrVVVinK]

Ignoring people like a true New Yorker, and "keep walking" isn't rude, it's what most of the world does. Americans tends to have a reputation for being overly friendly and polite; walking around smiling and saying "how are you" to everyone, with the exceptions of the big cities like New York, San Fran, Boston, and Chicago (to name a few). People in other nations are aware of this, and use this as a way to scam Americans.

[@cijmo]

I have a funny train ticket story from Naples. We couldn't get the machine to work so we saw this nice little nonna and I used Google translate to ask if she could help us. She was trying to get the machine to work and it wasn't co-operating with her either. I could feel my phone buzzing. Google translate was working overtime to translate the very UN-nonna like language that was coming out of her while she was working on it!

[@luke211286]

Last January, I encountered a scammer in Bologna Station when I was about to look for my train. High-speed trains there are several levels underground, so if you have some luggages you have to navigate them using series of elevators. One guy approached and said that the elevator I was about to ride won't take me to the platform. He signaled me to follow him to the stairs as he tried to "help" me carry my luggage. I ignored him and said I'll take my chances. Voila, the elevator did lead me indeed to my intended platform and I was thankful to follow my intuition. The moral: ALWAYS TRUST THE WRITTEN SIGNS. Especially when they are clear enough.

[@Leo31291]

Despite watching a lot of videos and reading up on Marrakech, I still got scammed. Scammers rely on rushing and pressuring you, Always STOP and THINK.

[@KB-sg7tv]

Good advice

[@marcustulliuscicero9140]

unfortunately Marrakech is intolerable for scams, I was there early this week for one night (after 4 nights in the much nicer Agadir) and fell for the taxi scam while running away from a group of teens doing the fake guide scam and who wouldn't take no for an answer

[@timbridges8593]

Hi Mark, I was in Paris once and I was lost on the metro. I was on the phone with my friend who put me on the wrong train lol. This lady overheard me and asked where I was going. I told her the Eiffel Tower. She said yes you are on the wrong train. She got off with me at the next stop and put me on the right train and told me where the best place to start at. That was my first trip to France in 2015. Love that place. If you’re nice they are nice back. Awesome country. As always have a good one eh!😁🇨🇦

[@sultanfahad]

Also beware of taxi scams. The bottom line is: avoid the taxi driver who is asking you to take it.

[@RickSanchez-ex7ym]

American here. If you see homeless people with signs asking for help(money) chances are, any money they get is for cigarettes and alcohol. Plus so many businesses are hiring right now. If you want to help them, give them an application.

[@stanislas4990]

Useful video, as always. Do not trust people who want to help you to buy some tickets, or with your luggage! Tourists are a target for thieves.

[@AstarionWifey]

How am I gonna get the ticket? 🥲🥲🥲

[@AaaAaa-mh6zv]

@@AstarionWifey Either from the official staff or from a machine :)

[@MeansToTravel]

These tips are so true!!! We’ve had people try to scam us on many continents haha, it sucks but we still love to travel!

[@ashantitraylor7240]

Sorry that happened to your mom. There’s a special place in hell for ppl who hurt seniors and babies. I’ve been in a situation where the police does not help and make you feel like you did something wrong when someone hurt you. It’s a horrible feeling, made me feel really low. Also, thank you for saying don’t feel bad about getting scammed. I won a lawsuit once and went to New York, Long Island, stayed at a holiday inn and went shopping after I checked in. I came back to the room and put my things down and left the hotel to go to Applebees right across the street. When I got back to my room maybe an hour later, someone took ALL of my belongings! The things I just purchased, my luggage AND my ticket back home! I went to the front desk to complain and find out if they knew what happened. They told me I checked out! Which was a lie, it was my first day there! I called the police, they came , I told them what happened and they did NOTHING! They would not even file/give me a police report! I felt so little and alone. I never went back to New York! & This was in 2002! I know I need to get over it but I was really hurt. Also I never had that much money to blow at once before or again! 😢

[@Lili-xq9sn]

Wow! What a nightmare. Shame on Holiday Inn especially. Note taken!

