The Athens bar scam: how a friendly drink turns into a €600 bill

You're walking around Syntagma or Plaka in the evening. A friendly man starts chatting: where are you from, first time in Athens? He knows a great little bar nearby, locals only, and the first round is on him. It feels like exactly the kind of travel moment you hoped for.

An hour later you're looking at a bill for €600, and two very large men are standing by the door.

This is the Athens bar scam, one of the most reported tourist scams in the city. Here's how it plays out, the signs to watch for, and how to get out of it.

How the scam plays out

1. The friendly approach. A well dressed, chatty man starts a conversation on the street. He may ask for directions or a light first, so it feels natural.
2. The invite. He suggests a drink at a bar he "knows". It's a short walk, usually down a side street, with no prices on the door.
3. The company. Inside, women join your table. Drinks you didn't order keep arriving. Nobody shows you a menu.
4. The bill. When you try to leave, the bill is hundreds or even thousands of euros. Your new friend has gone. Staff block the door until you pay, sometimes walking you to an ATM.

Warning signs

• A stranger who is very keen to take you to one specific bar.
• No prices on the door and no menu on the table.
• Women joining you uninvited and ordering drinks.
• Darkened windows, or a doorman who closes the door behind you.

How to avoid it

Don't follow strangers to a bar. Say thanks, you already have plans, and keep walking. You can always choose your own bar.

No menu, no drink. If there's no menu, ask for prices before you order anything. If they won't tell you, leave.

Pay as you go. Settle each round when it arrives, so a surprise total can't build up.

If it already happened

Stay calm and don't argue in a way that escalates. Step outside if you can and call for help: 112 is the emergency number in Greece, and 1571 reaches the Tourist Police, who speak English.

If you paid by card, call your bank straight away and dispute the charge as fraud. Write down the bar's name and street while it's fresh.

More Athens scams to know

The bar scam is one of three scams travelers report most in Athens. See the full list, with the quick move for each one: tourist scams in Athens, and how to avoid them.

Cover photo: George E. Koronaios, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.