Other Tourist Scams in St. Petersburg, Russia
Timeshares, fake police, charity fraud, and miscellaneous scams targeting visitors. Below are the other scams scams reported in St. Petersburg — 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 9, 2026
2
Other Scams Scams
11
Total in St. Petersburg
How it works
Men posing as plain-clothes police officers approach tourists on Nevsky Prospekt or near Palace Square (Dvortsovaya Ploshchad), flashing unofficial-looking ID cards and demanding to inspect passports and wallets. The pretext is typically checking for counterfeit currency or verifying visa compliance. Once your wallet is in their hands they remove cash, and if you resist they threaten arrest. In some cases a uniformed officer is a co-conspirator who arrives to "confirm" the plain-clothes officer's authority.
How it works
Foreign men visiting St. Petersburg are targeted via dating apps (Tinder, Badoo) by women who quickly suggest meeting at a specific upscale bar or restaurant near Rubinstein Street or the Fontanka River embankment. Upon arrival, expensive bottles of champagne or cocktails arrive unrequested, and at the end of the evening the tourist receives a bill for 15,000–50,000 RUB. The woman is an employee of the establishment receiving a commission. In some cases the tourist is accompanied out of the venue and pressured into ATM withdrawals by male associates.
See all scams in St. Petersburg
11 total warnings across all categories
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