Street Scams in Lamu, Kenya
Pickpockets, distraction thieves, fake petitions, and street hustles in tourist areas. Below are the street scams scams reported in Lamu — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Mombasa.
Last updated: April 4, 2026
2
Street Scams Scams
8
Total in Lamu
How it works
Vendors on Lamu's waterfront promenade follow tourists for extended distances, blocking passage and refusing to accept a "no" to their sales pitches. Some use guilt tactics, claiming hardship, or place items in tourists' hands and demand payment after the tourist has touched them.
How it works
Vendors in the craft market and roaming the old town sell machine-made items—wooden chests, carved doors, kikoi cloth—falsely claimed to be antique or hand-crafted locally. Prices are set as if for authentic antiques. Some "antique" brass items are newly cast replicas sold as century-old originals.
See all scams in Lamu
8 total warnings across all categories