The jewellery trick scamming tourists out of cash across European holiday spots
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned about a popular scam targeting visitors to popular tourist destinations in Europe.
Whether you are visiting the Eiffel Tower or the Trevi Fountain, it is vital to be aware of the various dangers and how to avoid them.
While most tourists are aware of taxi scams, only buying tickets for attractions from official companies, and keeping hold of their bags, there is a new risk facing holidaymakers this summer.
A “bracelet scam is sweeping Europe,” travel expert Jessica Dante told The Daily Express.
This is similar to the common scam where people will give out roses for free, often to people who are dining at a restaurant or having a drink, to provide a distraction while someone picks their pockets.
The bracelet scam “uses the same principle but the scammer will try and put a bracelet around your wrist,” Dante explained.
European cities like Paris, Milan, and Rome have been particularly identified as common places for the scam.
The Rome Vacation Tips website warns tourists to the Eternal City that the scam is “particularly common,” there and that sellers will use “friendly chat” and “guilt-tripping” to get money out of you.
While some will use the string bracelet as a distraction for pickpockets, others will pressure people, especially couples into accepting a “free” friendship bracelet before demanding money.
‘RAN FOR MY LIFE’
A tourist from Paris shared his experience of running into a scammer while in Montmartre which saw him “run for his life” after shoving off a group of men who had him surrounded.
“I was a victim to the bracelet scam…I’m kind of like shocked. The whole thing was very scary,” he said in a TikTok video.
“It was very intimidating because he was a very big, tall man, and he said ‘Take it, take it.’ And I was like ‘No, thank you. No, thank you. No, thank you.’ Until he grabbed my arm aggressively, like, it hurt me.
“The more I would kinda like resist to it, the more men, other scammers would start walking towards me.
“And the other man was like ‘Respect him. Respect him. Stay still.’ And I was like ‘I am respecting him, I just don’t want it, please let me go.’”
“The same thing happened to my bf and I on the way up to Montmartre, they robbed us around 150€,” another TikToker replied.
Meanwhile, a tourist in Rome spoke on Reddit about the time he saw a woman being shouted at by a scammer telling her to “delete the video or pay me!” as he threatened to call the police after giving her a bracelet.
“She frantically tried to tell him she had no video. He was very aggressive and she started showing him her photos…I jumped in, threw my arm around her and got her to walk away with me,” he explained.
“Someone was likely about to snatch her now unlocked phone and access every damned thing on it, and to NEVER ENGAGE!”
GUILT TRIP
Couples should be especially alert to the scam Dante said.
This is because “the scammer plays on romantic emotions by making one partner feel obliged to engage and not dismiss the romantic gesture out of hurting their partner’s feelings.”
Common tourist scams in European cities:
- Taxi scam – Visit official stands only. Insist that taxi drivers turn on the meter and if they say it is broken, get out as this is a common scam as is telling passengers the price is more than what the meter says.
- Petition – This is where tourists will be approached to sign a charitable petition and often give a donation. This will be fake with the money going elsewhere and you could be pickpocketed while signing.
- Rose or Friendship Bracelet – Used as a distraction for pickpockets or to pressure tourists into giving money despite initially saying it was a ‘free’ gift
- Street Card Games – Such games attract large groups of people who are all distracted by watching the game. This allows pickpockets to take items without being noticed. At the same time, those who play the games lose extra money.
- ATM scam – Some ATMs may be fitted with Skimmer devices which clone card information. See if anything is loose or unusual at the machine before inserting your card. It is best to go to ATMs inside banks.
One man fell foul to this after being approached by a “He was a “very nice and chatty man.”
“He offered me and my wife a ‘free’ bracelet,” he explained on Reddit.
“I kindly refused but he ended up getting a bracelet on both our wrists and then demanded (quite aggressively) €10 euros, €5 per bracelet.”
While Dante advises people to “steer clear and decline on the spot,” when they come into contact with such scammers, other experts advise a harsher and more “unnatural” approach.
The bracelet scam “preys on the natural human instinct not to be impolite,” the experts at Rome Vacation Tips explain.
“So to counter the scam’s strange psychology, we therefore need to act in an unnatural way.”
“Totally ignore the scammer…Act as if they literally don’t exist.”
If a bracelet is already being placed half on your wrist, it is advised that you push it off.
“We recently have heard reports of scammers becoming more aggressive and intimidating,” the experts warned, making it even more vital that tourists refuse to engage with scammers in any way.
The Sun has previously reported the advice given to tourists who visited the Sacre Coeur and ran into the same scam.
Meanwhile, holidaymakers in Florence have run into another kind of scam involving fake art.
In Spain, a simple money scam has seen officials urge tourists to double-check their change.