The Infamous Istanbul Scam:
Istanbul, the capital of Turkey is one of those tourist locations with lovely attractions. From the Basilica Cistern to the Grand Bazaar and the Blue Mosque, there are a whole lot of Istanbul attractions you want to see.
Yet, your safety from scams isn’t assured, especially as a naïve tourist with a lot of money when touring Istanbul.
Many tourists in Istanbul have been scammed in the past. Many more will be scammed in the coming months, and many years to come.
Something needs to be done so that tourists wouldn’t become jittery to visiting Istanbul after they must have learned about the different antics of Turkish scammers.
You can make the most out of your tourist tours in Istanbul without being ripped off in Turkey.
Some of the popular tourist scams in Istanbul are explained below, with some ideas on how best to avoid them.
Istanbul Scam #1: The Pickpocketing Scam
While Istanbul is a lovely place to have your vacation with lovely people to help you find your way, it could also be one of those cities where you will lose your wallet.
Pickpocketing is on the increase in the city, and sadly nothing much has been done to keep away the pickpocket kingpins out of the streets of Istanbul.
The major targets in the pickpocket scam are tourists who are careless with their properties, especially their wallets and purses.
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Usually, you could be walking into one of those pickpocketing traps when you find yourself in a mode of public transport or a crowded street. This insane act is often executed my migrant rogues from neighboring countries who in most cases disguise as beggars.
How to Avoid Pickpocket Scams in Istanbul
So, how can you leave such locations in one piece without losing any of your valuables? The answer is to always be at alert.
Also, keep your eyes on your mobile phone and other electronic gadgets when you are out in the public.
Besides, it wouldn’t hurt if you can take extra precaution to carry your back-packs on the front of your body. And if you have your purse or wallet with you, do well to keep that in the front of your pocket.
Istanbul Scam #2: No Change Scam
It will interest you to know that the meals you eat in Istanbul restaurants may not be sweet to your tongue anymore after you must have lost some money in the process.
How can this happen? Usually, you would visit a restaurant in Istanbul to have a favourite meal. And while at that, you may decide to take some drinks (maybe alcohol), while enjoying the warmth of the environment.
It is usually at this point that the distractions would start coming, and in no time, you would fall into one of the tourist scams in Istanbul.
At some point, musicians playing in the restaurant would come over to serenade you. And while you are basking in that euphoria, the waiter would come with your bill for the meal so you can pay.
At this point, your chances of losing some of your money become higher because you may pay the bill with a higher sum.
For example, if your bill for the meal was 150 Lira, you may pay with 200 Lira, while expecting a change of 50 Lira.
That change may never come because you have been scammed. And even when you complain and try to explain that you have a change, you wouldn’t be listened to because the response you will likely get is along the lines of “you paid with the correct amount.”
How to Avoid the No Change Scam in Turkey
Without beating around the bush, one of the easiest ways of not falling into the hands of a waiter cum Turkish scammer in a restaurant is to pay with the correct amount of money.
It means that you need to carry smaller denominations of Lira so you can conveniently pay your bills instead of waiting for a change that may never be given back to you.
Istanbul Scam #3: The Let’s Have a Drink Scam
One of the most common tourist scams in Istanbul is that of having a drink in one of the bars in the city.
As a tourist in Istanbul, you may be encouraged by a friend or a well-dressed man speaking fluent English to have a drink.
Usually, the man would try to strike a conversation with you, and may even offer you a cigarette if you smoke.
Along the line, you both would start getting along well. He would then ask if you would want to have a drink with him. Often, the man would suggest a place he claims to know that sells the best drinks.
Unknown to you, those bars he suggested are usually over-priced and you would pay through your nose there.
If you agree and follow him to have a drink in any of those bars, you would just be putting yourself in a situation of paying huge bills for a few glasses of wine.
How to Avoid the Let’s Have a Drink Scam
An ideal way to avoid this type of tourist scam in Istanbul is to avoid taking all the pieces of advice given by strangers. You also want to decline the proposals immediately so you wouldn’t be persuaded.
Avoid Getting Scammed in Istanbul
Istanbul is a lovely place to sightsee, but it can also be home to swindlers and scammers who make a living out of tricking and disposing of people of their items.
The above are just some of the common tourist scams in Istanbul. I do hope you now have an idea of the scams to expect when visiting Istanbul, and how best you can avoid them.
Have you been scammed in Istanbul before? What was the experience like?
