Top 5 Paris Scams: Taxi Scam, Gold Ring Scam, Restaurant Scam, Metro Mugging & Street Sellers

[@RichardMKruse]

A basic rule of thumb is: Do not engage in any relationship on the street that you did not initiate.

[@DrJakesVeryBritishReviews]

Good rule. But I tried ignoring my girlfriend one time and that didn't go so well...

[@RichardMKruse]

Dr Jake...It happens. I've been done before, but not too badly. My partner and I now have a routine. If we are in a store, or place of business, and we are feeling pressure, we just call out each others name in a loud, firm voice, and we both walk out. It works!

[@jamesupton4996]

Not so: I've been quite amused when tourists have come up to me, also a visitor asking directions.

[@DynamicInteractiveDuality]

Visited the artist square at "Place du Tertre" and inside the square are licenced artists and at the fringe of the square are doggy scam artists. I walked to the fringe to visit the Sacre-Ceour Basilica and this guy walks up to me with a blank piece of paper and pencil and says I draw your picture and before I can say anything he starts doing a cave drawing profile, and I say "no thank you, and walk away", then he start cursing and insulting me, and I do the same back, then I just walk away and he continues shouting and insulting me. I will say that things had changed sine June of 1977 when I last visited that place.

[@heins6157]

I sometimes help other tourists who seem genuinely lost.

[@JuChams]

As a Parisian for 30 years (born and raised there), i may have some tips to give : First of all, please come to Paris. It's a wonderful city, and it's really easy to avoid being scammed, to avoid dickhead waiters, etc... 0) : Before anything, and it's the only rule that relies on French culture (and many other cultures as well) and not common sense, say Hello or "Bonjour" to everyone you speak to. It's super-hyper-over rude not to say hello here. In some cultures, you don't say hello to the guy that sells train tickets, or to the cashier, for exemple, you directly ask him what you need. Here, it will be felt like an insult, like if you started the conversation by not acknowledging he is a human being and that you consider him as an inferior, a servant, and then ask for a service. If you do so, you will see straight away that there is a problem in his behaviour. 1) : Tourist restaurants are expensive for nothing. How to spot a tourist restaurant? It's near a touristic place or on a big roundabout like Bastille. Just go 3 streets away, and you'll find a nice place to eat, that does have to produce good food to keep customers, including locals. If the menu comes with a big english or italian or japanese flag, it will be shitty. A good restaurant doesn't need to translate it's menu in 1546 langages to have customers. And they almost all are able to give you an english menu anyway. If they don't, good luck for you, they must be able to only have Parisian's, a.k.a picky locals, must be a good one. And the waiter will be a dickhead in the tourist place, anyway. That's the second main reason we never ever go there. Use Tripadvisor, or even better the french one "LaFourchette" if you are lost. A good french restaurant will clearly worth the 5 mn lost on the website. For the waiter part, service is different in France than in the US or in English Canada. Our waiters are paid correctly (minimum wage is not really good to live in Paris, but they don't depend that much on tips). So, they won't come really often to your table chatting with you, or seeing if everything is OK, as they are paid anyway. If you need them, call them (not yelling, just put your arm up and say "server, please"). You might find it rude, but it's not. As a French, i didn't like the north american service, coming every 10 seconds to chat or to see if i was OK. I want it to be quiet and as less intrusive as possible. Most likely, if you picked your restaurant/café/pub correctly, you will be able to have the small talks. Tipping : We don't tip much, 15% service is included. You can add 1-2 euros if the guy was nice for a small service, or more if you really liked him. For a really good service, feel free to let 5 to 10 euros if you want to, but it's not mandatory at all. If it's an expensive restaurant, you can add 10-20 or more euros, it's pretty common there. And sorry if we seem like bastards in north-america, it's just that we are really not used to tip. We might forget about it, or think that 10% is already a huge amount for a tip, as we think it's added to the standard 15% (remember that we don't let that much % even in a 100euros/head restaurant). 2) : Our police is not corrupted. Even if they have their problems (shitty english, sometime rudes, like in many countries), don't hesitate to call them if anything is strange. Or just threatened to call them. For the example of the fake cab, if the guy insist to be paid, call the cops. Normal number is the "17", but you can reach the emergency number with "112" or "911". If you start calling the police, the scammer will desapear. 3) : Taxis : As said in the video, use regular taxis or Uber (which don't pay it's taxes, and is twice more expensive at some hours, the worst being 2 a.m., the closing time for bars, like 3 to 4 time more expensive). Fake taxis are also common in Italy, Spain etc. 4) : Use regular everything. Don't try to save half of a euro buying metro tickets to a strange guy, you will end up with fake ones or half-priced ones for childs. 5) : If a guy comes to you with a big map that he puts right under your eyes, blocking your view to your camera (Happened to my dad in Moscow), or do a strange leggy dance while you are drunk (Barcelona one), or does anything strange, go away. 6) : There are some pickpockets in Paris, especially in the metro. Actually, in a lot of big cities in Europe, you can easily find Pickpockets. That's why you can hear announcements in multiple langages in the Metro about it. And like in any city, they only attack tourists. Because you are too busy trying to not get lost, you are not looking at your stuff, and you might have a lot of money on you. And it will be more difficult to go to the Police. So, don't put anything in the front pocket of your backpack, and watch out. When i was in Barcelona, as a French, a pickpocket tried to steal my wallet, just because i was a tourist. In Paris, the Japonese are the most stolen, as they are not used to robbery and carry q lot of money (cultural thing, they pay a lot of things in cash). 7) : If you are in the summer, you can drink alcohol next to the river, on the "quai", or next to the "canal". If there is only a huge amount of alcohol bottles, cops might (really rare) annoy you. If it looks like a picnic, even with a lot of Wine, they won't. If you do so, please remember the "pickpocket on tourist" part, and remember that a drunk tourist is an easy target. Actually, anyone drunk is a target at this point. It means that if you leave any bag unwatched, someone is going to steal it. Put the bags in the center of the group, make sure someone watching them. Now, we only focused on Paris problems. So, you may think it's a dangerous city or a pain in the ass. But we didn't spoke about all the excellent restaurants, views, pubs, wines, beers, monuments, etc... So, if you can remember to watch out for your stuff at any time, especially drunk, and to avoid any strange and honestly a bit stupid situations (Taxi without a licence plate, great free stuff given by stranger like rings, clothes), it will be ok :) If you have any question about your journey, i'll try to help you out, as an ultimate prood that not all parisians are dickheads ! PS : Yes, i'm at work and wearing a Marinière right now, but a red one.

