France Joins Italy, Uk, Spain, And More In A Shocking Wave Of Tourist Scams—what Precautions You Need To Take In 2026 From Falling Prey To These New Travel Crisis In Europe’s Most Popular Destinations

Published on September 5, 2025

Europe attracts millions of international visitors each year, but pinch precocious tourer volumes travel various travel scams. From pickpocketing successful cities for illustration Paris and Rome to bogus recreation agencies and fraudulent taxi services, visitors are perpetually targeted by scammers. Contactless paper fraud has besides surged, pinch thieves utilizing digital skimming devices to bargain money. Other communal scams see found ring and friendship bracelet scams, which instrumentality visitors into paying for thing they didn’t inquire for. As 2026 approaches, travelers are advised to enactment vigilant successful awesome cities for illustration Barcelona, London, and Paris, wherever these scams are astir prevalent.

Where pickpocketing is astir prevalent successful Europe

A British travel‑insurance comparison tract (Quotezone.co.uk) compiled a European Pickpocketing Index from visitant reviews of awesome attractions successful 2024. The scale ranks countries by nan number of pickpocketing mentions per cardinal British visitors:

Key take‑away: Italy and France stay Europe’s pickpocketing capitals; however, Barcelona, Berlin and Amsterdam besides acquisition important theft. Visitors should support valuables secure, debar placing phones aliases wallets successful accessible pockets and enactment alert successful crowded areas.

Digital and travel‑agency scams

Fraud is not confined to thoroughfare thieves. The Mastercard Economics Institute analysed transaction information and recovered that travel‑related fraud spikes during highest tourism seasons. Key findings reported by Euronews include:

• Travel‑agency fraud: scam rates astatine recreation agencies were four times higher than nan world average. Fraudsters group up clone tourism companies offering excursions aliases guided tours astatine unusually debased prices; aft payment, nan circuit either ne'er takes spot aliases differs wholly from what was advertised. The investigation identified Barcelona arsenic 1 of nan cities pinch nan highest stock of travel‑agency scams (around 64 % of travel‑related frauds). Travellers should truthful book tours done reputable operators aliases charismatic tourism boards.
• Taxi scams: immoderate cities were notorious for overcharging, rigged taximeters aliases clone drivers. Among European destinations, London had a peculiarly precocious taxi‑fraud rate, pinch 34 % of complaints involving bogus taxis aliases car rentals. Visitors should usage licensed taxis aliases charismatic ride‑hailing apps and insist connected metered fares.
• Accommodation scams: fraudsters create clone rental listings connected vacation platforms. While nan highest rates were observed successful Phuket, Thailand (39 %) and Antalya, Turkey (35 %), akin scams person surfaced successful European cities, particularly erstwhile awesome events (e.g., Euro 2024 matches aliases summertime festivals) thrust demand. Travellers should verify properties connected morganatic platforms and debar nonstop slope transfers.

Key take‑away: The integer scenery has made it easier for criminals to airs arsenic recreation agents aliases accommodation providers. Be wary of unsolicited offers, ever verify web addresses and usage unafraid costs methods.

Common thoroughfare scams and really they work

Europe’s historical centres are fertile crushed for age‑old tricks. Travel master Rick Steves categorises scams into respective categories:

Distraction tricks

• The “Found Ring” and “Friendship Bracelet” – A scammer pretends to find a golden ringing aliases ties a bracelet connected your wrist, past demands payment. These distractions often supply screen for an accomplice to prime your pocket.
• Fake spills aliases messes – Someone spills ketchup aliases clone pigeon droppings connected you, apologises profusely and “helps” cleanable up while stealing your wallet.
• Begging gangs and clone kindness petitions – Groups of children aliases adults distract visitors pinch signs aliases petitions while partners bargain from bags.

Payment and cash‑handling scams

• Slow count and switcheroo – Cashiers aliases taxi drivers count alteration slowly, hoping nan tourer gathers nan money early, aliases switch ample notes for smaller ones and declare nan difference.
• Talkative cashier aliases adjuvant local – A clerk pretends to talk connected a telephone to surreptitiously photograph your card. Thieves posing arsenic adjuvant locals connection to assistance astatine summons machines aliases ATMs, memorising PIN codes aliases switching cards.
• Phony police – Con artists dressed arsenic constabulary officers inquire to inspect wallets for counterfeit bills and bargain rate aliases cards.

