Common Tourist Scams in France

Know these common scam patterns so you can avoid them.

Street hustle

The "found" gold ring

A stranger 'discovers' a gold ring on the pavement right in front of you — often near the Eiffel Tower, Louvre or along the Seine — then offers to sell it to you cheap since they 'have no use for a man's ring,' or insists you keep it for luck before demanding payment. The ring is a worthless costume-jewelry fake.

How to avoid it: Don't stop, don't make eye contact, and never accept anything handed to you by a stranger on the street. If someone tries to press a ring into your hand, keep walking — the scam only works if you engage.

Distraction theft

Clipboard petition pickpocket teams

Someone — often posing as deaf-mute, collecting for a fake charity, or gathering signatures against a real-sounding cause — thrusts a clipboard at you near the Louvre, Eiffel Tower or on Métro Line 1. While you're focused on the paper, an accomplice goes through your bag or pockets.

How to avoid it: Wave the clipboard away without stopping or reading it, keep your bag zipped and worn in front, and be extra alert on crowded Métro Line 1 trains near major stops. If a group surrounds you with paperwork, that alone is the signal to move away.

Ticket fraud

Fake or resold attraction tickets

Touts near the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Palace of Versailles sell 'skip-the-line' tickets that are counterfeit, already used, or simply the same free timed-entry slot (like Notre-Dame's) resold at a markup. Long lines are the bait — the offer looks like a lifesaver right when you need one.

How to avoid it: Buy tickets only from the official museum/monument website or its verified on-site ticket office, and remember that Notre-Dame's reservation is free — anyone charging for it is a scam. Compare a seller's price to the official listed price before handing over any cash.

Transport

Airport taxi overcharging

Unlicensed touts inside CDG and Orly arrivals offer 'taxis' at inflated flat rates, or a licensed driver claims the meter is broken and quotes double the fixed fare. Both CDG (€56 Right Bank / €65 Left Bank) and Orly (€37 flat) have official government-set flat fares to central Paris, unchanged since 2016.

How to avoid it: Only board at the official taxi rank outside the terminal (never accept an approach inside the hall), confirm the driver is starting the meter or quoting the correct official flat fare, and know the fixed prices before you land. Ask for a receipt (reçu) at the end.

Forced gift

Forced "friendship bracelet" at Sacré-Cœur

The scam that gave the trick its name worldwide: young men at the base of the Sacré-Cœur steps grab your wrist, tie on a woven string bracelet 'as a gift' before you can refuse, then block your path and demand €10-20. Refusing to pay sometimes escalates to shouting or a light physical block.

How to avoid it: Keep both hands in your pockets or occupied when walking up to the basilica steps, and firmly pull your wrist away and keep moving if anyone reaches for it — do not slow down to argue. If a bracelet is already tied on, walk into the nearest shop or toward police rather than paying.