[@wesammansour1486]

Julien Chameyrat Paris is one of my favorite cities..i just love it!! Cheers from Yemen

[@holyfox94]

I lived in Paris for some years and never had any problems. But I didn’t walked around in jogging pants and a camera around my neck. As a girl, I learned not to look young Maghreb men in the eyes. In some Quartiers it may be better to have a bored, annoyed look on your face. Le Fooding is my go to hotel& restaurant guide in France. It’s great. I tip 20% in France. I work at German Michelin starred restaurant. So I know how tough the job is. Get off the touristy paths. Paris is beautiful everywhere. In fact, I’ve still never been on the Tour Eiffel.😁

[@DocJohnnyBoy]

Il faut un manuel pour ne pas se faire voler pfff, elle est passée où la ville de l''amour ...?

[@holyfox94]

o Ðjeezus If you are street wise& clever, you don’t need a manual. But people from Japan do. Because Japan is practically crime free. They’re not used to this awful behavior from the Ziganes,...

[@middaysun3553]

I have a little thing to say about calling the server and talk about what you don't think is correct with your food... 3 times out of ten is a nice guy who will help you, 7 out of 10 times will go back to the kitchen spit in your plate or just pretending to do something and bring it back to you hating you for the rest of your time there. French are rude angry ( that'd deserve an anthropological study!) always ready to fight no matter if you are a woman a girl a man... and scream loudly in public with no shame whatsoever

[@karinperrott9890]

My husband and I were approached by a man who said it would be 100 euros to our hotel from the station. When I said it was too high he went down to 75 euros. I told him we would join the taxi queue. He said it would take us an hour to get to the front of the line. Ten minutes later we were at our hotel and the cost was 13 euros. Not the best introduction to Paris.

[@DrJakesVeryBritishReviews]

Exactly my experience.

[@kikireisdorff4238]

That happende to me in New York and Milaan and Madrid, has nothing to do with Parijs.

[@skdkskdk]

That is happening everywhere these days but surprised to hear they are operating the "Indian System"

[@curly3544]

What u mean by Indian system?

[@myrarobertson7157]

In hindsight but who is to know this will happen. What if they have not watched this video or known anyone who were scammed in Paris. I still love Paris and it didn't happen the first time.

[@alanwilkerson8810]

Just returned from Paris - June 2019. Didn't see this before we went. We were confronted with the Ring Scam while walking along the river. A man acted out the scene just as described above. I initially started to fall for it, and took the ring as he handed it to me, but then I caught my senses, recognizing that this person appeared as if he needed the value of this ring much more than I did and it didn't make sense that he just wanted to give it to me. I put it back in his hand and strongly said no. Thankfully, he moved on without much resistance. Afterward I felt pretty foolish, but it did catch me off guard. The advise to be generally skeptical of anyone that approaches you is good advise!

[@reverv]

My experiences travelling in Europe these last few years make appreciate going to Mexico. The locals do a good job at getting rid of anyone that might prey on or scam tourists. They understand that tourism will be affected if people don't enjoy their vacation. That's the way it should be.

[@exelmans8855]

Blackplastic well, the day there’s more tourists in your Mexico than in France, let me know.

[@reb0118]

One could argue that France does not need tourism in the same way that parts of Mexico do.

[@RSS5311]

I was in Paris in September of 2018. Stayed for three glorious weeks. I don’t speak a word of French except Bonjour. I had a fabulous time. People were friendly and great. They all spoke English. Go to Paris and enjoy yourself. It’s a beautiful city.

[@derrickbelmar]

Thank you

[@SassyC18]

SMH went a week ago and had total opposite experience.....

[@patrickokeeffe6998]

We all know that, he's giving his time, giving good advice on the scammers

[@jamesupton4996]

Three weeks and you didn't learn enough French to get by? That's not good.

[@AlexAuAsmr]

I went to Paris from London for my spring break last month. We got off the Eurostar train from London in the same train station. We took the metro to get to our Airbnb. Before we even got off the Eurostar, I told my group to secure their belongings in front pockets so no one can take it. One of us didn’t follow my advice so he got pickpocketed 20 minutes later on the crowded metro. Thank god he screamed demanding his wallet back and one of them panicked and threw it on the ground and his friend was saying there’s your wallet, pretending they didn’t take it. It was surprising how fast it was for that to happen.

[@susanmorris9243]

AlexAuAsmr in in I I'm ok

[@nuaryahaya7607]

Be alert....i also be a victim and thank to local people alert me bout this...

[@maninthestreet01]

Real taxi drivers never leave their cars and go touting for business on foot.

[@JohnD640]

They probably don't want the chance of one of these 'others' stealing their car!

[@tabby956]

With the gold ring scam, drop 20 euros and when the scammer bends over to pick it up, just kick them up the arse and take back the money.

[@OpenRoader]

My wife and I thought it would be romantic to take one of those 3 wheeled covered bike tours around the Paris at night. Hired a taxi/rickshaw driver to take us around, we agreed on 30 Euro. Started out at the Eiffel Tower, he took us around town for about 40 minutes, then when we returned he demanded 200 Euro saying he gave us the special tour and what not. I told him repeatedly that we didn't have any more money and then he threatened to call the police and then demanded my wife's wedding ring! I ended up pulling him around the street by his face before he finally got the message. But a few of his rickshaw buddies tried to come to his rescue. I thought it was going to be my wife and I against a few of these guys, but some policed rolled by and they just dissipated. So, yeah, watch yourself in the tourist areas.

[@AndrewG975]

Sorry but you'd been very naive, rickshaws are known worldwide as a tourist trap.

[@woofolliesmydog8628]

40mins at night for 30 euros? You must have known you were about to be scammed.

[@sandra-leebernier941]

I ve experience the gold ring scam . I was walking on the sidewalk when a scruffy looking older lady walking towards me "found " a gold ring on the ground some 15 feet before we pass each other. I saw her pick up the ring and offered me the ring but as you say if it doesn't seem right its not . she offered me the ring in exchange of some money. yep ! you havre to watch yourselfwhen travelling no matter where . thanks for your video !

