Question 1

What is the "Drink Spiking in Old Town Clubs" scam in Riga?

Accepted Answer

Incidents of drink spiking followed by sexual assault and robbery have been reported in Riga's Old Town nightlife venues. Solo tourists and those separated from their group are the most vulnerable. Never leave your drink unattended and never accept drinks from strangers. Go out with trusted company and look after each other. If you feel unusually intoxicated, go to a member of bar staff immediately and call for help. The Old Town at night requires significantly more caution than during the day.

Question 2

What is the "Fake QR-Code Stickers on Parking Payment Machines" scam in Riga?

Accepted Answer

Latvian public broadcaster LSM (October 2025 and follow-up March 2026 reports) warns that scammers are sticking counterfeit QR codes over the real ones on parking payment machines, directing anyone who scans them to fake payment pages that harvest card details or install malware. Police say the fraudulent stickers have been widely reported on social media and that QR scams are one of the fastest-growing fraud types in Latvia. Tourists with rental cars are especially exposed because they don't recognise the legitimate Rīgas satiksme or Mobilly payment pages. Pay for Riga street parking through the official Mobilly app or the machine's own card/coin slot instead of scanning any QR code. If you do scan, check the URL carefully before entering card details — legitimate Latvian services use .lv domains, not long hyphenated lookalikes. Report suspicious stickers to the machine operator or State Police.

Question 3

What is the "Rental Car Deposit and Phantom Damage Charges at Riga Airport" scam in Riga?

Accepted Answer

Multiple 2024-2025 reviews on Trustpilot and TripAdvisor's Riga forum describe budget car-hire desks at Riga Airport withholding security deposits over 'damage' the renter never caused, or stacking inflated post-return fees — one customer reported a 72 euro administration fee for processing a 20 euro traffic ticket, plus charges for dirty mats and border crossings. A dedicated TripAdvisor Riga forum 'SCAM ALERT' thread describes the same deposit-withholding mechanic. Claims typically arrive by email after the tourist has flown home, making them hard to dispute. Photograph and video the entire car, including roof, wheels and interior, at pickup and return with the rental desk timestamp visible, and get any existing damage noted in writing. Use a credit card so charges can be disputed, decline vague 'admin fee' add-ons, and prefer major brands or highly rated local firms over the cheapest headline price. Keep the return inspection receipt.

Other Tourist Scams in Riga

Drink Spiking in Old Town Clubs

Fake QR-Code Stickers on Parking Payment Machines

Rental Car Deposit and Phantom Damage Charges at Riga Airport

Experienced a scam here?