[@mrdth1987]

I had a funny scammer. It wasn't while travelling but in my home town. I got one who came out to me saying, "Oh, I know your mum, how is she." then continued that with ", can you lend me some money." I told him no and then saw him try the same thing with someone else. How on earth did he think that would work

[@TheUniqueHistoryChannel777]

The “sob story” one is worldwide and one people need to be wary of.

[@Cody-Bear]

I've learned quite a bit from this channel, Honest Guide and from Rick Steves. 1 thing I remember from a Rick Steves DVD I watched was having a lanyard type wallet or pouch under your shirt with all of the important documents and more money in that lanyard type thing and a dummy wallet in your pocket with 5, 10 or even 20 Euros/Pounds/Czech Crowns or whatever currency for the country you're visiting and IF you are pick pocketed, the worst that you'll lose is the amount of money spent on the dummy wallet in your pocket and the amount of cash that was in the dummy wallet.

[@frans97]

Barcelona, right before the pandemic. Dude in some big plaza approached my parents, has this sob story about how he lost his passport, visa, all travel documents, and wants us to help him since we're the same nationality blah blah blah. We've lived in places with sketchier people, so my parents know exactly what he's up to. Did their best to get through him, but he was persistent. Eventually, they got one over him, but he thought of having the last laugh so he shouted and cussed at my parents. Nearly caused a scene, and oh boy was I ready to punch his face for disrespecting my folks like that. But he looked so pathetic afterwards and walked off, and I kinda laughed XD Edit: On a positive note though, my parents and I in 2018 nearly got lost in the Kyoto station (first time in Japan). This middle aged Japanese guy in a business suit approached us; we told him we're heading to that popular bamboo forest place in Kyoto. He was actually speed walking his way in the opposite direction before meeting us, but he went out of his way (and nearly cost him his on-time at the office) just to bring us to the actual platform where our train's supposed to be. Good man.

[@christinewatson5205]

I feel like another important rule to remember when travelling is; "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I'm planning a trip to Japan very soon, and a semi-common scam there is the "free drinks, no cover!" scam for bars just outside of the touristy areas. Someone who speaks very good English will offer you free drinks, or a no cover bar, take you to some tiny bar down a small alley and on the 7th floor of an office building. You get some drinks and either the charge is outrageously high and the bouncer won't let you leave until you pay the astronomical bill, or even worse they slip sleeping pills into your drinks and run your credit bill to the moon while you're zonked out in a corner. And because you don't speak/read Japanese, you can't even file a police report for where you got scammed. If it isn't something you would believe at home, don't believe it when on vacation.

[@curadoamaral]

I was robbed at Paris subway and my father in Rome. So every big city in the world deserves your complete attention.

[@markalee1]

Someone tried the bird poop scam on me twice in Rio De Janeiro on walks along the beach (once on Copacabana and once in Ipanema.) Turns out they use shoe polish that looks like bird poop. My wallet remained intact!

[@cb26cpa]

The woman from South Africa doesn't have a chance when you're already used to years of Carl trying to get back to Danville! Excellent tips as always!

[@elnaferreira8418]

Leave that woman there!! We are full up with crooks here in South Africa! 🤣🤣

[@passport4adventure817]

I have been travelling all my life and have seen many of the scams you have described. Heck I've fallen for one or two. But the best one that I never thought of was the change exchange. Brilliant!

[@tobiojo6469]

Hey Mark, awesome video and great tips

[@jonnylivesinbr]

I got scammed into buying CDs in San Francisco back in 2015. Can‘t believe this scam still exists in 2023! Where are they getting their CDs from? lol

[@littlepeky]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 thrift stores

[@angelofamillionyears4599]

Good points.

[@missj.4760]

In Europe, Roms are a problem. My host in Barcelona told me people who steal were not from there. I was kind of sceptical until I realized that beggars and people trying to scam did not talk to me in Italian, not in Catalan or in Spanish.

[@rhondalyn100]

THANK YOU! I am an extremely naive traveler so these tips will help me when I begin traveling. 🙂

[@pelanconglansia2000]

Thank’s for sharing this advices. Regards ,,,

[@prismatica2389]

Got my phone stolen in Brussells. Luckily I realised straight after and managed to get it back!