[@timjarvis9078]

Learnt that lesson from visiting Bangkok in 2008 when my group of mates decided to head out see the city we were easy prey for scammers, especially motorcycle taxis in Phuket when you’ve agreed to a price and when they go to drop you off it’s all of a sudden upped to 10 times what you’ve originally arranged. Same in Prague and Krakow Poland with the horse and carts rides never take those they’ll bleed you dry for every cent you’ve got. When they threaten to call police say you’ll do it they usually get frightened and agree to leave you alone.

[@wesammansour1486]

The Golden Ring scam happened to me in Paris at the Vendome near the Amazing hotel the Ritz..a lady just grabbed a ring from the floor and was asking me "is this your golden ring??" I answered no..she tried to give it to me as a gift..i just told her to give it to the police,and i walked away..

[@terencechipchase1761]

Same here, exactly same place, Place Vendome. She asked if it was ours; we said no and to keep it. "pour moi? vous est tres jolie" etc. Same scam by a man attempted within the half hour in the Tuileries. Told him to hop it. He walked away at first then started running.

[@Kelly-tj8xv]

The scammers will always be around if you're quiet. I had a scammer approach me, I yelled 'Escro' loudly, and NON, and when I passed by him two days later, he smiled at me started to approach me, recognized me, and turned and went to another person

[@seekingthetrinity]

I live here in Paris and got the lost wallet trick, my wife arrived (a Parisian) and told him to go see the Police for help, and told me to learn to be more aware of scammers. I AM NOW! Thanks AND YOU ARE ALSO CORRECT, PARIS IS BEAUTIFUL, mostly. 😎

[@hopscotch5874]

There are absolutely no police around. It's horrible!

[@ephraimcamacho9296]

G Dog12 I didn't see one when I was there! They suck!

[@kekw5153]

I think the police idgaf and be thieves as well

[@opairsoft8100]

Ephraim Camacho you must not have looked hard enough....I say tons of police......probably saw about 30+ (seeing police cars and gusesseing that it’s at least two officers per car). Then there was the 75ish soldiers who would be in groups of 6 or so. Then there was the heavily armed police/swat which I saw probably another 30+.

[@SmackcrackIV]

Katia not a single soldier or cop or gendarme EVER has an ak47 (no one uses those anymore either, it’s all akm and has been for decades). You will see soldiers with a famas rifle, always in fatigues and usually with some sort of beret. Some gendarmes (guys in blue often with armored vests and a triangular beret) will have submachine guns like mp5 or shotguns. Cops only ever have pistols. Being a Parisian myself, i see one type of these guys every single day without fail. If you go to touristy areas (louvre, eiffel tower etc), there will always be soldiers or gendarmes around. Stop spouting lies.

[@williambeckham1692]

My wife and I rented an apartment in Paris a couple of years ago and were seeing the sights. I was pretty well tuned to the scammers. The gold ring was the one we had the most fun with. We spotted it coming a block away. As they would grab the ring in front of us we would scoot 4 or 5 feet away from them and then turn around and both of us would applaud wildly and call “bravo”,! for a great performance.

[@PH-zc7th]

A similar taxi thing happened to me. My gut/intuition told me not to go with a man claiming to be a "taximan" because I thought why would a taximan be in the Gare du Nord train station and not in his taxi driving around and then being asked to stop by potential passengers. Basically, similar practice to American taxis or taxi drivers in the rest of Europe. Anyway, I looked to the right and saw the official and more professional taxi rank so I told him we're not going with him. Police were standing at the entrance of the taxi rank. Now I wish I had told them about this "taximan". I always wondered if I was being paranoid over that. Now hearing about your experience, clearly my gut feeling was right!

[@JohnD640]

The police don't seem to care about foreigners being ripped-off...

[@linger368]

I have heard of a scam that happened to my friend's relatives, do let me know if anyone heard of or experienced anything similar. He went with his wife and another to Paris and got approached by an individual initially. He just asked some normal question and went on his way. Next came another two people who asked them if they had been talking to the man, and claimed that they are the police and that he deals with counterfeit money so they have to check their wallets. Before the fake police checked, they had say 6-7 notes in their wallets. After they finished checking their notes and left, my friend's relatives noticed they had 2-3 notes missing from their wallets. They had performed a "magic trick" right in front of them, and stole their money this way. It is dangerous for us not to allow them to check the wallet, because they might use their authority as the "police" to arrest you and bring you to their car or a deserted alleyway and rob you clean. Best way is to not interact with the first guy in the first place. Anything similar that happened to any of you? Just thought I would share since I have rarely heard of anyone getting this scam but it happened to a relative of someone I know.

[@jamesupton4996]

Authority can be challenged. They'd have to identify themselves, and you could always call the real police. or just create a scene. And I doubt that they'd try arresting and cuffing you in the street if they were fake.

[@marcoantonioarredondozarin1423]

At Sacré Coeur, there's always a lot of africans telling you to come closer, if you get closer they tie you up a shity wristband with a lot of knots, then they tell you to give them money. It's impossible to rid off the wristband becasue of the knots, so they start to harass you till you give them a coin or something.

[@zerohedge9642]

Marco Antonio Arredondo Zariñana : Why would you let a stranger get that close or touch you? Gross. I would have punched them in the face.

[@dustgreylynx]

I also got threatened by those ... The guy just grabbed me by elbow because I didn't answer his hello, the guy was really scary and with one hand in the pocket as if he had a knife ... And police just stands 100m further down the hill, wtf ?

[@ignacio9813]

Zero Hedge we've got a badass over here!!!

[@cinnamongirl5410]

why doesn't Paris get rid of these thugs? I don't get it.

[@MsJooy]

@@cinnamongirl5410 wht dont u help them big boy

[@raymondgoubet]

Those "security guards" should be sacked, and the scammers sent to a new Gulag in Siberia, where nature will "take good care of them". I am French, and beyond fed up of criminals!

[@kikireisdorff4238]

raymondgoubet I am from Belgium and also confronted with these criminals, north africans and all the rest. 31/07/2018.

[@MoHMoHMoHMoooH]

That's so sad about Paris. Same happens in Rio, and I agree with you. Sometimes people act stupid here in America, security guards help doing their job and them use same excuses as usual, "cops are racism", and bla bla bla... I'll be visiting Paris next month and this video made me stay aware 👍

[@Larry]

My brother almost got mugged in Paris, well he technically was, but when the mugger found out he was English, he backed off. No idea why. But considering how important tourism is to Paris, you'd think they'd crack down on this.

