World's Worst Travel Scams

The Bracelet Scheme

Where: Rome and Paris

The Scam: “Someone, usually quite charming, comes up to you offering directions or sightseeing advice. Suddenly, the person ties a woven bracelet around your wrist in a double knot, then demands payment. If you refuse, he screams that you’re stealing the bracelet,” says Karen Schaler, author of Travel Therapy. Victims are often so unnerved that they end up paying the handful of euros.

Advice: Beware of overly friendly people who approach you on the street offering courtesies you neither want nor need.