These have been mentioned before, but we’ve gotten hit a couple of times with the fake petition (near Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, and Eiffel Tower). And Sacre Coeur was mobbed today with strings from the bracelet scam. My daughter noticed the pack of men holding strings in time for us to alter course and avoid them. I saw the shell game up near Sacre Coeur as well.
A money belt and locking purse kept me in possession of all my valuables.
Sounds like a typical day visiting some of the top tourist sites in Paris.
It’s not an authentic trip to Paris if you don’t see scams galore...sadly.
Wait, these are scams? What the hey!
The key thing is being polite and nice doesn't have to mean being naive.
The scams are what they are, they aren't likely to go away, they are a part of visiting the big cities of Europe. At least they are not violent crimes against persons, so that's good. As long as you know what to expect and don't get 'taken' that's the important thing.
And...I'm glad you are feeling better and able to get out and see the scammers, lol! Oh yes...and the sights!
I also fell for the petition scam during one of my first visits to Italy, I believe it was in Venice, and I thought I would know what a scam would look like.. It did look legit since they had a table out and chairs. I would have thought the police would have made them move if it was a scam, but I guess not..
