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Italy
48 scams
Besides being home to the most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites globally, Italy also offers delicious cuisine, trendy fashion, stunning coasts, lakes, mountains and more!
Unfortunately, huge crowds of tourists have also attracted opportunists who rip tourists off with some well-polished petty crime and scams.
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 number
- Emergency number in Europe: 112
- Police: 113
- Fire: 115
- Ambulance: 118
Travel guide
Shopping scams in Italy
6 2How it works: You will find fake designer products peddled at markets and touts at tourist attractions. These aren’t unique to Italy, but if you are caught with one, you…
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Ticket touts in Italy
6 1How it works: Opening: a scammer posing as a tourist claims to have a skip the line ticket which starts in a few hours’ time. However, something cropped up and…
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Unlicensed tour operators, guides in Italy
5 4How it works: Situation: it is estimated there is a large black market of tourism services in Italy, which has been growing not from a year ago, but for the…
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Public transport pickpockets in Italy
5 11How it works: Version 1: one blocks you at the door (pretends to tie shoe laces/drop something), the other steals from behind and slips to a third who escapes, and…
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Snatch thefts in Italy
5 8How it works: Two versions: strike and run; distract and grab. Possible scenarios: Streets: bikes/mopeds riding past, with a pillion rider doing the snatch. Market: snatching from behind you, then running…
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Restaurant, café, food stall scams in Italy
4 4How 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: a separate…
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Photo taking scams in Italy
4 1How it works: Version 1: a local offers to take a photo of you with a polaroid camera, seemingly for free. Once taken, a fee will be demanded, since the…
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Parking scams in Italy
4 3How it works: Version 1: at the San Siro stadium in Milan, unofficial parking attendants will direct you to park at a distance away from the real car park. A…
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Pigeon feeding photo scam in Italy
4 2How it works: Version 1: a stranger grabs your hand, places some grain or corn in it and then whistles. Pigeons fly over, eat the bird food, and a fee…
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Unofficial train ticket helpers in Italy
4 5How it works: Opening: At crowded train stations, there are unofficial “ticket helpers” who help tourists buy tickets. Set-up: Version 1: for a simple task, they will ask for an…
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