Europe is a big continent, with each country offering a unique culinary, cultural, and commercial experience. However, one thing that you can experience in every single European nation is scams.In peak summer, Europe’s squares turn into a seething mass of people. You save up all year to visit your favourite destination, and are looking to spend as extravagantly as possible. The hecticness creates the perfect environment for opportunistic scammers. They rely on distraction, urgency, and unfamiliarity with cultural norms. Scammers find these in abundance on the streets of Barcelona, Paris, and Athens.6 Most Common Scams You Encounter in Europe 2025 was a record-setting year for tourism in the EU, with 3.1 billion nights spent in tourist accommodations. With more tourists come more scam attempts. Understanding how the most common scams work is enough for you to avoid them altogether. The Friendship Bracelet Scam Scammers hand out ‘free’ bracelets in popular locations. They often go as far as attaching it to your wrist, ensuring that it’s ‘free of charge’. However, shortly after you accept, the scammer will reapproach and demand payment for the bracelet. The friendly encounter quickly becomes awkward, as you hand back the bracelet and they start acting cold toward you. The solution is to simply ignore them. Keep your hands in your pockets and tell them ‘no’ when they proffer you the gift. Fake Wi-Fi Hotspots As a tourist, you rely on your phone for tickets, maps, and mobile banking. Scammers take advantage by setting up fake Wi-Fi hotspots in popular tourist areas. For example, in the airport, you may see a fake network titled something like ‘Free-Airport-Wifi’. Unsuspecting tourists connect to the network, only for the scammer to intercept and steal their data. To minimise the risk, set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your phone. VPNs scramble your data, making it impossible for the scammer to steal anything. Even if you accidentally connect to the fake network, a VPN protects your banking details, login credentials, and passwords. If you ever wondered, is public Wi-Fi safe, now you will know to be careful. The Closed Attraction As you approach a must-visit site, a local will tell you that the attraction has closed for the day. So that your day isn’t ruined, they’ll offer an alternative. The alternative often comes in the form of an overpriced private tour. Or, a shop where they pressure you to buy expensive souvenirs. To avoid the scam, always check for yourself to find out whether the attraction is actually closed. You’re highly likely to find that the attraction is open. Overpriced Taxi The overpriced taxi is one of the oldest scams in Europe, but it’s still very common. Some (not all) local taxi drivers have a habit of overcharging tourists. They take advantage of the fact that tourists don’t know the route, so they can easily get away with overcharging. They’re also known to have broken meters and to take detours to add to the mileage. The scam is more common in highly touristic areas and airports. You should book a taxi in advance or use a ride-hailing app such as Uber. When using Uber, the price is set before you even enter the taxi. Specialist insurance provider AllClear recently compiled a list of the countries that attract the most complaints online about taxi scams. France, Italy, and Norway all made the top 15. Fake Petition Scam A local may approach you with a clipboard. The individual is collecting signatures for a petition. The petition is normally something broad that you will struggle to disagree with. Once you’ve signed, the scammer will ask you to donate to the connected charity. There will likely be a minimum donation requirement and a no-refund policy. Your best option is to refuse the donation, unless you can be 100% sure that the charity is legitimate. Keep your belongings safe when you interact with a donation collector, as they may pickpocket you while you’re distracted. ATM Skimming Scammers stick hidden attachments to ATMs that steal card data. These attachments are difficult to detect, especially if you’re in a rush to withdraw cash. Plus, the scammer is unlikely to use your stolen details straight away. It could take months before you start seeing suspicious card activity in your statements. To keep your card details safe, avoid using random ATMs you come across on the street. These machines are far easier for scammers to fix attachments to (plus, these machines likely charge high fees). Instead, only use inside ATMs connected to reputable international banks. Awareness Ensures Scam-Free Travel When travelling in Europe, awareness is your biggest asset in avoiding scams. Most scammers depend on their victims being first-time visitors. New visitors are vulnerable and likely to believe whatever a local tells them. Once you’ve visited several European countries, you start to notice the warning signs of a scam. Being aware allows you to ignore scammers with confidence and focus on enjoying your holiday. Ph:  Oliver_P / Shutterstock.com

