Top Tourist Attractions in Paris Scams to Lookout For

The Top 5 Paris Street Scams

• The Friendship Bracelet Scam

  • Location: Most notorious on the steps leading up to the Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre.

    The Play: Aggressive vendors will approach you and rapidly try to tie a colorful string or braid a bracelet directly onto your wrist or finger. Once it is attached, they will refuse to let you leave and aggressively demand money (often €10-€20) for the "gift".

    How to Avoid: Keep your hands in your pockets, maintain a firm stance, look away, and aggressively say "Non, merci!" while continuing to walk. Do not let them touch you.

• The Fake Petition Scam

  • Location: Plentiful underneath the Eiffel Tower, outside the Louvre, and near Notre-Dame.

  • The Play: Groups of young women carrying clipboards will approach you asking, "Do you speak English?". They pretend to collect signatures for a deaf/mute or children's charity. If you sign, they will aggressively demand a mandatory cash donation. More dangerously, the clipboard is often used to block your field of vision while an accomplice pickpockets your bag or swipe a phone off your table.

    How to Avoid: Ignore them completely. Real street charities in France rarely collect cash directly on the street.

• The Cups and Balls / Shell Game Trick

  • Location: Along the Iéna Bridge connecting the Eiffel Tower to Trocadéro, and near Metro Anvers in Montmartre.

  • The Play: A crowd clusters around a street operator shuffling a ball under three cups. You will see onlookers "betting" and easily winning large cash notes (like €50). The entire crowd consists of paid actors and accomplices. If you step up to play, slight-of-hand guarantees you will lose every time. Additionally, pickpockets work the outer edge of the crowd while you are distracted watching the game.

    How to Avoid: Never stop to watch. Keep walking.

• The Gold Ring Scam

  • Location: Public parks, the Tuileries Gardens, and bridges along the Seine.

  • The Play: A person walks just ahead of you, stoops down, and pretends to pick a heavy "gold" ring off the ground. They look at you and ask if you dropped it. When you say no, they pretend it is your lucky day and press it into your hand as a free token. As you walk away, they follow you, become distressed, and claim they need money for food, pressuring you to buy the worthless brass ring.

  • How to Avoid: Shake your head, say no, do not take the ring into your hands, and keep moving.

• The Transparent Kick-Cup Scam

  • Location: Crowded walkways and narrow sidewalks near the Louvre and metro corridors.

  • The Play: A scammer sitting on the ground places a clear, fragile plastic cup filled with loose change directly into the blind spot of the walking path. When you inevitably kick it over accidentally, they put on a dramatic show of grief and shame. Out of guilt, unsuspecting tourists bend down to help pick up the coins and end up pulling out cash to give them an apology tip.

    How to Avoid: Apologize politely ("Désolé"), do not pull out your wallet, and continue moving away.

Emerging Scams to Know

• The Red Balloon Photo Trap: A newer scam sprouting near the Iéna Bridge by the Eiffel Tower. Men carrying large red heart balloons offer couples a quick, romantic smartphone snapshot. Once they take the photo, they aggressively demand outrageous prices (€10+ per digital photo) and intimidate you until you pay up.
• The Cafe Table Swipe: While sitting at outdoor cafe terraces near major sights, scammers will throw a newspaper, map, or clipboard over your table to ask for directions or signatures. When they pick the paper back up, they take your smartphone or wallet that was resting underneath it.
• The "Metro Helper": Fraudsters hang around train station ticket kiosks posing as metro staff. They look for confused tourists and sell them invalid or highly inflated tickets. Always use the automated ticketing machines or go to the official glass booth window.

Core Rules for Staying Safe in Paris

1. Keep Items Off Tables: Never leave your phone, sunglasses, or wallet on the table at an outdoor restaurant terrace.
2. Secure Your Bags: Use a zipped crossbody bag or fanny pack, keeping it pulled toward the front of your chest—especially when riding the Metro lines or navigating thick crowds.
3. Ignore Street Taxis: Unofficial taxi drivers will approach you at the airport arrivals gate or near landmarks. Ignore them entirely and use the official taxi lines or ride-sharing apps like Uber or G7 Taxi Paris.
4. Be Unapologetically Rude: Scammers rely on your desire to be polite or avoid a scene. If someone approaches you unprompted, do not make eye contact, say a loud, sharp "No," and don't slow down.