Latest Scams in Europe 2018 please

[KLN]

I am confused - what was the scam in the Switzerland example? Only seemed to be people asking directions or am I missing something?

They just wanted money to buy lunch, or so they claimed. I was just surprised as I've never been approached in Swizerland

 

[Walter_Plinge]

A scam of sorts, I guess, but I was in the Uzipio district of Riga earlier in the year taking in the Bohemian vibe when a local headed towards me, unsteady on his feet and many teeth missing. He reeked of alcohol and wanted money. Inconsistently he obviously had a job as he wore paint-spattered coveralls and his arms and hands were covered in white paint. Normally this is the sort of person where you'd put your head down and take to the gutter. I must have been feeling rather more open to humanity than usual. I said no money but would he like a smoke - I had a tin of Villigers in my backpack. Yes, that would be great, and so we had a conversation while he finished it. He spoke surprisingly good English and knew a few things about Australia. I concluded he was probably a reasonably well educated person who had been brought low by drink.

He shook my hand enthusiastically and continued on his unsteady way down the hill.

 

[Cossie]

Leaving our hotel in Tempio Pausania, Sardinia, we loaded our bags and got in, an older guy came up to my window and said something in Italian, I understood cafe, I presumed he wanted money, guy in car next to us just waved him away.

Only time I have been really worried with something like this was in the states, we parked the car, got out and a fairly seedy looking guy looked at our Canadian number plate and asked for $2. I gave it to him as I didn't want to come back to flat tyres or similar, never know, you just might end up getting shot as well......

 

[flyer001]

Switzerland has a lot of Eastern European refugees many of whom are also drug users as Switzerland has a fairly open policy to drug use. but even if these people get some funding it is only marginally possible to live there with that especially if you are a drug user. so there are lots of scams, had a guy come up from behind me at Zurich airport and throw some coins at the floor in front of me, when i bent down to pick them up he grabbed my briefcase and took of. fortunately this was very heavy as it was full of books, i did not see him do this but a Swiss porter saw him, yelled and took of after him, he dropped the case as it was slowing him too much, so i got it back. had all my money, cameras etc in it as well so I was lucky.

 

[Berrocca]

I've enjoyed reading through this thread! It's brought up some fond and not so fond memories. On our first trip overseas in 2017 after almost 20 years of non international travel, we were scammed outside the Bernabeau in Madrid for 300 Euros but that's a long story for another time.

Last year, I visited Tangier for the first time and had been warned about overly aggressive touts. As part of a day tour, I had some time to myself and wondered through the old median alone. I had decided before hand to have only a few coins in my wallet - minus documents as well and had a secret pocket in my trousers where I kept my cash (euros). This part of Morrocco accepts both Dirhams and Euros for any purchase. All the touts in Tangier seem to have a good grasp of English too.

The first tout to approach me was a young guy trying to sell some sort of trinklets. I apologised and said that I had no money and had used my last couple of Euros to purchase a Coke (showing him briefly my empty wallet). The poor bugger thought I was broke and wanted a drink and offered ME money to go buy a drink!!

The second tout was an older man also selling some bracelets and necklaces and I went through a similar response. I had sat down on a bench and he joined me, telling me some wonderful stories about his adventures in Tangier and even showing me his rock fishing videos on his phone! I told him there was some great fishing in Southern Europe and he looked at me forlornly, stating that being Moroccan would mean it was almost impossible to get a visa for Europe. I spent a good hour chatting with him. Absolutely beautiful people.

All in all, it gave me an inside view as to how these touts live, just trying to make a buck. Sure it's completely different to what scammers get up to but these touts have what I consider to be an unfair reputation.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

...money, cameras etc in it as well so I was lucky.

Not trying to be a holier than thou sort of thing, but best not to keep money in bags that can be easily removed.

 

[Chris1985]

Not so much a scam, but at the Milan Central Train Station the ticket machines for the Automatic Airport Train charge $1 Euro extra when you choose the english translation rather then proceed with the Italian.

