Is Prague Safe for Tourists in 2026?

Groups of individuals — often young women working in teams — approach tourists at Charles Bridge (Karlův most), Old Town Square, and outside the main train station (Praha hlavní nádraží) with clipboards or tablets claiming to represent charities helping deaf children or homeless families. While the tourist is engaged in signing, one team member stands close behind to pick pockets or open bags. Czech police confirmed in 2025 that organised charity petition collecting in Prague's tourist zones is banned and any such approach should be treated as a pickpocket operation.

How to avoid: Do not stop to sign petitions or engage with charity clipboard collectors in tourist areas. Keep your bag zipped and in front of you. If approached, decline firmly and keep walking without looking at the clipboard. If in doubt, note that legitimate charities in the Czech Republic do not solicit signatures from tourists on busy streets.

Where: Charles Bridge (Karlův most) — both tower entrances, Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) near the Astronomical Clock, Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) lower end, outside Praha hlavní nádraží (main train station)

Men claiming to be plainclothes police approach tourists near Old Town Square, claiming to be checking for counterfeit money or drugs. They inspect wallets, note currency amounts, and may take money claiming it is "suspicious."

How to avoid: Real Czech police wear visible uniforms. Any plainclothes "police" check is almost certainly a scam. Insist on going to the nearest police station (stanice) and ask for a badge number. Never hand over your wallet on the street.

Where: Approaches typically happen on the quieter side streets branching off Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square), particularly on Týnská and Štupartská streets. Also reported along Na Příkopě and the upper stretch of Wenceslas Square near the National Museum end.

Tampered ATMs in Prague's Old Town and near tourist hotels have been found fitted with card-trapping devices that retain the card inside the machine, alongside a PIN-capturing overlay on the keypad or a miniature camera hidden in the surround. After the victim walks away to seek help, an accomplice retrieves the trapped card. Skimming variants clone the card data and PIN silently without retaining the card, with fraudulent withdrawals appearing days later. Standalone ATMs not attached to a bank branch — particularly those on pedestrian side streets around Staroměstské náměstí — carry higher risk than in-branch machines.

How to avoid: Use ATMs attached to a bank branch inside a lobby, not standalone street machines. Cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN. Wiggle the card reader before inserting — a skimmer overlay will feel loose. If your card is retained, call your bank immediately to freeze it before entering the branch. Enable real-time transaction alerts on your account.

Where: Standalone ATMs on Celetná Street, Melantrichova Street, and Štefánikova Street near tourist sites; ATMs on the approach roads to Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí); 24-hour ATM booths near Praha hlavní nádraží (main train station)

Fraudulent short-term rental listings for Prague apartments are posted on secondary platforms and through cloned or lookalike versions of Airbnb and Booking.com. Properties are typically presented in desirable central locations — Vinohrady, Malá Strana, or Old Town — at below-market prices, with photos harvested from legitimate listings on the same platforms. Scammers move communication off-platform to WhatsApp or email and request full payment via bank transfer or instant-transfer apps before arrival. On the check-in date, the address leads to a building where no such apartment is available for rent, or the real host is unaware of any booking.

How to avoid: Book only through official Airbnb or Booking.com apps and never move communication off-platform. Verify that the listing complies with Prague's e-Turista registration system — all legal short-term rentals must display a unique registration ID. Cross-reference the listed address on Google Street View. Be suspicious of any host requesting payment outside the official booking portal.

Where: Listings falsely placed in sought-after central neighbourhoods: Vinohrady, Malá Strana below Prague Castle, Josefov (Jewish Quarter), and streets around Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí); victims discover the fraud on arrival at the stated address