Question 1

What is the "Mercado San Camilo Pickpocket Diversion" scam in Arequipa?

Accepted Answer

Inside Mercado San Camilo, a busy covered market popular with tourists for fresh produce, cheeses, and local food stalls, pickpocket teams use deliberate collisions, spilled food, or loud arguments to distract visitors while a partner removes wallets or phones from bags and jacket pockets. Carry only the cash you need for the day in a front pocket or money belt. Keep your phone in a zipped bag compartment. Be especially alert when someone bumps into you or creates a commotion nearby — it is almost always a distraction.

Question 2

What is the "Counterfeit Alpaca Wool Products" scam in Arequipa?

Accepted Answer

Arequipa's textile market and souvenir shops sell items labelled as genuine alpaca or baby alpaca wool — including sweaters, scarves, and blankets — that are actually acrylic blends or lower-grade sheep wool. Premium baby alpaca garments are sold at baby alpaca prices despite containing minimal or no alpaca fiber. Arequipa is Peru's wool capital, making it a high-volume market for this fraud. Perform the burn test if possible: genuine alpaca singes like hair and produces ash, while acrylic melts and produces black smoke. Purchase alpaca textiles from the Fundo El Fierro artisan market or established stores on Calle Mercaderes that display fiber certification. Extremely low prices for claimed baby alpaca are a reliable fraud indicator.

Street Scams in Arequipa

Mercado San Camilo Pickpocket Diversion

Counterfeit Alpaca Wool Products

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