Arnaques courantes à New York

• Common scams — Times Square costumed characters, 'free' CDs, fake monks

  Don't accept anything handed to you — the CD and bracelet aren't free

  In Times Square, costumed characters (Elmo, superheroes) and the 'Naked Cowboy' pose for photos then aggressively demand a tip — the Times Square Alliance is explicit that tipping is not required, so agree a price or decline, and report aggression to the NYPD or a Times Square Safety Officer. Rappers who press a 'free' CD or mixtape into your hands, and robed 'monks' who slip a bracelet or medallion onto your wrist, both then demand cash and follow you — don't accept anything handed to you; New York's own Buddhist leaders have publicly warned these monks are fake. Characters soliciting tips must stay inside the painted blue 'Designated Activity Zones', and photos are never obligatory.

  Vérifié en août 2026Voir la sources’ouvre dans un nouvel onglet

• Airport ride hustlers — illegal 'taxi?' touts at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark

  If a driver approaches you, it's not a legal ride

  Ignore anyone inside the terminal or at the kerb murmuring 'taxi?' — soliciting rides at the New York airports is illegal, and the Port Authority links these hustlers to inflated fares charged under pressure, credit-card fraud, theft and intimidation. Its 2026 'Operation Legal Ride' crackdown has surged police at all three airports ahead of the World Cup, with thousands of summonses already issued at JFK alone. Take the official yellow-cab line, the AirTrain, or a booked app ride from the designated pickup area — never a ride offered on foot.

  Vérifié en août 2026Voir la sources’ouvre dans un nouvel onglet

• Battery Park 'Statue of Liberty' ticket hustle

  Buy only at Castle Clinton or online — street tickets don't land

  Aggressive ticket sellers work the paths around The Battery selling 'Statue of Liberty' tickets that are overpriced, misrepresented, or for harbour cruises that never actually dock at the statue — the National Park Service warns of them by name. Statue City Cruises is the ONLY NPS-authorised ferry permitted to land at Liberty and Ellis Islands, so buy online or at the official ticket office inside Castle Clinton and walk past everyone selling on the street.

  Vérifié en août 2026Voir la sources’ouvre dans un nouvel onglet