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Italy
47 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 many well-polished scams.
Emergency numbers
- Emergency number in Europe: 112
- Police: 113
- Fire: 115
- Ambulance: 118
Sob story scammers in Italy
2 1How it works: Opening: claiming to not have money or to have been robbed. Set-up: you may encounter them on the streets or at train stations who ask if you…
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Drink, food spiking in Italy
2 0How it works: Version 1: there have reports of thieves befriending tired travellers at train stations at night and then offering spiked food/drinks. Version 2: this can happen at bars…
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Florence fake jewelry in Italy
2 0How it works: There are a number of shops around the Ponte Vecchio area which actually work together and sell fake jewelry at inflated prices. Places to beware: Florence: Ponte…
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Rental car scams in Italy
2 2How it works: Situation: there is no need to be paranoid as cases are usually isolated ones and not generalizable. However, you will need to know what to watch out…
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Money changer scams in Italy
2 2How it works: Situation: there are some rogue money changers which will advertise very favourable rates. Scam 1: the favourable rate is only if you exchange a certain minimum amount….
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Vesuvius fake stones in Italy
2 0How it works: At Vesuvius, there are shops which sell obsidian stones and minerals claimed to be from the volcano. These are largely fakes or lab grown. Places to beware:…
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Gas station scams in Italy
2 1How it works: Situation: in 2019, two gas stations were caught by the police for these scams: Version 1: rigged pump where the amount of petrol/total price is controlled by…
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Piazza Navona fake oil paintings in Italy
2 1How it works: You will see lots of artists here holding brushes who seem to be painting portraits. For some, this is an act to sell “oil paintings” which are…
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Naples’ phone scam in Italy
2 1How it works: Version 1: you may encounter touts offering a brand new phone at low prices on the streets. If you buy, the phone will be swapped with a…
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ATM skimming in Italy
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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