How it works:
- Version 1: a young female on the streets asks if you want to get a drink together at a bar nearby. She then spends the evening drinking diluted, expensive lady drinks with you on your tab. You will be hit with a large bill, and escorted to an ATM by burly men if you can’t pay.
- Version 2: you are invited to a massage parlour or karaoke bar, and the same thing happens.
- Version 3: you pay with your credit card, and the bar/club overcharges by adding a 0 to the end of your bill – 10x the price. No receipt will be given.
Places to beware:
- Hvar
- Zagreb: Tkalciceva Street, Bogoviceva, Trg Preradovica
What to do:
- Avoid heading to a suggested bar together with a random stranger.
- If not, consider: does the bar seem legitimate? Are there customers? Is the stranger evasive about things? Is he/she only bringing you to a particular restaurant or bar?
- Test your new “friend”: pretend you have company by suggesting to go another place where you have friends at. Ask for prices before ordering. Take a photo together.
- If scammed: threaten to call the police, pay with a credit card but call immediately to dispute the charges. Keep a separate bank account with little cash to limit your losses if threatened.
