Common scams in Paris

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

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

Common scams — 'found' gold ring, petition clipboards, Sacré-Cœur bracelets
Skip the petition; ignore the 'found' ring
On the approach steps below Sacré-Cœur, men force 'friendship' bracelets onto wrists and then demand payment, usually in a group — take the side stairs or the funicular and keep walking. The gold-ring trick (someone 'finds' a ring, insists it's yours, then wants money) and clipboard 'petition' teams (one distracts while an accomplice picks your pocket) work the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Tuileries. Ignore the rigged cup-and-ball / three-card games along the Seine. Pickpockets hit Métro Line 1 and RER B toward the airport hardest.
Checked August 2026View sourceopens in a new tab

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

Common scams — 'found' gold ring, petition clipboards, Sacré-Cœur bracelets