[@rickybobby1055]

Great advise. My wife and i would have been scammed in Athens in 2019 had i not seen one of your videos about what to look out for. Thanks for the tips. Stay awesome

[@TalliesbyDee]

Some great tips. Thank you.

[@woltersworld]

That is very nice of you. Thank you

[@YellowProductions]

Great tips as usual Mark!

[@woltersworld]

Thanks Chris

[@paulkoza8652]

Great advice. Funny, I watched the "helpful" scam artist at work in the Rome train station. He would walk up to obvious naive tourists and offer help. He did have a partner or two but I didn't witness any pick pocketing, but they are slick. Doing research in advance is essential, not only for scams but for the trip in general. Many naive travelers don't. Many years ago, my cousin, his wife, and another couple traveled to Paris. His friend was pick pocketed in the Paris airport. That was the entire memory my cousin took back from the trip. But, he had a stubborn mentality to begin with!

[@timmmahhhh]

Soviet Union 1989: official government exchange rate was $1.60 per 1 ruble but changing on the street on the black market usually got you six or seven rubles for a dollar. Typically you would change a little at the bank to not raise suspicion and then do the rest on the street. But of course Russia using Cyrillic most Americans couldn't read it. I was a stamp collector with an interest in languages so I could at least identify the country name on stamps and therefore currency. And I learned phrase Russian before I went. On a college trip a classmate beamed over how he got 10 rubles for a dollar. I asked him to look at an instantly recognized Yugoslavia and said sorry friend you got scammed. The other classmates laughed and for the rest of the trip his nickname was Yugo. Cpacubo Mark!

[@darrenambler9431]

Great video and tips - I’m actually travelling to Cairo in the autumn which is Scam Capital (I hear!!). I’d be interested to see a video of your experiences travelling in Egypt and any tips you might have!

[@knightmareco]

Didn't know about the ticket one. I got help from a very nice gentleman in New York when he saw I was very lost trying to buy a ticket.

[@mypradasatthecleanerss]

I will say though, that I have some relatives who were recently in New York and did need some assistance with the subway ticket machine. And a couple of times, there were friendly New Yorkers very happy to help, not looking to scam at all. So don’t dismiss everyone who offers to help in these situations.

[@kathrynsamuelson1983]

Just get your money at the ATM or a local bank. Yeah, exchange rates and fees, but it will be the local money.

[@DrVVVinK]

Sometimes if you call your bank beforehand and say how long you will be away for, they will reimburse you for any exchange rate. I use a local credit union for my checking account, and that's what they do.

[@SERGEYTIMOFEYOVICH]

The GOAT with another upload

[@theshadowman1398]

I travel a lot to Switzerland, luckily haven't witnessed any crap there. But then again it's probably because in Switzerland everything is focussed on the Swiss and not on tourists.

[@DrVVVinK]

I'm also guessing because you go there a lot, you are not spotted as a tourist. You are not looking up or around, you are dressed as if you are on a local or on business. I live in CT, I go to NYC a lot. When you get off the train at Grand Central, you can spot the tourist from the people who do the commute regularly. The tourist when they get off, look lost. The regulars keep walking. I'm sure there are scammers at Grand Central, but they don't pay attention to me, how I don't pay attention to them.

[@brucelee3388]

Friend had his wallet stolen in Switzerland, he had his contact list in it. I'm still getting scammers sending me emails to this day pretending to be him.

[@Lili-xq9sn]

​@@brucelee3388 wow!

[@littlepeky]

​@@brucelee3388 no true safe place on earth I suppose

[@lauraezell7723]

While situations in Switzerland may be fewer they still exist, especially with pickpockets. A few years ago Hubby & I were trying to store our luggage at the train station in Solothurn. As we struggled with the locker that would only take some of our coins (likely jammed by the perpetrator) I heard my backpack unzip. I whirled around to see him with his hands up in the air and I just started yelling "Nein!" (I've since added the word "Taschentief" to my German vocabulary.) When I glanced at my husband he disappeared. Either he was a rookie or I have a noisy zipper. As my valuables were safely zipped in a deep inside pocket covered by a raincoat and a vest he'd have had a hard time anyway. Moral of the story, like Mark said, be aware of your surroundings and bad apples exist even in the safer countries. Fortunately really nice people outnumber them.

