Common scams in Berlin

Street-level scams reported by travelers in Berlin, each with the counter-move that defuses it.

Not a complete list — new scams appear all the time. Stay alert.

Common scams — the shell game (Hütchenspiel), petition clipboards, transit pickpockets
The shell game is always rigged — never bet, don't stop to watch
The three-cup shell game ('Hütchenspiel') run near Alexanderplatz, the East Side Gallery, Museum Island and along the old Wall route is always rigged and worked by a team with planted 'winners' — Berlin police classify it as outright fraud, so never bet and don't even stop to watch (that's when your pocket gets picked). 'Deaf petition' clipboards and fake charity sign-ups are a distraction cover for the same pickpockets. Theft concentrates on the U- and S-Bahn and around Alexanderplatz, Hauptbahnhof, Warschauer Straße and Kottbusser Tor, especially in the evenings — keep phone and wallet zipped away.
Checked July 2026

Every Farovia trip carries intel like this — dated, sourced, and ready offline at the border.

Common scams — the shell game (Hütchenspiel), petition clipboards, transit pickpockets