Question 1

What is the "Black Market Currency Exchange" scam in Algiers?

Accepted Answer

Informal money changers operate on and around Boulevard Zighoud Youcef and near the central post office on Boulevard Mohamed Khemisti, offering exchange rates 10–30% above the official bank rate for Euros and USD. While the offer appears financially attractive, transactions are illegal under Algerian law and tourists caught participating face fines, confiscation of funds, or detention. Some changers also use sleight-of-hand to shortchange tourists during the count. Exchange currency only at official bank branches or the licensed bureaux de change inside Houari Boumediene Airport. The legal rate is fixed and non-negotiable — the premium offered on the street is not worth the legal and personal safety risk.

Question 2

What is the "Counterfeit or Short-Change at Informal Exchange" scam in Algiers?

Accepted Answer

Even among non-criminal informal money changers, tourists exchanging currency outside official channels frequently receive counterfeit DZD banknotes or are short-changed through rapid counting techniques. The DZD 1,000 and DZD 2,000 notes are most commonly counterfeited. Tourists rarely notice until attempting to pay at a shop or restaurant, where the counterfeit note is refused. Use only official bank branches (BNA, BEA, CPA) or the licensed airport bureaux de change. If you must count a large number of banknotes, do so slowly and away from the exchanger. Familiarize yourself with genuine DZD security features — the watermark and color-shifting ink on DZD 1,000 and 2,000 notes.

Money & ATM Scams in Algiers

Black Market Currency Exchange

Counterfeit or Short-Change at Informal Exchange

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