Tourist scams in Athens (and how to avoid them)
Going to Athens? These are the 3 scams travelers report the most, in plain words, with the quick move that gets you out of each one.
Part of 21,000+ scam warnings and traveler tips from travelers worldwide, growing every day.
Athens · most reported
The bar “friend”
A friendly local invites you for a drink; women join, and a huge bill appears.
Don’t follow strangers to a bar. Leave if prices aren’t shown.
Airport taxi overcharge
Drivers refuse the meter or claim a flat “tourist” rate.
Insist on the meter or the fixed airport tariff; try Beat/Uber.
Petition & bracelet distraction
Clipboards and wrist-strings around Monastiraki cover for pickpockets.
Don’t engage; keep your bag closed and in front.
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