Question 1

What is the "Aggressive Panhandling and Distraction Theft" scam in Asheville?

Accepted Answer

Downtown Asheville's Lexington Avenue, Wall Street (the pedestrian alley off Battery Park Avenue), and the area around the Asheville Civic Center on Haywood Street experience organized distraction theft where one person engages a tourist in conversation or with a request while an accomplice removes items from bags or pockets. This is most common during peak weekend evenings and at outdoor dining areas on Biltmore Avenue. Keep bags zipped and worn in front in high-foot-traffic areas. Be cautious of strangers who initiate contact in ways that require your hands to be occupied (signing petitions, accepting flyers). At outdoor dining on Biltmore Avenue, keep bags on your lap or hooked around a chair leg, not hanging on the chair back.

Question 2

What is the "Counterfeit Local Artisan Goods at Craft Markets" scam in Asheville?

Accepted Answer

Asheville's weekly and seasonal craft markets—including the River Arts District Studios open studios events and the Western North Carolina Farmers Market at 570 Brevard Road—attract sellers misrepresenting mass-produced goods as locally made. Items marketed as "Asheville-made" pottery, hand-blown glass, and Appalachian craft are sometimes factory imports from overseas resellers who set up alongside legitimate local artists. Ask sellers directly: "Where is this made and did you make it yourself?" Legitimate Asheville artisans will readily explain their process and invite you to visit their studio. The River Arts District Studios Collective has a member list—verify that studio artists are actual members. Check for "Made in China" stickers on the underside of pottery and glass.

Street Scams in Asheville

Aggressive Panhandling and Distraction Theft

Counterfeit Local Artisan Goods at Craft Markets

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