What is this gypsy gold ring scam in Paris?
Jun 27th, 2010, 09:17 AM
#22
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Thanks for the thread and the videos. Headed for Spain soon, and good to have a refresher course in tourist survival.
Neo: Love the red light story, but, yeah, in a lot of places, you would be risking your life. Glad you lived to tell about it.
Neo: Love the red light story, but, yeah, in a lot of places, you would be risking your life. Glad you lived to tell about it.
Jun 29th, 2010, 02:31 AM
#23
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This happened to us twice during our visit in May, when we were walking accross the bridge on our way from Orsay to Louvre. Since I had already read on Fodors, we just said no and walked away. They then just went away looking for their next target.
Sep 8th, 2011, 07:33 AM
#24
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Yikes! They came up to me in Nice in a public area. A short lady was walking in front of us and she picked up this huge ring. She said I am so lucky to have found this beautiful ring. She asked my mother if the ring said anything inside, and my mother took a look and it said 18k gold. My mom and I are both very honest people and couldn't believe than anyone would pull a scam like this. So we told her its your luck enjoy and started to walk away from her. She came after us and said we were very nice and the ring did not fit her and put it on my moms finger. She told my mom that her husband had passed and she had no one to give it to and that my mom should have it. It gave us goose bumps thinking that someone could be so nice. Then she asked for obey so we handed her a 10. But then we realized she had taken us for a fool and chased her down gave her the ring and took our money. She ended up running away. Its sad to think that the world has come to this. Now I understand why people give me a weird look when I ask them to take my picture.. they probably think its a scam.
Sep 8th, 2011, 12:25 PM
#28
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I have to say I'm always surprised that anyone falls for this. We watched last year as some clueless guy just took the ring from them and started to walk away...the ring guy and his nearby cohorts ran after him and demanded money, at which point the tourist just tried to give the ring back, which they refused as they kept demanding 10 euros for it. He finally got it back into their hands and walked away, but don't think they didn't follow him for a while yelling at him. They're quite aggressive and nasty...I've been yelled at just for standing there watching this go down. There doesn't seem to be any attempt being made to stop them.
Sep 8th, 2011, 05:50 PM
#32
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My husband and I have started evaluating technique...it's quite amusing. Some of them are really good and you don't see the drop. But now that we're aware of them, we find ourselves homing in on people who look like they could be ring droppers, then watch them till they do their thing. Then we rate them on how well they pulled it off.
Sep 8th, 2011, 11:29 PM
#33
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OK, there's one part of this thread I still don't get. Everyone here seems to be talking about the dishonesty of these ring scammers -- and of course that is right. But the part I don't get is why any HONEST person could or would fall for it to begin with. Let's assume for a minute that someone really did find a gold ring and offered it to an innocent bystander. What truly honest bystander would then lie and say "yes, it is mine" when it isn't? Or even attempt to buy a ring that was found on the street? Even if the ring finder wasn't a scammer, I'd consider the ring buyer not much better. Or is that me?
Sep 9th, 2011, 02:36 AM
#34
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"...planet of the Care Bears." 
No, I feel the same--wouldn't want a ring somone found for me on the street, whether I know the person or not. I need selection and pretty blue box with white ribbon. We had a woman approach us in Paris this past December with a gold ring. I remembered this was some type of scam but couldn't remember the details. Ummmm, the ring was fugly.
No, I feel the same--wouldn't want a ring somone found for me on the street, whether I know the person or not. I need selection and pretty blue box with white ribbon. We had a woman approach us in Paris this past December with a gold ring. I remembered this was some type of scam but couldn't remember the details. Ummmm, the ring was fugly.
Mar 16th, 2013, 06:10 AM
#35
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We just got back from Paris (08/03/13-11/03/13) and witnessed the ring scam for ourselves. We were walking along the Seine, just past Pont Solferino, when a man in about his late 20's early 30's walked past, although there was quite a wide birth of 3 metres between as we passed by, and looked at us. He looked shifty to say the least and low and behold, about 2 metres past us he shouted, we turned and he bent down and 'found' a gold ring on the floor - it looked like a chunky, plain mans wedding band. We know about many supposed scams so as he came back to us with the ring we tried to ignore him, but he was walking in front of my husband and thrusting the ring at him. We said no several times and he then gave up. I watched and he went and leaned against the wall and awaited his next victims! Also, at Sacre-coeur, we were hassled ridiculously by men trying to get you to 'help' with the friendship bracelets. They were really aggressive following you for ages and shouting at you about why you didn't want to help. At the Louvre we had a man who tried to sell us a ticket saying the ques were atleast 40 mins long. We declined and he got aggressive swearing at us (bit of f-ing etc). When we got in the Louvre the ques were none exsistance - you couldn't even say you qued for 40 seconds! After visting the eiffel tower, at night, there was the 'free rose' offered to me. I declined as nothing ever free! They would have asked my husband for money! (happened to me once in Greece, when I stupidly accepted a 'free' glow bangle and then the gypsy harrased me for 15 minutes for money, but as my husband carries the money and was at the loo I had none on me!) We saw the buskers on the Metro who did a whip round with a hat after. We saw plenty of beggars. We saw plenty of dodgey looking for. The sad fact is pick pocketing and tourist scams go on all over the world. As long as you are aware, vigilant and sensible, you don't have to fall victim to them and have a good trip spoilt! Despite seeing many a scam it didn't spoil my trip in the slightest. I just expect and accept it now as part of tourist culture and try to keep my belongings safe!
Mar 16th, 2013, 06:12 AM
#36
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@Francegirl30 -yes, as a couple we get photos of each other, individually, but have to ask people to get a photo of us together - like you I worry that think I'm distracting them to pick their pocket or that they might run off with my camera! 
I choose the people I ask carefully and - touch wood- have been okay and hopefully not scared anyone!
I choose the people I ask carefully and - touch wood- have been okay and hopefully not scared anyone!
Apr 4th, 2013, 07:41 AM
#38
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The scam is still alive and well. A friend who lives in Paris was telling us he had friends visiting in March who were approached twice -- once outside the Musee d'Orsay and once near the Eiffel Tower. I lived in Paris in the mid 1980s and it was happening then and couldn't believe it was still around or that someone would be targeted twice in a week. About 10 minutes after my friend told me this, we were crossing the Pont des Arts around 7 in the evening when an older woman came up behind us and told us she found a ring. All I could do was laugh and walk away
Jun 26th, 2013, 11:49 AM
#40
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Yay! Four years ago, I got to watch 2 women work the gold ring scam within one hour: once in front of L'Opera, and once in front of Maxim's, Paris. Ended up losing the one I ended up with, but TODAY, got a new one from, guess where? L'Opera, again. The ring became such an interesting story and souvenir, that I was hoping I'd be approached again. Certainly worth the 5euros I paid for it. Man, it is a really wide, shiny ring. If I get another one, maybe I can make nipple rings out of them.
