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Austria
12 scams
Home to beautiful alpine scenery, delightful medieval towns, opulent palaces, and the birthplace of Mozart, there is much to explore in Austria.
The country is also very safe to visit, though there are a few tourist targeted scams to be wary of.
Note: vast majority of trips are trouble free and there is no need to be paranoid. That said, it always pays to be aware, careful, and prepared.
Emergency numbers
- European emergency number: 112
- Police: 133
- Ambulance: 144
- Fire: 122
- Mountain rescue: 140
Travel resources
Concert, opera ticket scams in Austria
5 0How it works: Version 1: street touts who offer fake tickets at a discount, claiming that they are unable to attend or that they have an inside source. Version 2:…
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Petition charity scam in Austria
3 0How it works: Opening: A group of scammers posing as deaf and mute ask you to sign a charity petition – a pre-filled form in a language which you will…
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Pickpockets in Austria
4 0How it works: Version 1: they work in a gang – one onlooker, one blocks, pushes, distracts, or engages you, one grabs and the final hides the loot under a…
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Free rose scam in Austria
2 0How it works: Someone hands you a rose seemingly for free. If you accept it, the stranger will ask for a donation to help her poor family. Places to beware:…
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Restaurant scams in Austria
2 0How it works: Situation: Most food places are fine, it’s generally just a few bad eggs around touristy areas that spoil it for the rest. Set-up: Version 1: showing cheap…
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Fake police in Austria
1 0How it works: Version 1: scammers posing as plainclothes officers approach and ask for your passport. If you hand it over, they will accuse you of a minor crime and…
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Rosemary gift scam in Austria
1 0How it works: A gypsy hands you a sprig of rosemary claiming it is a blessing. She then asks for some money in return. If you refuse, she will curse…
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Luggage slashing on trains in Austria
1 0How it works: Version 1: there have been reports of bag slashing on the train from Prague to Vienna, as passengers take a nap and leave bags unattended. Version 2:…
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Fake train station staff in Austria
1 0How it works: Scammers posing as “staff”/a helpful local have been spotted at train stations carrying train timetables in German. They approach tourists, showing them the timetable and pretending to…
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Taxi scams in Austria
1 0How it works: Taxi drivers in Austria are usually reliable and will use the meter instead of charging an inflated flat fare. Still, there are bad eggs who use a…
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ATM skimming in Austria
1 0How it works: Situation: the vast majority of tourists would probably not fall for this but on the off-chance that you do, you need to know how to spot the…
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Vacation apartment scams in Austria
1 0How it works: Fake websites (e.g. perfectchalets dot com) and fake listings on legitimate third party sites (e.g. AirBnB) offering extremely cheap accommodation. Red flags: cheap prices, copy-pasted description, dodgy sounding…
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