New scams

Possibly the most common in Paris right now is the Mute/Deaf scam. A friend of mine was stopped by a few "mute/deaf" kids for a donation outside Louvre Museum. They also may indicate to you they need your signature on a donation list (to distract you). She pulled out her wallet to donate a few euros, one of the kids grabbed the wallet, they all chatted among themselves (not deaf and mute after all) and ran away. Also, there is the "bracelet" scam that happens in many European countries. Someone comes up to you, slips a beaded bracelet onto your arm and then tells you that you now owe them 10 or 20 euros. Immediately take it off and get away from them. This scam is common near Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Montmartre, Paris. Also, the same scam may be played out using a gold ring the scammer has supposedly just found; they slip it on your finger and then demand money. Also, be aware that a scam may occur before you get out of the airport and onto your plane. Many people possibly have items or money stolen from them by the TSA or airline employees as they go through security leaving the US for Europe. Wear a money belt. I now take very little cash, relying on my credit cards and ATM's in Europe; just my preference. Amy, Have you looked at the Graffiti Wall here on the Rick Steves site? Check out the topic "Tourist Scam Alert" that has many responses to what you've asked: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti11.html

Saw an item on our news here last night that there is serious concern over the the high number of baggage handlers, airport security staff etc with criminal convictions working in Australian airports and we're worried about pickpockets on the Paris Metro!!!!!

Rebecca, I'm often am concerned about having cash stolen from security. You said to wear a money belt, but do you think they will let us wear one through security? If they do a pat down and notice you have on a money belt, they can make us take it off and then they really know you would have cash in there and take the money. If this happens that I need to take off my money belt, I just hope I can keep a close eye on it. Happy Travels!

I use a money belt, but when going through security, it is deep in my carryon. Checked baggage is another issue, but I don't know how anyone could get into a carryon bag and steal anything with the owner standing right there, as well as numerous other security personnel. I never let go of my bag until it's going into the xray machine, and I'm standing there waiting when it comes back out again. Even if they have wanted to look at something in it, I'm standing there when they do it.

The wallet stays in my pocket when I walk through security. I actively watch my bags as they pass out of the machine and keep my eyes on them at all times. It's all you can do. And I don't check a suitcase if I can help it. If I do check a suitcase, I don't put anything in there like cash or documents, just clothes and an extra pair of shoes, etc. On our trip to Europe next month we are both just carrying on our RS carry ons (me backpack she with rolling carryon suitcase). And this probably goes without saying, but when on the metro, put your camera away in your day bag. DO NOT leave it dangling around your shoulder as you get on the metro. My friend was with his family in Barcelona, his Nikon DSLR with zoom lens hanging from the strap around his shoulder, and a woman next to him was making a real commotion like she had to get off the train, and he noticed her arm was linked into his camera shoulder strap. He was able to yank it out of her grasp, just as she darted out the door while it was starting to close. Very much a scam, and lucky he could prevent her from taking his camera. We always keep a tight grip on our day bags when out in the city on the metro/tube. And look around you before you sit down, or don't stand right next to the exit door.

If you're chosen to go through the nude-o-scope, everything must be out of your pockets. And nothing can be hidden under your clothing.Otherwise, you may be subject to groping or at least TSA pawing over whatever they find. Prior to getting to security, I put my wallet, moneybelt, watch, change, etc, into a pouch that is clipped to the bottom of my carry-on. This way, they usually don't inspect it but if they do, it will have to be in front of me. Not easy to just pocket things.

Do they have a nude-o-scope in Rome and Venice? I'm going there in early December when it's coooold!!

How do you define a scam?

I went through Frankfurt Airport in May. I was wearing my money belt as I've done on previous trips to Europe. It's an actual belt not a pouch hidden under your clothes. While going through the scanner I was told to take of the belt and open it up and actually had to show and tell them how much money was in the belt....about 300 euros....so much for secrecy. My money did not leave my hands at any time but it was something of an unsettling experience.

Yep, if you are wearing a money belt under your clothing, you will be flagged to go through the manual pat down, because the scanners only indicate something is under your clothing and they cannot tell "what" it is But, the very best thing to do is to request the pat down on the front end,instead of going thru the scanner.....that way you and your belongings go into a private room and you don't get separated from them. I was advised to do this by a family member who is an airline employee who always requests the manual pat down instead of the body scan for this very reason (and she works behind the scenes for the airline, not on a plane). When time does not permit asking for a manual pat down, such as in a busy NY airport or with tight connections in places that require a re-entry through security, I make a big deal out of not putting my purse through until I can be assured that I will be able to instantly grab it as it comes through the other side. I very kindly and very nicely tell the TSA reps that I do not want to lose sight or control of my purse......and I have always been treated with respect and understanding. I do not imply I am worried about them....I tell them I don't want anyone to grab it and run, etc. If the scanning needs to take longer than the purse going thru the conveyer belt, I nicely tell them that I would like for them to put the purse right near my feet so I can keep an eye on it. And, of course, with a travel partner, one of us goes thru, and once done, then the next one of us puts thru the valuables, so the other one is there to retrieve (or at least watch carefully the stuff). Kindness combined with firmness seems to work (so far).

Lisa, To comfort you, when you are wearing a money belt (and don't wear one thru the new body scanners), but when you go to a manual pat down in the private room, they do not make you take off the money belt. Surprisingly,they just pat you down, then put their gloves under a gun-powder type detector, and away you go...............it is amazingly simple and non-invasive. I think the manual pat down is actually less invasive than the body scanner. And one definitely has better control of their belongings in the little room, and it is easier to talk and treat the TSA like human beings. I always tell them I am glad they are doing their jobs, and I really am.