Europe is a big continent, with each country offering a unique culinary, cultural, and commercial experience. However, one thing that you can experience in every single European nation is scams.In peak summer, Europe’s squares turn into a seething mass of people. You save up all year to visit your favourite destination, and are looking to spend as extravagantly as possible. The hecticness creates the perfect environment for opportunistic scammers. They rely on distraction, urgency, and unfamiliarity with cultural norms. Scammers find these in abundance on the streets of Barcelona, Paris, and Athens.2025 was a record-setting year for tourism in the EU, with . With more tourists come more scam attempts. Understanding how the most common scams work is enough for you to avoid them altogether. Scammers hand out ‘free’ bracelets in popular locations. They often go as far as attaching it to your wrist, ensuring that it’s ‘free of charge’. However, shortly after you accept, the scammer will reapproach and demand payment for the bracelet. The friendly encounter quickly becomes awkward, as you hand back the bracelet and they start acting cold toward you. The solution is to simply ignore them. Keep your hands in your pockets and tell them ‘no’ when they proffer you the gift. As a tourist, you rely on your phone for tickets, maps, and mobile banking. Scammers take advantage by setting up fake Wi-Fi hotspots in popular tourist areas. For example, in the airport, you may see a fake network titled something like ‘Free-Airport-Wifi’. Unsuspecting tourists connect to the network, only for the scammer to intercept and steal their data. To minimise the risk, set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your phone. VPNs scramble your data, making it impossible for the scammer to steal anything. Even if you accidentally connect to the fake network, a VPN protects your banking details, login credentials, and passwords. If you ever wondered, , now you will know to be careful. As you approach a must-visit site, a local will tell you that the attraction has closed for the day. So that your day isn’t ruined, they’ll offer an alternative. The alternative often comes in the form of an overpriced private tour. Or, a shop where they pressure you to buy expensive souvenirs. To avoid the scam, always check for yourself to find out whether the attraction is actually closed. You’re highly likely to find that the attraction is open. The overpriced taxi is one of the oldest scams in Europe, but it’s still very common. Some (not all) local taxi drivers have a habit of overcharging tourists. They take advantage of the fact that tourists don’t know the route, so they can easily get away with overcharging. They’re also known to have broken meters and to take detours to add to the mileage. The scam is more common in highly touristic areas and airports. You should book a taxi in advance or use a ride-hailing app such as Uber. When using Uber, the price is set before you even enter the taxi. Specialist insurance provider AllClear recently compiled a list of the countries that attract the most complaints online about taxi scams. France, Italy, and Norway . A local may approach you with a clipboard. The individual is collecting signatures for a petition. The petition is normally something broad that you will struggle to disagree with. Once you’ve signed, the scammer will ask you to donate to the connected charity. There will likely be a minimum donation requirement and a no-refund policy. Your best option is to refuse the donation, unless you can be 100% sure that the charity is legitimate. Keep your belongings safe when you interact with a donation collector, as they may pickpocket you while you’re distracted. Scammers stick hidden attachments to ATMs that steal card data. These attachments are difficult to detect, especially if you’re in a rush to withdraw cash. Plus, the scammer is unlikely to use your stolen details straight away. It could take months before you start seeing suspicious card activity in your statements. To keep your card details safe, avoid using random ATMs you come across on the street. These machines are far easier for scammers to fix attachments to (plus, these machines likely charge high fees). Instead, only use inside ATMs connected to reputable international banks. When travelling in Europe, awareness is your biggest asset in avoiding scams. Most scammers depend on their victims being first-time visitors. New visitors are vulnerable and likely to believe whatever a local tells them. Once you’ve visited several European countries, you start to notice the warning signs of a scam. Being aware allows you to ignore scammers with confidence and focus on enjoying your holiday. Ph: