brilliant and very true!
Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You
Scams out to trick tourists take place
everywhere in Paris be it at the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées,
Sacré Coeur, along the River Seine, Notre Dame etc. We saw two tourists
fall prey to a scam recently when we were driving along the River Sine
and much as we wanted to alert them, there wasn’t enough time to do so
before the car had to move off. So, in the spirit of public service, I
hope to do our part to raise awareness of some of these hoaxes.
1. Clipboard donations
I’ve seen adults and children carrying
clipboards at major tourist destinations (Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur and
Champs-Élysées etc) asking for donations. A colleague that’s fallen for
this told me that once you agree to donate (eg. €2 or €5), they’ll tell
you that there’s a minimum donation amount. So if you oblige them,
you’ll end up losing the money you give them and could potentially have
your wallet stolen when they see where you keep your wallet. I once
witnessed an old man handing over a €20 note and instead of giving him
change, the girl ran away with his money.
2. Bracelets/Friendship Bands
I’ve only ever seen this happen in
Montmartre. As you head towards the Sacre Coeur, men will come up to you
showing you friendship bands and they will try to tie these bands on
your wrist. Say no immediately and walk away. Otherwise, once the bands
are on your wrists, they’ll ask you to pay €5 - €10 for each band.
3. Guess where the ball is
What catches your attention is a group of people huddled over a game.
You get drawn to the crowd and see a guy betting €50 while guessing
which of the 3 matchstick boxes/cups actually contains a ball. The guy
easily wins the €50. If you stick around and show some interest in
betting, those around you would egg you on telling you how easy it is to
win. Once you decide to play, that’s where the scam unfolds. The split
second that you look away to get your money, the ball is moved away from
where you thought it was and there goes your money. The guy who “won”
before you and those who urged you to bet are actually from the same
gang. They keep pretending to “win” until some innocent chap takes the
bait.
Another person who fell for this told me
that someone would come up to you to ask if you’ve dropped a gold ring.
He would then show you a ring and try to make conversation while
attempting to convince you that the ring belongs to you. When you
refuse, he will then ask for spare change either for the ring (which
could have a fake 18k insignia on it) or to pay for his next meal.
5. Someone drops something in front of you
This usually happens on trains or when
you’re seated down in a café. Someone walks by and drops something
beside you (coins, papers etc). If you bend over to help this person
pick up his belongings without watching your own stuff, chances are that
your valuable possessions (handphone/handbag/laptop) would be swiped
away while you’re bent over. It doesn’t pay to be kind? Well, yes, be
kind but be alert as well.
TAKE CARE!
