Question 1

What is the "Fake Plainclothes Police Inspection" scam in Istanbul?

Accepted Answer

Men posing as plainclothes police officers approach tourists and ask to inspect their wallets or passports for counterfeit currency or drugs. While the tourist is distracted complying, an accomplice steals cash or payment cards. Real Turkish police wear uniforms. If approached by plainclothes individuals claiming to be officers, ask to see a badge and insist on going to the nearest police station. Never hand your wallet to a stranger.

Question 2

What is the "Spiked Drink Robbery" scam in Istanbul?

Accepted Answer

Tourists — primarily solo male travelers — are befriended in areas around Taksim Square or Aksaray and invited for a drink at a bar or club. The drink is spiked with sedatives or unusually strong alcohol. The victim loses consciousness or becomes heavily impaired and wakes to find their wallet, phone, and valuables stolen. The UK's FCDO explicitly warns that food and drinks offered by strangers in Turkey may be spiked. Never accept food or drinks from strangers you have just met, no matter how friendly the encounter seems. If you choose to go to a bar with someone new, order your own drink directly from the bartender and never leave it unattended. Stick to well-reviewed, established venues rather than places you are led to by a new acquaintance.

Question 3

What is the "Shoe Shine Drop Trick" scam in Istanbul?

Accepted Answer

A shoe shiner walks ahead of you and deliberately drops one of his brushes. If you pick it up and return it, he insists on shining your shoes as a thank-you gesture. Once finished, he demands an inflated fee of 50–100 USD and turns aggressive if you refuse to pay. Do not pick up dropped items from shoe shiners. If a free shine is offered, decline immediately. If you do accept, agree on a firm written or spoken price before they start work.

Question 4

What is the "Spice Bazaar Price Gouging" scam in Istanbul?

Accepted Answer

Vendors in and around the Egyptian Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) in Eminönü charge tourists prices up to ten times higher than what locals pay at the same market or in nearby neighborhood shops. A box of Turkish tea costing 250 lira in an ordinary store is routinely priced at 2,500 lira for tourists. Spices, Turkish delight, dried fruits, and saffron are the most commonly inflated items. Compare prices at two or three stalls before buying anything. Shops one block away from the bazaar perimeter typically charge far lower prices for identical products. Ask the price of a specific quantity before selecting items — vendors sometimes weigh generously and then charge an inflated per-gram rate. Genuine Iranian saffron should cost no more than a few hundred lira per gram at fair market rates.

Street Scams in Istanbul

Fake Plainclothes Police Inspection

Spiked Drink Robbery

Shoe Shine Drop Trick

Spice Bazaar Price Gouging

Experienced a scam here?