[@alicen2610]

No idea why they let all of these scams and petty crimes go on there. For one, it doesn't help those living this way better themselves. They make good enough money from it and aren't motivated to do something honest. Second, it breeds racism against the ethnic groups most commonly associated with the scams and petty crimes. Third, some of them are indebted to crime bosses and have to give their earnings to a middleman who sends the money back to a crime boss, usually in Romania or Bulgaria. So letting all of this continue also fuels that problem.

[@DrJakesVeryBritishReviews]

I don't know about you, but I just have teabags in my pockets. And a picture of the Queen.

[@alex-sv8ru]

Larry Bundy Jr Your brother could've just said he is Russian.

[@glenncanning8189]

Larry Bundy Jr why don’t they crack down on it everywhere, in all major cities? Because it’s impossible. A major city guarantees a certain amount of crime. You can let that intimidate you out of traveling & enjoying life, or accept the extremely small chances that it will happen to you. If you have a good head atop your shoulders, you’ll be fine nearly anywhere in France, just like the US

[@callumjack3598]

yo how on earth fam, you always commenting on weird vides on youtube larry haaahahaaahaaaaaaa

[@Ourglobetrotting]

The scams are crazy in this great city. Every time we go here it feels as if someone is always trying to get money from you. Good video

[@joannebirtch5953]

Just got back from what is probably our 8th visit to Paris. We deftly avoided the ring scam but being with several other people this time, walked into the restaurant scam big time in the Bistro Champs de Mars. 1. They refused to serve tap water which I thought was (and is) against the law but did not fight. 2. They tried to sell larger sizes of one meal although the waitress could not describe the differences or the tell the pricing of larger sizes. 3. They refused to provide bread -- regular bagette -- but said they only had garlic bread -- 9 Euros was the cost. As I can speak passible french, I demanded regular bread (I had ordered cheese plate for goodness sakes) and reminded her this was Paris, France. There HAD to be bread. Before we left she explained her boss says she has to say those things. I told her "mentir c'est mentir, tout court." So she understood we knew she was an f'ing lier. The bill for a hamburger platter, a salad, a 4 cheese plate, 2 medium white wine and 1 small plus of course 3 bottles of 6 Euro water was 135 Euros or 205 Canadian dollars (6 adults but 3 only shared the others meals). The morale of the story: Don't hurry, read the menu thoroughly before deciding to go in or stay, push back when they say they can't serve basic things, a medium size is usually way much more money than a small, and assume bad intentions when at touristic area restaurants.

[@eddiebruv]

Ran into the taxi queue at Garde du Nord. They wanted about 100 euro to our hotel. Cost about 2 euro each on the tube.

[@onee]

73 dislikes from scammers.

[@kate000a]

onee I laughed out loud

[@Carol-D.1324]

That is exactly what I thought! LOL

[@gangstarebel2746]

onee hahaha

[@SuperHoneyOil]

I speak French and read fluently. I still got mugged by a fucking Armenian. One of the sketchiest cities I've ever been to. I'd rather go to south chicago or Gary than Paris

[@bobsalita3417]

A common tourist scam anywhere in the world is to short change a purchase. Be sure to remember the denomination of the bill you pay with. Be wary if the cashier/server removes it from your sight before making change. Challenge any wrong amount. A real scammer will always have a pat answer to explain away the mistake and correct the amount.

[@linger368]

Bob Salita that happened to me in Hong Kong. Don't think that was a scam but she just calculated wrongly, because she glared at us and thought WE were trying to scam her... our fault that I only chose to calculate when we were right outside their door.

[@CC-qz1kt]

This happened to me in Mexico’s

[@jerrydurk1]

I had some try the gold ring scam near the Eifel tower back in November. I gave him the ring back and told him I couldnt help and walked away.

[@goodbyamerica3665]

I have spent six weeks in Paris over the last couple of years. It's pretty easy to avoid scams. 1- avoid anyone approaching you with a petition, clipboard, asking if you speak english ( when they do not) etc. 2- use common sense and don't be gulible ( ring drop, street merchants etc ) 3- only sleezy restaurants have higher prices on the english menu - don't be paranoid

[@JohnD640]

Worst place I went was Tunisia. There were kids trying to dance around in front of you to distract you while their mate was trying to go through your pockets behind or your pack. Another scam was some local I didn't know said "You don't remember me, do you? I work in your hotel, I saw you this morning!" Then he said "Have you seen the carnival? Its great, its this way!" This was years ago and I got sucked-in. Before I knew it we were going down shady back-streets but I'd lost my bearings. Luckily, all that happened was that I got stuck in his brother's tat shop! I didn't buy anything (much to the guy and his brother's abject hatred!) but there were a couple of scared girls in there who wanted out, "Do you know the way to the supermarket?" "Which one?" "ANY ONE!" "Yeah, this way-"

[@iheartcryptoverse2857]

How kind of you to save those girls.

[@JohnnyB.Good2323]

The "I work at your hotel" scam is active in Manila, as well.

[@mktsp2]

Also, in Athens, Greece (Do you remember me? You don't? Come on! Where did you do your army service? Samos? Eh, you see, we were together in Samos! At first you are too embarassed to admit you don't remember the guy. After all it's been so many years! And then it follows a sad story about misfortunes that happened to him, and would you buy him a meal for old time's sake? :)

[@killiangarvan2766]

Last summer I went to Nice for the Cannes Film Festival. When I just came out of the airport I went to a bus stop. As I was standing by the bus stop (looking very much like a fresh tourist) some bloke in his late twenties appeared and pretended to look at the bus timetable that was just behind me. Thankfully there were two people with bags who were standing fairly close to me so that did not give this person much space to move around me. The bus arrived two minutes later and as all the passengers were boarding I noticed the person who pretended to be looking at the timetable was talking to two Irish women in their late fifties about how much the bus fare was. As soon as everyone boarded the bus one of the Irish women realized the aforementioned person had robbed her purse which had a lot of money and all her bank cards in it. When I met up with my french contacts and told them about what had happened I found it very interesting how they reacted. . . It was as if I told them the sky was blue!