The scam, or not so scam, is that often a bloke, who looks fairly "official", will be standing next to the machine telling you that you can save the $1 euro by doing a "trick". Once the ticket is printed he then asks you for the $1 euro to buy "Un Caffe per me" for doing you a favour. I got done once on my first trip, but didn't really work out what he was going on about, so I just walked away with him chasing me saying "Un Caffe per me, Un Caffe per me".... I've stood back and watched this over and over on a few times I have since visited the station and it was still going on last time I visited in 2018.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Not so much a scam, but at the Milan Central Train Station the ticket machines for the Automatic Airport Train charge $1 Euro extra when you choose the english translation rather then proceed with the Italian.
The scam, or not so scam, is that often a bloke, who looks fairly "official", will be standing next to the machine telling you that you can save the $1 euro by doing a "trick". Once the ticket is printed he then asks you for the $1 euro to buy "Un Caffe per me" for doing you a favour. I got done once on my first trip, but didn't really work out what he was going on about, so I just walked away with him chasing me saying "Un Caffe per me, Un Caffe per me".... I've stood back and watched this over and over on a few times I have since visited the station and it was still going on last time I visited in 2018.

Interesting way of gouging money from visitors, this one, more so the machine than the man being there.
The man being there, also is an interesting way too to make money for the man/woman if there was one when the man was not there.
For the machine, maybe their way of thinking is that the translation from Italian to English needs someone to have had done it (the translation), and so their reasoning is that someone should pay.
Similar to the ongoing fees that travellers continue to pay on the Sydney Airport train now, even though its been years since the stations were built.

 

[Chris1985]

Interesting way of gouging money from visitors, this one, more so the machine than the man being there.
The man being there, also is an interesting way too to make money for the man/woman if there was one when the man was not there.
For the machine, maybe their way of thinking is that the translation from Italian to English needs someone to have had done it (the translation), and so their reasoning is that someone should pay.
Similar to the ongoing fees that travellers continue to pay on the Sydney Airport train now, even though its been years since the stations were built.

Ya, I think you're spot on, more of a rort/gouge than a Scam. I'm sure it happens elsewhere too, it's only that the guys standing there alerted me to it by wanting his $1, otherwise i'd be none the wiser ... It's a lot of $1 to pay for an espresso in Milan!!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Even if uno espresso is Euro4.50, it would just need 5 people to agree to pay the man/woman to "help" them.
I am sure that someone must have thought it up, and that the authorities turn a blind eye to it, am sure it must work.
O/T, just see how many people go down the escalators at Sydney international airport to the train station, that is nearly Aud$14 gate fee, even before the train fare is added.
Or to use a better example, Skybus at Melbourne airport is always chockers full.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Milano Central railway station has it's own Police Station where they are currently receiving >100 theft reports per day.

A professional mob working the trains, especially (but not only) those coming via Genoa. Taking anything from full sized suitcases to small bags

Also met a young guy whose suitcase was stolen from the bag area under the shuttle bus from Malpensa to Centale.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Milano Central railway station has it's own Police Station where they are currently receiving >100 theft reports per day.

A professional mob working the trains, especially (but not only) those coming via Genoa. Taking anything from full sized suitcases to small bags

Also met a young guy whose suitcase was stolen from the bag area under the shuttle bus from Malpensa to Centale.

Be very careful in Milano I guess. I was considering a trip to Milano for a trade fair next year. Did you enjoy things there otherwise?

 

[vetrade]

Be very careful in Milano I guess. I was considering a trip to Milano for a trade fair next year. Did you enjoy things there otherwise?

Sadly, many places in Italy suffer from theft crimes now, especially major rail stations like Milan, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Rome, Pompeii etc - anywhere there are tourists there are opportunists. Any lapse in concentration and you can become a victim very easily

 

[Jacques Vert]

Be very careful in Milano I guess. I was considering a trip to Milano for a trade fair next year. Did you enjoy things there otherwise?

Not particularly, arrived during the heatwave and too hot to do anything except find an air-conditioned bar.

Been there before though, and had a good time back then.

 

[Zinger]

Not so much a scam but a way to hopefully avoid being pickpocketed.