Saw an article in the last couple days about gangs using gas and robbing rooms in expensive Italian resorts. Since I don't stay at expensive resorts, I didn't pay too much attention.

Margaret, Thanks for that information from your family member who is an airline employee! That is good information! Unfortunately, if you are not getting the private pat down, things are different. Any notion that you have any control over the situation with the TSA inspecting your bags is an illusion. They kept me 25 feet away from my bags while they went through my purse and took several hundred dollars, barking at me to stay back! They made it clear that if I objected or approached them, I would be arrested. You don't tell them how it's going to be; they tell you how it's going to be. (Yikes!) I am hoping you don't ever experience this. Also read the article Rick himself posted under "Today's European Travel Headlines" on the News and Events page; (you will have to go to the bottom of the column and click on "this week's headlines"and look at Thursday, Sept. 1) "Ways to protect your luggage from being pilfered" (Washington Post) in which theft by TSA and airline employees is covered.

Rebecca, thank you sincerely for the warning. (If you used to live in England, PM me....I may know you as a fellow Nashvillian.) I do hope I never encounter what happened to you. This really should be a Topic for "60 Minutes" or one of the investigative shows. Unfortunately, I'm so assertive (after trying to be nice), I'd probably end up arrested......I'd want to count out my money in front of them and get a signed receipt for anything that is going away from my sight (carry-on, not checked luggage). I'd request the senior-most TSA official at that airport to whom I would make my request. If that did not work, I would appear on every national morning and evening news show(the networks would be all over it), and address Congress and get legislation passed that better protects one's carry-on valuables, especially money (as in your case). If everyone who reads this post writes/calls their elected representatives?????? I'm all for security, but folks should not be victimized. TSA should have the right (for our protection) to go through and inspect anything, but we should have the right to see our CARRY-ON possessions being inspected (for our protection). ooops, I just hijacked Amy's post...sorry, Amy. I'm now stepping down from my soapbox :)

Margaret, awesome post on TSA and how you'd handle them, lol I realize now that this is an area we need to plan for when traveling, and I am thankful for all the tips and the OP who brought up the "scam" question. Our laptop was left back in Frankfurt security because we were distracted and the computer was put in a separate bin by security. We reported it immediately on the BA flight, and the captain did all he could, including trying to delay the flight, but German officials wouldn't release our laptop. Finally wrote to the airport department in charge of lost and found items, and 125 euros later it was sent back to us. Moral of the story. Don't let airport security make you put all your items in multiple bins! It's so hard to keep track of everything. They had engaged us in conversation while emptying one bag to search it, and flight was leaving shortly so quite a rush. Am thinking that having BA captain reporting the laptop immediately with description and serial number, markings etc made it harder for one of the personnel to even think of stealing it. May not have happened, but Learn from my experience -:)

If you forgot to pick up your laptop after the scanner that is hardly a "scam". It is not the fault of security personnel that you were rushed and distracted.

Eli, you actually knew the serial number of your laptop? I'm impressed! I wouldn't be able to come up with mine, particularly under stress. Still, it wasn't the TSA's fault that it was left.

No, and I'm not sure if scam artists are on holiday in Aug. or not, but we saw less in Paris than we did our trip 5 years ago. There were the petition people and the gal trying to sell metro tickets, but that was all. They weren't aggressive or really that prevelant. This forum had me more anxious than I needed to be.

question to you all: going to paris in november: is pickpocketing bad on the metro?

jonathan,, watch your stuff anywhere crowded,, that goes for paris rome, anywhere really. metros can be crowded. keep bulk of money or cc in moneybelt or back in hotel safe.
do not wear your wallet in your back pocket ,, thats just too easy.

Yeh watch out for the mute scam. The tip off is 'Do you speak english?" And they say that in perfect english. It happened at the eiffel tower and by that expensive mall in paris. I did my simple rick steves NO! and got the heck out of there. And pickpocketing isn't bad on the metro or paris for that fact. Thank you all for your wonderful advice. My first time in paris was sensational. I kept my wallet in my front pocket and wore my money belt. You could barely feel the thing on and it was great. Yeh, we might of gotten 'made' you can say by having the scam artists talk to us. But some other gentlemen asks me directions in french, and a man started talking to my friend in french while we were eating. The last thing I was worried about was getting pickpocketed.

You are just going to get into trouble with TSA if you try to pile all your things into one bin. Your lap top ALWAYS goes in it's own separate bin. That's been the rule for the last ten years. I would not suggest trying to dodge it. The TSA agent will just separate it and put it back through the machine. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I'm not running into all these rude thieving TSA agents that the rest of you are seeing. If they are going to manually search my bag they always ask if it's my bag and tell me that they need to check it and do so in front of me. Sorry you're not seeing the agents I'm seeing. BTW several airports have installed new baggage screen machines that are more sensitive so watch for that as well. Pam

I don't travel frequently and last month I innocently went through the nude-o-scope while wearing my money belt. I was subjected to a pat down and they insisted I remove the money belt so they could put it through the scanner. Since it had all my money and credit cards in it this was very nerve rackng, especially since by this time I was physically far-removed from the scanner and hence unable to see well what was happeing to my poor money belt. This taught me the lesson that I now bury my money belt deep in my carry-on bag before I even get to security. This is what I've done and subsequently have had no problem. And I always plan on putting my stuff in multiple bins. You just have to get used to these things.