[@Gigi-yo1ot]

For the ring that happen to me :) and I say no thank you,but a strong nooooooo:)and I'm a French native but they approached us because my kids was speaking in English , live now in US so sad to ear my country change for the worst and I'm so sorry this happen to all of you what can I say is terrible

[@kaym7704]

I'm surprised the restaurant menu thing happens...in the US it's a known that tourist areas are always higher in price but to have to separate menu that targets tourist is a quick way to lose your license. I'm surprised cities let known restaurants get away with that. Maybe it does happens in the US but I've never heard of it. The other scams I can see happening in most places.

[@DovidM]

You would think that the tourism authority would encourage people to report the practice as well as conduct their own sting investigations.

[@tgunderwood8399]

I recently spent a week in Paris. It was wonderful. I had no issues like any described.

[@MsCherryleopard]

I’m glad I came across your video! I’ll be better prepared! Ignore the rude comments that people have said. I think your video was informative!

[@bobsalita3417]

New restaurant scam that's so hard to detect. Bill was presented to our large group. The money pool was short 20 Euros. Was someone not paying their share or was there an extra item? Finally we took out a calculator and found the computer generated bill had a wrong sum! The waiter had been able to print a wrong total. Everyone always assumes the additions are correct on a computer generated receipt.

[@duongkieunhu9729]

thank you for this video, your pronunciation is very clear and easy to follow

[@raclarke7379]

I visited Paris for 3 weeks and I found the people to be extremely rude! They would pretend they don’t understand my French ( at least I was making the effort). I hated the metro the atmosphere was awful, the food anywhere was so expensive and terrible ( and I’m not saying tourist restaurants) even a cup of coffee was 5-6 Euros at least in an small normal cafe, I swore not to go back

[@mystere_baguette]

Well I am very sorry for you , I'm living in Paris and to be honest it's not perfect but it is not like you describe. I think you don't like the city and that's ok but please don't lie ! average price for an expresso is between 2,2 & 2,50 € , you can find not too expensive and good food in many places ...and when you say "at least I was making the effort" I think that's the minimum courtesy when you are in a foreign country . " They pretend they don't understand my French" so you insinuate that they lying, woaww what a nice story ! we are generally glad when somebody speak or try to speak in french (which is unfortunately not so often) so normally we will try to understand you ...and I don't find why we would "pretend" to not understand your French... I am happy you swore to not come back since actually we are one of the most visited city in the world with the average of 15 millions of foreign tourist every year , we don't need more liar and rude people as the 2,2 millions of Parisians .

[@iainmrodgers9991]

Well done Julien - you proved his point. Instead of sympathising with Ra you called HIM rude. Bien joué.

[@mystere_baguette]

All right IAIN RODGERS , You find my answer is rude ? What you would think about people lying and insulting your country ? I am just honest ! It is okay to me if you don't like Paris or the French that's alright you can't love everybody , nevermind ,BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIE and DISRESPECT People. French we are not rude at all , we are just arrogant ....it's different:)

[@iainmrodgers9991]

I was not insulting your country or lying. I was describing Paris. I don't know if I went far enough. The Metro is the worst in the world. Every station has it's own dedicated lunatic shouting and doing strange things. Every carriage on a Metro train has a beggar telling you a sob story (usually lies). Every cafe charges ridiculous prices and tries to rip you off if they think they can. It's an utterly obnoxious place. That's Paris - Je n'ai rien dit d'autres villes françaises

[@Stavoren]

you have probably never been to los angeles or new york....."a dedicated lunatic at every station shouting and doing strange things"...you dont even have to go to the stations for this ... they are EVERYWHERE over here... try venice beach for example, over charging "tourist" ...??? go to abbot kinney for $8 scoops of ice cream or $6 for a cup of "im entitled" coffee... your description sounds like most (not all) major cities or tourist place on this rock we dwell in....

[@SimonLeeds]

Thanks for making this. Could you make more and add some pics? I’m quite impressed you dont need to edit much. Must have it all planned out in your head (didn’t see you look down at a laptop or anything).

[@deepbluehue3]

Just watch how locals act in a big city is a good rule of thumb to follow . They keep to themselves / expressionless / unengaging and NOT flashy attire …

[@roddymarcellus9739]

Some of them come to you and asked you to sign a petition. It's happened at the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower.

[@opairsoft8100]

Roddy Marcellus oh that’s one of my favorite ones. Sadly didn’t get a chance to say something funny back to them.

[@Wheelabarraback]

I had a family of gypsies start playing music to us on the train in France . The little boy was playing the violin really well . I smelt a rat and kept my eye on them and when he smiled he had gold teeth!! Not long after the train guard yelled at them to get off as he knew they were going to scam us some how. He knew we were tourists and protected us from them. He said later they were pick pockets .

[@mkervelegan]

I'm a gypsy with gold teeth and work as a Federal law enforcement officer. We're not all crooks or assholes.

[@albertodillon]

Many illegal people from abroad and young people from the suburbs of Paris mainly the 93 department

[@user-gn3bw5tx9u]

jaw dropping.... thanks so much

[@kevinmcfarley156]

Never pay a restraurant bill in Paris without looking it over and adding it up. They add things you didn't order, accidentally make errors in addition and charge and extra 20 dollars and often add the tax twice and say you don't understand the tax. They get nasty with you when you question their honesty, which is a sure size their a crook.

[@SanaaStark]

I’m Leaving for Paris in May 2020 to do My practice on a Preschool and even though its less than a year before I depart, I still feel safe Being prepared (and not just about learning the language but other things that Is must-know for first-time Visitors). Thank you for sharing your experience

[@veronicanegrete514]

My friend and I were being harassed by a very good looking guy trying to get our attention at the Eiffel Tower. I guess he was waiting for a moment to take our camera or bags while we were taking pictures. He kept asking if he could help us. Finally, I called the police officer and he just ran off. Couple of other scams but thanks to watching videos like this, we were warned. Thank u!

[@TheWanderingWife]

I was just there in August and filmed 3 different scams near Sacre Cœur. They’re worse every time I’m there, but it doesn’t stop me from going.

[@gvs93fdr]

My famy and I have only been to Paris once. Got scammed 3 different times. Bracelet scam; little stattuete scam; and subway mugged (but my father realized what had happened and retrieved his wallet).

[@AirflowAviation]

Those cheap street merchants are great, I bought 10 key rings for 2 euros (that’s 10 euros in a regular tourist store) and although I couldn’t speak French, he was very kind and told us to enjoy Paris.