Am currently in Europe and have been a victim of theft before. I saw this wallet with the chain at Walmart when last in the US. I bought two. With the chain wrapped around my belt and secured I've been able to stop at least two pickpockets who were foiled and was able to alert others on the metro. I think I paid about USD 11. A good deal. Lots of room for cards and cash.

Similar products available on eBay and Amazon.

I can't believe people who walk around with phones, wallets and whatever clearly visible in their back pockets.

 

[Tassieoptom]

Not so much a scam but a way to hopefully avoid being pickpocketed.

Am currently in Europe and have been a victim of theft before. I saw this wallet with the chain at Walmart when last in the US. I bought two. With the chain wrapped around my belt and secured I've been able to stop at least two pickpockets who were foiled and was able to alert others on the metro. I think I paid about USD 11. A good deal. Lots of room for cards and cash.

Similar products available on eBay and Amazon.

I can't believe people who walk around with phones, wallets and whatever clearly visible in their back pockets.

View attachment 174953

Thank you for the advice, when my wife and I were traveling in France and surrounds late last year we experienced an almost pickpocket event. It was in the Metro from a busy stop with squeezed in standing room only. My wife was wearing the yellow hand bag as pictured. The bag had a clip in flap over the top, a full zip close inner, and every section also had zippers. And this was our fake target bag, I.e. no credit cards, and only small amounts of money. On the metro there was a small jolt, and a well dressed man in a suit ‘ fell against my wife’ but no one else lost their footing. It felt wrong, so we moved away at the very next stop. After we left the train we found a quiet place and checked our bags, sure enough the yellow bag’s inner zipper was open, but the clasp was still shut. No other compartment was unzipped and all that was in the main section was a water bottle. So it shows how fast people can be, in one movement the zipper was fully undone. If we had not moved away, next ‘jolt’ would have been hand in bag searching other sections.

 

[Zinger]

Nice one.

A few years ago I was on an airport bus in Nice about to get off at the airport.

A well dressed woman standing at the door suddenly received a call on her phone and blocked the way out when the bus stopped. I suspect a gypsie. Despite my at first polite requests for her to move she didn't. When I eventually pushed her out of the way and stepped off the bus I discovered the zipper of my hand luggage, a rolling back pack had been opened even though it had a lock on it. A simple pen poked though the zipped area will do it. Google it. My travel wallet wth passport, cash and more was gone. There's always a friend behind them to do the dirty work.

The airport police were wonderful. A report was written. The airline was understanding and helpful even though it was a round the world award ticket. However I had to go to Paris for a new passport. They were wonderful. It pays to have hidden away in your emails a copy of passport, Medibank card, driver licence etc.

And if you can't afford travel insurance just don't travel.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Sad to say what the world is like eh?
Am sure scams have been around for eons but still shows how lucky we are downunder.

 

[Zinger]

Took a train ride today with luggage from Marseille to Nîmes.
The train stopped at Arles.
I turned around while the passengers were boarding and looked at the nearby baggage area and immediately noticed my large suitcase was gone.
I pushed my way through those trying to board loudly explaining my bag had been stolen. People were understanding and let me though.
I saw someone with my bag and yelled.
He dumped it and I managed to retrieve it.
No time to report or follow up as the train was about to continue the journey.
If possible always reserve a seat near the luggage store area and watch it.
Always keep an eye on your luggage before you stop and while stopped on a train journey.
And always keep your smaller luggage containing laptop, passport etc with you no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Took a train ride today with luggage from Marseille to Nîmes.
The train stopped at Arles.
I turned around while the passengers were boarding and looked at the nearby baggage area and immediately noticed my large suitcase was gone.
I pushed my way through those trying to board loudly explaining my bag had been stolen. People were understanding and let me though.
I saw someone with my bag and yelled.
He dumped it and I managed to retrieve it.
No time to report or follow up as the train was about to continue the journey.
If possible always reserve a seat near the luggage store area and watch it.
Always keep an eye on your luggage before you stop and while stopped on a train journey.
And always keep your smaller luggage containing laptop, passport etc with you no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

Glad to hear you managed to hang onto your luggage. We'll done.