Confidence and romance scams

• The charismatic stranger – A friends section invites a solo traveller for a drink; nan measure arrives inflated by hundreds of euros and burly “bouncers” request payment.
• Bogus leather‑jacket sales – In Italy, a well‑dressed “salesman” offers a designer overgarment arsenic acknowledgment for directions, past claims his paper is surgery and asks for cash.

Key take‑away: Scammers trust connected distraction and manipulation. If a business feels contrived aliases urgent, politely diminution and move on. Never manus complete your wallet to anyone who is not an identifiable official.

Real‑world examples

While nonstop crime statistic are uneven crossed Europe, respective incidents item nan ongoing risk:

• Euro 2024 pickpocketing concerns: British insurers noted that pickpocketing mentions for Italy’s tourer attractions reached 478 per million visitors, pinch Rome’s Trevi Fountain and Colosseum being nan worst spots. Authorities warned visitors attending Euro 2024 matches to unafraid valuables and debar exposing wallets aliases phones.
• Paris 2024 Olympics & tourer theft: In 2024 France recorded 251 thefts per million visitors, concentrated astir nan Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. Ahead of nan 2024 Olympics and continuing into 2025, Paris constabulary deployed further officers to tourer sites and encouraged visitors to usage money belts and support phones wrong zipped pockets.
• Barcelona travel‑agency fraud: The Mastercard study revealed that travel‑agency scams accounted for around 64 % of travel‑related frauds successful Barcelona. Authorities successful Catalonia launched consciousness campaigns successful 2025 urging visitors to book tours only done charismatic tourism channels.
• London taxi fraud: London recorded a taxi‑scam complaint of 34 %, according to nan aforesaid study. Transport for London (TfL) continued its crackdown connected unlicensed drivers and advised travellers to pre‑book licensed minicabs.

These examples exemplify that scams are not confined to 1 region but correspond to high‑traffic destinations. They besides show really events specified arsenic sporting tournaments aliases festivals pull scammers looking to utilization visitors.

Countries travellers should beryllium wary of in 2026

Based connected caller information and anecdotal reports, travellers successful 2026 should workout accrued be aware successful nan pursuing European countries:

1. Italy – Highest pickpocketing complaint (478 mentions per million visitors) and aggregate street‑scam variants successful Rome, Milan and Florence.
2. France – Particularly Paris, pinch 251 thefts per million visitors and concentrated scams astir awesome monuments.
3. Spain – Barcelona’s Las Ramblas is simply a magnet for pickpockets and recorded 111 thefts per million visitors. The metropolis besides experiences precocious travel‑agency fraud.
4. Germany – Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and surrounding sites saw comparable pickpocketing rates (111 per million visitors).
5. Netherlands – Amsterdam’s red‑light territory and celebrated museums recorded 100 thefts per million visitors.
6. Portugal, Türkiye, Greece, Poland and Ireland – These countries look later connected nan scale but still warrant caution. Ireland had very debased reported pickpocketing, but Poland and Greece person seen an uptick, particularly astir Warsaw’s Old Town and Athens’ Acropolis.
7. United Kingdom – London features heavy successful taxi‑fraud statistic (34 % of cases) and experiences precocious telephone thefts, though nonstop numbers vary. Visitors should usage licensed taxis and support devices secure.

Practical tips for safe recreation successful 2026

1. Book done charismatic channels – Use charismatic tourism websites, reputable recreation agencies and verified accommodation platforms. Avoid deals that look excessively bully to beryllium true.
2. Keep valuables secure – Wear a money loop aliases a cross‑body container pinch zips, and ne'er time off bags unattended. Be cautious erstwhile approached pinch unsolicited offers, petitions aliases “gifts.”
3. Stay vigilant successful crowds – Crowded attractions are premier hunting grounds. Remain alert of your surroundings and debar utilizing phones adjacent subway doors aliases engaged plazas.
4. Use unafraid costs methods – Pay pinch a in installments paper aliases integer wallet alternatively than rate erstwhile possible; don’t fto cards retired of show and ever cheque receipts.
5. Learn section taxi rules – Only usage licensed taxis aliases reputable ride‑hailing apps; insist connected metered fares and debar unofficial drivers offering rides astatine airports aliases train stations.
6. Report incidents immediately – If you are victimised, record a constabulary study promptly; it is often basal for security claims and helps authorities way criminal activity.

Outlook for 2026

As world recreation rebounds, scammers are apt to innovate pinch integer tools. However, tourism boards and law‑enforcement agencies are besides expanding surveillance and user education. By knowing wherever scams hap and really they operate, travellers tin bask Europe’s taste treasures without becoming victims.