[@charlesdavidalvarez4861]

Airflow Aviation , I bought the same from an african seller in Trocadero and ask him to take my pictures as I am traveling alone, he took several nice pictures of me and handed him an extra euro, he was sort of surprised and he handed me an extra set of five which I refused .

[@jakerkz]

Even i got 10 key rings of eiffel tower for 2 euros.Only thing is to be little careful while u in metro

[@islandgirl8914]

I had no problem with them. Will buy again.

[@timc2832]

Dang going Paris soon going to be aware of these and stay alert

[@Betharoot]

My daughter and I watched the police chase the souvenir sellers away from the Louvre courtyard. They can run really fast but make a lot of noise as they do.

[@malenaboy]

I feel bad I didn’t watch this video before I went to Paris, I was pick pocketed my first day and I believe it was the nice guy who helped me carry my huge bag in the past the gate. He made me get into a very crowded subway car and I believe that’s where they struck and took my wallet with 300€ and my id, luckily they didn’t take my passport or credit card/phone which was in my other pocket, really bummed me out cause I am a student and it affected my whole time plus I have social anxiety disorder and that nearly made me regress a lot. Happy to all those who helped me after though. Next time France only with friends .

[@canman5060]

Pick pocket is very common in Paris.

[@jrr3558]

Like in other big cities around the world

[@iheartcryptoverse2857]

So sorry that happened to you. If it makes you feel any better, even if you grabbed the guy, he has already handed off your wallet to his partner. They usually work in twos so if the pickpocket is caught, they can say I don't have their wallet. Search me for it

[@skdkskdk]

You need to watch a video to know that these cities are pickpocket headquarters?

[@myrarobertson7157]

I am glad your wife helped you to avoid what happened to me.

[@gkk2001]

I am sure there are many great things to see and do in Paris but I don’t think I will ever visit. Paris has horrible press and now add the scams. I don’t see the risk reward balance as worth it. Great video and a recent new subscriber by the way. You have a great channel.

[@summersummer5078]

Im from Thailand who been travel to paris alone,,,i knew very well how peoples scam becoz im from land of scam,,,,,just act like low costs tourist in Paris and you will be fine,,,,,thank for your vdo i can share to my friends

[@hilltopviewer8204]

Thanks for your great and honest video,its nice to see people with experience of travelling like this and letting the people know!Some people who have been scammed on here with the bracelet scam and three cups scam near the Eiffel Tower.

[@puzzlingcentaur]

I went to Paris 11 years ago and I have such bad memories of the city that I don't ever want to visit it anymore. It's not just the scam, it's the people and the environment (dirty, filthy environment). It's much nicer in smaller French towns. Paris is this huge city that will proudly present you its Eiffel tower, Louvre and other popular tourist destinations that serve as a reminder of nation's former glory. But the city itself....I get shivers when I remember how filthy everything was, I remember the poorer district, I remember the smell, I remember the rude people, I remember people treating me like trash because I wasn't French and insulting me in French in my face. Whenever someone asks, I tell him or her to stay away or make the trip as short as possible before escaping that place.

[@ivanleterror9158]

During our summer driving (leased car) in Europe, we did find in France the smaller towns and villages to be more relaxed. But the same can be said here in the states.

[@ramzi0]

True

[@FeelinErie]

The gold ring scam is similar to the rose scam in London. I'm a Londoner and was sitting at a bus stop on Oxford Street (waiting for someone). A guy approached me holding a small bouquet of pink roses. He offered me one, and I was puzzled yet took it, and THEN he started demanding money. At this point, I kept trying to give it back to him, refusing to pay anything, and then I just left it on a stack of newspapers by the bus stop, he took it, then moved on. First time that's happened to me in my hometown, but then again, I was in the touristy area.

[@lisalim8978]

Thank you for the Video. May God bless you because you do good to other people by warning. 👍

[@cherylsim9385]

Omg “what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?” Is the funniest thing EVER THANKYOU

[@bg588]

Lots of aggressive African men approaching us in Paris at taxi stands quoting ten times the correct prices

[@ToquzOghuzKhaganatekhan]

I dont trust any Aflikas

[@bruceleighty8002]

The one that happened to me: I was sitting on a park bench with few people around except my wife. A fellow came up to me and engages me in conversation about his smartphone. I didn't notice his partner behind me very interested in my backpack. My wife noticed his though and watched him. I was informed by a Parisian later who observed the encounter that we were being targeted.

[@patricklall4433]

The scammers really had it in for this guy on his holiday.

[@nomorebroke1056]

It’s very helpful. Thank you for sharing ❤️

[@VexSG]

In Paris, At the Eiffel tower, them models of the tower can go for €10 for a large one, €5 for a medium one and €1 for a small one. A huge scam, there is a shop near the tower (which is more of a stall) that sells them for HALF the price. The Tuk Tuks May seem like a scam. As a overpriced taxi, costing €20 from the Arc De Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower, But you won’t regret it. It’s fun. My best french memory. At multiple places they try to offer bracelets and stuff my proper grabbing your hand at putting on you. Then ask for a small loan of €1,000,000 (just kidding, but it is costly). I saw more of these at the Sacré Cœur than at the other places. If you need to, don’t take the main entrances and exits at attractions in Paris.

[@ljm5387]

I love visiting Paris however the scams can be obvious if your being careful 1 - beware the beggars on the champs-Elysee! Daytime = there are beggars ever 5-10 paving squares apart and are very territorial (I think it has improved since the last time but its disturbing to see a brawl over space) evening/night - you can get families getting their children to walk up to you and demand money. One little girl asked everyone outside our cafe the last time we were there and got irate when someone ignored her to the point that she was snapping fingers in the persons face however a firm 'no' or shake of the head works, also a confused 'why?' will get them to leave you alone. 2- watch your bags in queues, there's a lot now for security points to get in everywhere so I'd recommend all your important things you have to carry with you are in the inner pockets of your bag, shoulder/across body bags that close completely ideally with the zipper facing you. 3- if your out at night stay in groups or well lit areas, plan a route or have the name of your hotel on hand if you get lost. 4 - there will be other street beggars (normally women) with signs written in english with a 'sob story' written on them and will ask 'speak english?' as you pass, if you stop they will make you read it and then beg for money, even getting histerical to cause a scene if you don't give them anything. A friend of ours got stopped by one the first day as she was walking alone to meet us at the entrance of a cafe. The woman backed off when we came to get her. (We also had one approach three of us when we left the Eiffel tower asking 'speak english?' and we all said "No" at the same time and walked off.

