Paris Scams
 

I feel inadequate. We've been in Paris for 3 days and we've only been subjected to 2 gold ring scams, one petition and one "do you speak english"!

I'm going there soon and some advice for the english question is to speak in another language it completely throws them off. Or just ignore them and keep walking. You should make a tally of all the scams you come across!

Thanks to Fodorites, I was aware that these were scams and successfully avoided them. It adds some humor to the trip to see them and know what's going on.

<i>I feel inadequate. We've been in Paris for 3 days and we've only been subjected to 2 gold ring scams, one petition and one "do you speak english"! </i>

You're not trying hard enough.

Are you wearing your fanny pack?

Are you wearing a polo shirt with your company logo?

Are you wearing your best white tennis shoes?

Maybe you need to talk louder.

I was queuing up in the Vatican and when asked if I spoke English, I replied in very bad Welsh.
My daughter heard somebody behind asking what on earth I had said. "Dunno, but it sounded like "bugger off" in an unknown language"

Of course there's always a chance that the person asking "Do you speak English?" is actually a hapless tourist trying to work out their own problem.

The person didn't have the usual tourist gear; in fact, I don't think she even carried a purse.

You can tell the people who ask if you speak English are not hapless tourists, they don't look like tourists and don't act like tourists (wandering up and down a sidewalk on the Champs Elysees in front of people sitting at a cafe, for example, asking if anyone speaks English). I don't talk to such people, you don't have to engage with them or say anything, I ignore them. Obviously, if you didn't know English, you wouldn't understand them. I would say there is zero chance that someone doing that is a hapless tourist.

<i>I don't think she even carried a purse.</i>

Well then how did she carry her water??!?!?

A young couple from Ohio asked us outside Notre Dame if we spoke English. She was crying. It was their honeymoon and they had expected more English to be spoken in Paris. It was quite sad.

I've been in Paris 10 days and have only been approached by petition girls twice. Still have 5 days to go...

<i>A young couple from Ohio asked us outside Notre Dame if we spoke English. She was crying. It was their honeymoon and they had expected more English to be spoken in Paris. It was quite sad.</i>

That's a wake-up call if there ever was one.

Thanks for the heads up. We are also in Paris at the moment. For several days I,ve had an empty feeling. Couldn't figure it out. Now I realize it,s because I haven't been offered not one ring or petition. Hopefully, before we get on the Eurostar tomorrow, someone will approach us in Gare du Nord.

If you're lucky, you'll get your pocket picked!

So, on the way to Gare du Nord , I noticed a group of petitioners about to go on their appointed rounds. pparently, they were trying to get people to sign in favor of Obama misiling Assad. nd we give them no credit and call them scammers. They,re just young political science students.

I got offered three rings in one day. I must have had a sign on my back.

330east..really, did they have ID. Do you believe all you see?? And would the signature of a non-res/non-cit mean anything at all??

Um, there is a LOT of English spoken in Paris. If she assumed that all Parisians would be fluent in English - i would ask how many people in Ohio are fluent in French?

Dealing with the tourist infrastructure in paris in english is easy - not sure what she could have expected. (This is part of the danger of Disney - people confuse Franceland with France).

We were approached in the Tuileries, by a chap who was intent in trying the gold ring scam on us but as we were forewarned, I laughed at him. He then spat at me and stormed off, which was even funnier!

<<They,re just young political science students.>>

HAH! And we wonder how so many people can actually fall prey to these antics.

Cathies' <i>"I laughed at him. He then spat at me and stormed off, which was even funnier!"</i>
reminded me of one visit when I found an abandoned gold ring on a balustrade.

I henceforth was able to wave it at any scammer who approached, indicating I had found mine.
(I'd rather make a scammer smile at me than spit.)

29feb, being spat at wasn't particularly funny, but the outraged look on the scammers face was. I should have explained better.

I must remember to take a gold ring with me next time!

200+ days in Paris and Im yet to be approached with this 'gold ring' scam

Maybe I dont look dumb enough??

Maybe you look too dumb Frank......

sparkchaser on Sep 16, 13 at 7:03am

I don't think she even carried a purse.

Well then how did she carry her water??!?!?

=D> This made me laugh out loud!

Dayenu, can you explain sparkchaser's joke? I don't get it.

Here you go, sd:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-of-water.cfm

The latest scam is the petition for the deaf. They do not look like gypsies Today's NYTImes reported that a group of 20 pickpockets were arrested. They looked like tourist with also the cameras around their necks

And just what do Gypsies look like?

We encountered the "gold ring" scam only once, a few years ago after crossing Pont des Arts, and it was so obvious even Monet could have seen it.

29FEB, thanks! A really funny post. Had me giggling.

Just returned from the Eiffel Tower and was target for the ring scam. It was the typical scenario=a man drops a ring right before we cross the streets picks it up, shows it to us,
we ignore, he drops it again in the middle of the street and goes to pick it up, we ignore him,
and he follows us across the street and tries once again to engage us. At this point I waved my
hand in front of him saying "no, no" and walked away.
Upon arriving at the Eiffel Tower and seeing unbelievably long lines we decided to stroll around
the grounds. Guess what-the bracelet scam was going on in front of us. It was amazing to watch. I was so captivated by the process that I walked up and watched the 3 men in action.
Two of the men had their victims hands and were weaving away while a third man was on his cell phone-pretending to talk to someone- watching their victims. Of course, this scam had several outcomes-paying for the bracelets and/or getting pick pocketed by the phone man. It was
interesting how one of the bracelet making guys wedged his back up against the 2nd victim
cutting off contact with the victims friend. I just stood there shaking my head. I walked away
and told the two young victims that they should check their money.
This was one interesting afternoon. How disappointing. I am so glad that I had read about all the various scams and did not fall victim to any of them.
All I can say is stay alert, be careful and enjoy the sites.
Oh yeah, this bracelet men were within 100 yards of the police-ha! what a joke.....

We visited the Sacre Coeur earlier this year to be approached by a bunch of blokes who wanted to weave some kind of thing rom my other halfs finger. Before they started the cops showed up and they all did a runner. We couldn't quite work out what they were up to! Distraction tactic for pick pocketing? It wa squire amusing watching them scarper!

*quite amusing

I've never actually seen these guys even though I don't live far away, but there are a lot of complaints about them. They weave some sort of "friendship bracelet" and apparently are really fast if you don't snatch your hand away immediately. Once the damned thing is on you, it is much harder to refuse to give them money -- and most people say that they can be quite aggressive.

We were approached at the foot of Sacred Coeur by a dark skinned man carrying a bright colored string. I just shook my head while giving him a "don't even think about it" look and we both just kept walking. No problem after that.