[@hollygibson1801]

Be alert to your surroundings always, and not in a way that you're paranoid but be aware.

[@ChrisLind81]

Yes buying tickets from a machine is extremely annoying when people want to "help" you. When you just check destinations and prices. One time in Italy I said no thanks three or four times for help, and then a father with his son ask me for some changes, and I just rudely walked away. And it was not their fault.

[@siobhanw4061]

We were in Venice and the guys selling roses were everywhere! They came up to us again and again to try to make one of us take it (first handing it to me, then when I didn’t take it saying ‘no thank you’, one they’d thrusting it at my chest). My boyfriend said ‘ay! Don’t stick things in my girlfriend or I’ll kick your ass!’ 😂😂 🌹 Excellent point about not letting it ruin your trip. I love your videos and learn so much from them! Thanks Wolter’s World!!! ❤

[@cobbler9113]

My wife (not well travelled at the time) almost fell for that in Athens. I had to thrust the rose right back at them and walk briskly away from them. Another one is Paris where they try and put some stupid bracelet on your wrist without even asking. Happened to me last year and that’s the closest I’ve come to punching a complete stranger in public.

[@ThePittsburghTraveler]

When in Prague had a fellow try to scam me for currency exchange.

[@hassanalihusseini1717]

That " woman from South Africa" story was nice. When I li ed in Copenhagen there was "a man from South Africa" who for years hung around the main train station telling he just came to Denmark for asylum.

[@anastasiafua]

Ohhh this happened to my best friends and I in Paris in January! Metro ticket inspector scammers! Watch out - they don’t wear the SNCF uniforms!

[@DrVVVinK]

I'll just pretend I'm french and say "no English"

[@missj.4760]

There is also the scam too good to be true. Like in Bangkok, people who approach you to go to a special celebration that happen only once a year (of course, on that day) so you need to pay them to take you there if you don't want to miss it.

[@dwise2165]

Some official people will will scan you too

[@elfeintwentyfives1620]

wolt find this place it is on 13th st its acomic book store called forbidden planet ...there is another store near by that specializes in costumes...which is down the block and it takes almost half ablock and its awesome

[@ashantitraylor7240]

Hey guys, what’s the website to see how dangerous a country is?

[@trell2826]

Hey Wolter

[@missj.4760]

If I include paying too much on something, I get scammed once per trip. Usually it is for 15-30 USD so you have to accept it is part of traveling.

[@BaggieT]

How reliable is it using credit cards in Buenos Aires?

[@GirGir183]

4:22 Hooo HOOOOOOO look at all a doze FIDDYS

[@donayar3904]

wheen you go to turkey antaley and dubai

[@furdiebant]

The Prague one is a good point. Thankfully now it’s all card and I didn’t use cash the whole time I was there last year

[@hassanalihusseini1717]

Did you watch "The honest guide"? Best man to hunt down these money scammers and other scammers in Prague.

[@scottlubin8531]

I SHALL NOT GET SCAMMED!! (UPDATE: I got scammed. Currently addicted to crack.)

[@kolmogorovaxiom1493]

Here is another tip to avoid being scammed while traveling: Do not buy a timeshare!

[@88missbeauty]

I got scammed by the "helpful" person in New York City one time 🤣🤣 I can't believe I fell for it

[@lisadiver5253]

So what do I your are unfortunate enough to have your phone lost or stolen. So many of us have accounts that require 2 step verification on our phones or to our emails on our phones. Losing money is a bummer yes, documents and credit cards can be replaced. But lost or stolen phones can make life really hard when travelling.

[@Tramptraveller]

❤❤❤❤

[@ImmortalVampire19]

"Don't believe anyone's sob stories" Cue a video of bartenders making drinks in bar? lol

[@theorderofthebees7308]

One big tip Is to try your best to dress like the locals / wearing a big I love NY tshirt or sweatshirt yells I am not from here and that makes you a target. Immediately

[@antoanetad5713]

👍🙏💖🍀

[@lisajenkins1198]

.Thanks 1. pay attention, 2. street games, 3. dont believe sob sad . 4. i can help you out, 5. luggage ? 6. bird poop wow traveling around the world.