[@petersmith2040]

It seems that scam artists, no matter in which city in the world, are targeting people who can speak English.

[@MorticiaBeaulieu]

@@petersmith2040 I am living in Berlin/Germany. Here if you answer 'No', they immediately switch to other languages and ask if you speak German, French, Italian, Spanish, etc.

[@muhammadfahadullah2885]

Oh my God same almost happen to me near the boat tour station one bridge a lady asking me this is gold ring for you I said no it's not mine she said it's blessings you should take I said no no I will never took anything which is not belong to me. And I escaped and walked away..

[@zerohedge9642]

I had a rogue taxi grab my stuff while in Bucaresti, Romania. Never let a stranger grab your stuff. They knew it was the overnight train so you are a bit out of it.

[@ioneraionete5200]

What Bucharest have to do with Paris???

[@bobsalita3417]

We asked the waitress for a bill. I noticed there was a prolonged discussion between the waiter and the bartender. The bartender came over and presented the bill. That was so weird that we looked for a scam. We found it. They had listed my beef dish using a generic name that cost 5 Euros more than my dish.

[@SydneyRichelle]

In 2016 my parents and I travelled to Paris to visit family. We decided to visit London as well, so we took the Eurostar to and back to Paris. Upon arrival we saw a huge taxi line and my family was approached by a sketchy man urging us to take his taxi home. Immediately I knew it was a bad idea but my father, for some reason, complied and the driver frantically put our bags in the trunk. The whole car ride, my mother and I sat in the back seats while my dad sat on the front passenger seat. I pulled out the Notes app on my phone and typed something along the lines of “this isn’t a real taxi driver, there isn’t even a taxi meter in here”. My mother nodded in agreement and I showed my dad the same message. He then proceeded to ask “so, where’s your taxi meter?” to the driver. The driver handed him an old laminated paper stating prices ranging from 60 Euros to 250 Euros. My dad texted me saying to stay calm because we don’t know what the man is capable of. To protect my family from any potential danger, my dad accepted the high price and we were dropped off safely at our destination. I have never felt so vulerable in my whole life. It wasn’t even the price I was wholely concerned about. It was the fact that we got into some unqualified, stranger’s vehicle and that anything could’ve happened to my family and I. Always be aware and careful everywhere you go. Take care.

[@xoxoJGWS]

I was in paris once with a friend, we sat near the seine. A man came up to us and said YOU DROPPED YOUR RING. I ignored it but my friend said 'nope not my ring' but as the man kept insisting, she kept telling him no, not my ring, totally unimpressed by the weird situation. Then finally she took the ring and said fine, if you dont want it, ill take it. He then proceeded to talk about how he needed money, she gave him back the ring generously and said well have this then, buy yourself a meal. We laughed and walked away a little later, he wasnt the best actor, it was pretty funny. The dramatic semi bad actor and my super unimpressed friend.

[@hassanalihusseini1717]

Throw the ring into the water (most scams happen close to Seine river) and ask: "What ring?"

[@chandanmatrix]

very informative jake. thanks for sharing

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

Thanks for the advice...!!! 😊

[@frankparent463]

10 yrs ago, I went to Paris with my aunt and that ring thing happened to us only, we all knew the ring didn't belong to us, we're not stupid so we just walked away.

[@peterscotney1]

thanks for this info ,i,m going in 4 weeks time ! especially like the info on the fake cabs and the gold ring scam

[@kellylave13]

Well done! Keep up the great work.

[@12121149]

Las Vegas is the capital of Taxi Scams,beware if you go there.True,they even run smaller tires on the rear of the cabs,so the meter runs faster,as in miles driven.

[@josephbarclayross6216]

Also valet parkers in Las Vegas can often be thieves working with their own hotel managers. It's a very crooked town. Don't even leave anything in the trunk if you are giving them the keys!

[@JakeSVanHfan]

@@josephbarclayross6216 My sister had her cellphone stolen from her back pocket while in Las Vegas. I told her she needed to keep that in her side pocket or a cross body purse never back pocket. Too much going on around in casinos to distract the victims. I told her about the pick pocket people well she found a sign that warns people but it was right after it happened.

[@teslarex]

Good info. Sad we have to have to worry about this.

[@JayTelly]

I just returned from paris. I am an indian, for us Paris is like a dream destination.. I found original french people are so polite and helpful. But not many original people around. City is full of immigrants. I feel sorry for french people. They need be little bold and get out of the colonial guilt feeling.

[@hassanalihusseini1717]

Three years ago I was in Paris with my Thai fiance. She was telling me the same. The only thing I disagree with you is colonialism: French never dealt with their racist past properly (and I think British never did it with India, did they?).

[@larsars7]

Something similar in Athens...some guy will approach you saying that him and his band are going to be playing Afro-Caribbean music at the main near square (near the Acropolis) they shake your hand invite you to the event then they put a wristband on you and ask you to "donate" anything you can..the moment you put your hand in your pocket they will ask for 10 or 20 euros because of a family emergency and they need your help....if you tell them that you don't have that amount of money on you they will even point to where the nearest ATM is.....IT'S ALL A BIG SCAM!!!

[@cholizgz9999]

As a Spaniard that has been in countries where you’re literally a huge coin with head, I’ve learnt that you don’t have to trust anyone

[@arriesone1]

There are criminals everywhere, every city on earth. I learnt my lesson the hard way many, many years ago when I was so young and naive but I learnt well and never again have I been scammed from that day to this ☺️

[@barney3983]

i went to french and told the waiter to " go away" instead of " thank you" lmao

[@HappyPlaceParis]

Having travelled and lived abroad in many cities, I don't think that Paris is a city where there is a particularly high "scam rate". For taxis, use the Uber app, it's efficient, cheaper and the driver is tracked.

[@hassanalihusseini1717]

No! Never use Scam company Uber! They are living on tax fraud (or better said "Tax Scams").

[@LUCKIEONASIS]

I never heard of Americans asking for euros, that's a new one...

