Money & ATM Scams in Rome, Italy
Card skimming, currency exchange fraud, dynamic currency conversion, and cash cons. Below are the money & atm scams scams reported in Rome — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Hamburg, Marseille, and Munich.
Last updated: April 7, 2026
2
Money & ATM Scams Scams
16
Total in Rome
How it works
Criminals install skimming devices over the card slot of ATMs in tourist areas, combined with a hidden pin-hole camera or fake keypad overlay to capture PINs. The skimmer reads card magnetic stripe data, which is then used to clone cards or drain accounts. Machines at freestanding ATMs in high-traffic tourist zones are the most frequently targeted; police have documented multiple seizures of such devices in Rome in recent years.
How it works
Unofficial sellers in the corridors of Termini, Ottaviano, and Colosseo metro stations offer transit tickets or day passes at face value or slight discounts, claiming the official machines are broken or sold out. The tickets they sell are either invalid, expired, or already-used. Buyers discover the problem only at turnstiles, where they may face fines from transit inspectors. The scam also occurs near bus stops with printed fake single-ride bus tickets.
See all scams in Rome
16 total warnings across all categories