Online Scams in Paris

Fake Museum Ticket and Tour Booking Websites

Fraudulent websites mimic official booking pages for the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Palace of Versailles, and other Paris attractions, selling counterfeit tickets, invalid QR codes, or hugely overpriced "skip-the-line" packages. In February 2026, French authorities arrested ten people — including Louvre employees — over a decade-long €10 million ticket fraud scheme targeting Chinese tour groups. Beyond this organised operation, independent fake-site operators continue targeting individual tourists searching Google for tickets. The US State Department and multiple travel advisories name fake booking sites as one of the top digital scams in Paris.