[@Chetok]

I had a young boy who tried to say I had dropped my ring and he should have a reward, I shouted out loudly that he was a pickpocket and drew attention to both he and I. Needless to say he got lost quickly.

[@KingBobCat]

The Taxi Scam happened to us in New York (outside LaGuardia airport) . A guy who came up to us as soon as we were outside the terminal rushing us into his car and grabbing our bags. It all seemed odd, so we did the same as you and bailed. Of course, he was furious. All I can say is be cautious in a strange city and follow your gut. If it seems weird or fishy, it probably is.... :p

[@ericwitt4359]

I lived in Paris for over 10 years. I agree with the guy on everything except the street venders. I think you can easily negotiate for a lower price than what there is in the shops. All you have to do is look at the price in the shops, and negotiate with the street vendors for a lower price who will probably grant you this since they don't pay overhead like the shopkeepers do.

[@loridelia8806]

Thank you! Great video.

[@johnwood6025]

Depending on the street vendor, they can be a lot cheaper. The little eiffel tour things were like 10 euros for three and the same eiffel tours were 3 for 1 euro at the street vendors

[@artsmart]

From all the stories I've heard about traveling to all these exotic destinations, especially places like Paris and Mexico, I think I'll just stay in my own boring little corner of the world. Thanks all the same;)

[@vehbibajraktari1]

Thank you Mr. Colombo for the invention, if you're so skeptical about a city like Paris, the points you've mentioned are quite normal especially in large cities where tourists are denser, moreover DO NOT ever think of visiting Istanbul, you'll be forced to hand over your valuables threatened by the weapon (wallets, phone, gifts you've bought, maybe even a good leather jacket), back in 2005 while I'was walking down the street a bunch of kids stole my bottle of water as they were running. I saw a tourist being stabbed in a metro, saw a beggar pointing knife against money etc etc.

[@Tracks777]

Quite good video, awesome!

[@yaimavol]

i was staying at a Paris airport hotel. It's a mile to the airport, and the shuttle was broken down, so 4 of us pile into a cab. The driver charged all 4 of us the minumum $ 15 to drive us a mile. I was furious.

[@jk-qf3lt]

100% way to avoid these scams is to avoid Paris.

[@theml2s]

You scared?

[@jk-qf3lt]

Being born, raised and living in N.Y., I am not so sure I would be "scared" to visit Paris. However since vacations are expensive I would prefer to visit cities that are not over run with pick pockets, scam artist and beggars, perhaps instead of Paris I would vacation in cities like St. Moritz, Prague or Reykjavik. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6aodaivmpJ9o6c

[@davidrose1838]

Bingo!

[@kochka22]

@@jk-qf3lt Kind of stupid comment lol. Scammers are in all in touristic places all over the world, and these places are touristic because there are interesting thing to see there. The more tourists they are, the more scammers they are. That's why Italia, France and Spain are more affected than Switzerland or Czech Republic...

[@kenlee1416]

Prague is a top tourist destination and so has its share of scams.

[@forestsoceansmusic]

The gold ring scam is far more subtle than that. I was in Paris in 2011 with my girlfriend, we were on one of the bridges over the Seine (just a little ways up from Notre Dame actually), and this nice, grandma-looking North African woman said (in English): "Did you drop this?", holding up a plain gold ring. We checked with each other and said 'No', me adding: "Looks like you've scored yourself a gold ring!" with a smile. She said: "You have it, you look so much in love."; which we were, having only met on-line a couple of months before. (I'd flown to the Netherlands from Australia to meet the woman who became my girlfriend.) So, thinking it was an omen, I took it, and the woman walked off with a nice smile (no asking for gifts or money or anything). Then my Dutch girlfriend said she had a bad feeling about it, that it might be some kind of scam. So I trusted her intuition and threw it into the Seine making a wish : ) About 30 minutes later, as we neared the Eiffel Tower, a prime-of-life tall North African man bent down near us and asked (again in English): "Did you drop this?", proffering an identical-looking gold ring. I immediately started yelling out: "Gendarme! Gendarme!", to which the Moroccan-looking guy started swearing at me (in French) but while walking quickly away. True story. No more rings offered after that.

[@ephraimcamacho9296]

I went to London and Paris! Paris has it's dangers! At the tower two black street venders got back to back around my sister in-law! One was trying to distract her by selling something and the other one was sneaking behind her! I yelled at her to watch out and told her that the two men were trying to mug her! My brother and I both ran over to protect her we got back to back! These two black men were not afraid because thier was no police to be found in the tourist area! This is Paris for you! In the end the two black men walked away! All we got over charge at a pizza restaurant! It was four of us we had four small salad with cheese and one medium pizza pie! They charged us $120.00! Paris are fill with crooked people! Becareful with people that have big smiles from any country!!

[@JohnD640]

The grin of a shark!

[@thereseember2800]

Wow!

[@russwelday]

The brighter the smile the sharper the knife.

[@kikireisdorff4238]

These blacks are coming from Afrika on little boads as refugiés. And Europ has to accept tem. They have to be sent back to black.

[@joycemaxam733]

@@russwelday lol

[@davidskeeterskeeter1835]

Very good advice my friend,,thank you 👏🏻👏🏻👍👍🇬🇧

[@henryweaver667]

Hey pal in Texas, no one asks for euros! Duh.

[@brigittebenz5672]

.....great video, thank you so much !!!!

[@mistermerita341]

Take Uber around Paris.

[@TheWanderingWife]

Mark Rita yes, we’ve had great experiences with Uber in Paris.

[@merber6070]

Whats the price range?

[@cap4life1]

Uber drivers are at least documented and trackable. There's also customer support. To say foreign looking drivers (e.g. not white I guess?) are suspect is prejudiced and short-sighted.

[@Surrfside24]

cap4life1 uber has the live location of the vechical at all times, also has a function for the passenger to turn on location and it will send family or friends your live location on your drive. Also has our (drivers) license card, insurance, social security, proof of ownership of car(vin #, plates) and back ground checks. Pretty much everything a taxi driver has and more. Also for people who are scared to get in a car with a stranger , isn't a taxi driver a stranger as well? Haha

[@AntiMagicDragon]

LOL you get all there info about the, car number plate of the car and what kind a car and where car is and the name of driver and pic... if he does hurt you he going go jail as you have all the info about them. So you are pretty safe.

[@obviouslya1945]

I was in Paris last year. It was great,but I took all necessary precautions as well.