Tourist Scams in France

Operators run a three-cup (bonneteau) game near the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, and the Champs-Élysées, inviting tourists to guess which cup hides a small ball. The game is rigged using sleight of hand — the operator always controls the outcome. Shill players in the crowd win visibly to lure victims, and lookouts alert the group when police approach. A viral 2025 TikTok and multiple Reddit and TripAdvisor reports confirm this remains one of the most persistent street scams in Paris.

How to avoid: Never stop to watch or participate. The game is mathematically impossible to win — any visible winner is a paid shill. Walk directly away; engaging even as a curious spectator can lead to pressure or pickpocketing by surrounding accomplices. Report to police at 17 or the nearest gendarmerie if you witness it.

The Vieux-Port (Old Port) is Marseille's primary tourist hub and its most active pickpocket zone. Professional teams operate along the quays (Quai des Belges, Quai du Port, Quai de Rive Neuve), at the waterfront fish market in the morning, and on the surrounding streets including La Canebière and Cours d'Estienne d'Orves. Crowding during the morning fish market and at evening restaurant hours creates optimal conditions for theft.

How to avoid: Keep wallets in front pockets and phones stored when not in active use. At the fish market, be particularly aware of your bag when leaning in to look at produce or engage with vendors. Carry only what cash you need for the day.

Marseille's metro lines M1 and M2 — particularly at the Vieux-Port/Hôtel de Ville, Saint-Charles (central station), and Castellane interchange stations — are documented pickpocket locations. Teams operate at turnstiles, on platforms during crowded periods, and on trains running toward the northern districts. The M1 line from Castellane toward La Rose passes through several high-risk areas.

How to avoid: Secure all valuables before entering the metro. The pinch point is the turnstile — wallets and phones are most vulnerable at the moment of squeezing through. Keep bags closed and worn on your front. Be especially vigilant at Saint-Charles station when arriving with luggage.

Marseille-Saint-Charles, the city's main rail terminus and the gateway for TGV arrivals from Paris and Lyon, is a documented hotspot for pickpocket teams operating independently from the metro network. Thieves work the main staircase, the platforms, the luggage storage area, and the taxi and bus ranks directly outside the station entrance on Boulevard d'Athènes. Travelers arriving or departing with luggage are especially vulnerable as their attention is divided between bags and navigation.

How to avoid: Keep bags zipped and worn on the front of your body inside the station. Do not set bags down on the ground while checking phone directions or purchasing tickets. Use the official taxi rank and verify the meter is running before departure. Be alert for individuals standing unusually close or creating minor disturbances around you.

Fraudulent websites mimic official booking pages for the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Palace of Versailles, and other Paris attractions, selling counterfeit tickets, invalid QR codes, or hugely overpriced "skip-the-line" packages. In February 2026, French authorities arrested ten people — including Louvre employees — over a decade-long €10 million ticket fraud scheme targeting Chinese tour groups. Beyond this organised operation, independent fake-site operators continue targeting individual tourists searching Google for tickets. The US State Department and multiple travel advisories name fake booking sites as one of the top digital scams in Paris.

How to avoid: Always book directly from the official museum website (louvre.fr, musee-orsay.fr, chateauversailles.fr). Do not click on paid Google ads for museum tickets — these frequently lead to reseller or fraudulent sites. Check that the URL ends in the official domain before entering payment details. If tickets fail at the gate, report to museum security rather than the seller.

Con artists posing as plainclothes police officers approach tourists on the Metro or near major landmarks, flash a fake or real-looking badge, and demand to inspect wallets, phones, or bags for "counterfeit currency." Accomplices watch nearby and distract or block exits while cash and cards are stolen or switched. Victims are often too intimidated to refuse. Multiple TripAdvisor threads and the US State Department advisory confirm this as an active and ongoing scam in Paris.

How to avoid: Real French police (Police Nationale) always wear uniforms when stopping members of the public on the street or Metro. If someone in plainclothes claims to be police, insist on going to the nearest police station (commissariat) to resolve any issue. Never hand over your wallet — offer only your passport or ID card. Call 17 if you feel threatened.

La Canebière — Marseille's historic main boulevard running from the Vieux-Port toward the Belsunce and Noailles districts — and the connecting streets of Rue de Rome and Rue d'Aix are documented locations for bag snatching, phone grab-and-run incidents, and robbery. Perpetrators typically operate on scooters or on foot, targeting pedestrians with bags on one shoulder, shoppers carrying purchases, and visitors looking at phones while walking.

How to avoid: Carry bags across your body with the clasp facing inward. Store your phone when not in use — do not walk while looking at a screen on La Canebière. Be particularly vigilant after dark when snatching incidents are more frequent along the boulevard.

Taxi drivers at Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) overcharge tourists through several methods: quoting flat rates above the regulated fare (€50–€58 to the city center during the day), taking longer routes via the A7 motorway toll section, or using night-rate tariffs during daytime. The airport is approximately 25km from the city center and a legitimate metered fare is fixed by prefecture regulation.

How to avoid: The Navette Marseille airport shuttle bus provides a fixed-price, reliable alternative to the city center (Saint-Charles station). If taking a taxi, use only officially marked vehicles from the designated rank. Ask to confirm the regulated fare before departure and that the meter will be used on tariff 1 during daytime.