Tourist Scams in Armenia

Drivers near Republic Square and the Cascade complex quote sky-high flat fares to tourists rather than using the meter, sometimes charging 5–10x the correct amount.

How to avoid: Use the GG Taxi or Yandex Go apps for transparent, metered pricing. Agree on a fare in advance if using a street cab.

Armenia is internationally recognized for its brandy (domestically called cognac), and counterfeit bottles of famous brands like Ararat are sold at outdoor markets and informal vendors near tourist sites. Fakes use similar labels, wax seals, and bottles to genuine products. The contents range from low-quality spirit to potentially dangerous homebrew. Similarly, fake ancient Armenian cross-stones (khachkars) cast from resin are sold as genuine carved tuff stone.

How to avoid: Purchase Armenian cognac only from licensed liquor stores and supermarket chains, where bottles have official excise tax stamps and tamper-evident seals. For khachkars, genuine carved pieces will show tool marks and natural stone variation — perfectly smooth, uniform-colored pieces are resin casts.

Scammers create fake Yerevan hotel websites and booking platforms, collecting credit card and personal information from customers attempting to reserve rooms. Customers are charged but receive no booking or confirmation. Their identity information is then sold or used for further fraud.

How to avoid: Book only through established platforms (Booking.com, Hotels.com, official hotel websites). Verify SSL encryption (padlock icon) on any booking page. Use a credit card with fraud protection rather than debit cards. Call the hotel directly using an independently verified number to confirm.

Unofficial exchange booths near the Vernissage Market offer attractive rates but shortchange customers through sleight of hand or by giving damaged low-value notes.

How to avoid: Exchange money only at bank branches. Count your cash at the counter before leaving.

Some restaurants add items not ordered to the bill or charge prices higher than those shown on the menu, particularly near the main tourist squares.

How to avoid: Check the bill carefully against your order. Ask for an English menu with prices listed before sitting down.

While Yerevan has official licensed currency exchange kiosks throughout Kentron district, unlicensed informal changers operate near tourist sites and bus stations offering slightly better rates. These operators use distraction techniques, rapid counting, and sleight of hand to shortchange visitors. Some kiosks use rate boards showing attractive buy rates but apply the less favorable sell rate without informing the customer.

How to avoid: Exchange money only at clearly signposted licensed kiosks displaying their operating license. Count your Armenian dram notes individually before leaving the booth. Confirm which rate applies (buy vs. sell) before handing over any foreign currency.

Skimming devices have been reported on standalone ATMs near tourist areas in Yerevan. A "helpful" stranger may offer to assist and observe your PIN.

How to avoid: Use ATMs inside bank branches only. Cover your PIN and reject all unsolicited help at machines.

Touts near Republic Square and the Cascade approach tourists posing as representatives of a cognac distillery or brandy cooperative, offering a free guided tasting tour to a "partner shop" a short walk away. The shop is unaffiliated with any licensed producer such as Ararat or Noy, and bottles sold during the tasting are overpriced, of uncertain quality, and sometimes counterfeit. Visitors who decline to purchase after the tasting are pressured and in some cases charged an undisclosed "tasting fee" at the door.

How to avoid: Book distillery tours — including the ARARAT Brandy Factory on Admiral Isakov Avenue — only through your hotel concierge or the official factory website. Decline all unsolicited street invitations to tastings or "private" brandy shops. Legitimate producers do not solicit tourists on the street.