Street Scams in Myrtle Beach, USA

How it works

Vendor kiosks throughout the Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex — particularly in the central walkway areas near Celebrity Square and the lake — use aggressive "discount" framing to move overpriced merchandise including electronics accessories, skin care products, sunglasses, and novelty items. A common tactic is advertising a product at an artificially inflated "retail" price of $80–120 and then "discounting" it to $45 on the spot; the actual wholesale value is $5–10. Staff station themselves in walkways, physically approach passersby, and use high-touch demos to create an obligation to buy.

How it works

Along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade — stretching from 14th Avenue South to the SkyWheel at 1110 N Ocean Blvd — and on Ocean Boulevard itself, roving vendors and booth operators sell items at prices far above their value while using aggressive tactics to prevent buyers from walking away once engaged. Common goods include hermit crabs sold as "low-maintenance pets" (they are not, and the accessories cost far more than the animal), airbrush t-shirts quoted at one price and rung up at another, and cheap sunglasses described as UV-400 designer brands. Short-change arithmetic is also a documented complaint at cash-only stands.