Tourist Scams of London 

Pickpocketing is not a scam, it's a crime.

I work in a pub in central London. PLEASE keep your bags where you can see them and where it will be harder for them to be stolen, like under your table. And don’t leave your valuables like wallets, phones and laptops unattended on your table. Thefts in pubs and bars are becoming a lot more common. Just be vigilant.

My second time to London I was with my mom (in her 50's) in an underground station. Young guy had a ten pound note and asked her if she dropped it. She had on her crossbody zipped up bag and we both knew she didn't. He was really insistent it was hers and wanted her to check her wallet to make sure! He got a disapproving look from me and a "its yours now mate....." and off we walked! Look out for your parents!

On our first night in London in 2019 we were at an outside seating for a restaurant when a homeless man came up to us. He started off being polite. "Excuse me. Sorry to bother you" etc. When I told him we were tourists and didn't have any cash on us, he suddenly flipped and started to be angry and swearing at us because we wouldn't give him money. Thankfully that only lasted about 10 seconds before he wandered off.

The good thing about London is you don't have these annoying people selling keychains or souvenirs at every attraction, like in other european cities. There is usually a small shop or giftshop just outside if you need them.

One of the first rules i learned - if you dont wanna be scammed when it comes to food, always avoid the food offered right next to main attractions as they are almost always overpriced and not actually that good. For fish and chips find a pub or a decent "chippy" instead.

I do not know if this constitutes as a scam, but our first couple days every time we would ask for water they would be bring a giant fancy bottle of water to the table. I finally asked the hotel is the water not safe to drink if not why they are bringing all these bottles. Of course water is fine to drink, they were just trying to make money off tourist. You have to say tap water if you do not want to pay a million dollars for water.

Last July we caught a guy trying to open my wifes backpack she was wearing as we were walking through a tube station. Wonderful city but be aware is right. Thanks Mark.

The conversion! We were even asked at a shop if that's what we wanted to do. Fortunately we knew to decline thanks to guidebooks and travel videos like yours, but it's not one I ever would have thought of on my own.

Do not shop in American Candy stores, they’re used for money laundering. If you want candy (we call them sweets) go to a reputable store such as any U.K. supermarkets or small specialty shops. Such as Tesco, WH Smith’s, Sainsbury’s, Co-op etc.

" Just walk away " is generally the best advice to avoid any type of scam. It can be a lot harder than it seems though, because many of these people are very good at grabbing your attention, to a point where they force you to get kinda rude in order to end the converstation. But dont let that hold you back and dont let them guild trip you in to doing something you dont actually want to do.

An elderly friend had her bag, containing her money ($3,000) and camera stolen from her luggage cart as she stood in line at a counter at Heathrow. She was later shown the cctv footage of the thief using the hook part of a cane to reach over and snag the handle of her bag and pull it off the cart. I met another senior that had just visited an ATM and had $400 in her purse and pickpockets robbed her. ALWAYS keep your money and passport on you, in a money belt UNDER your clothing. I've literally seen people wear money belts OVER their clothing!

Good advice! I never put my phone down anywhere. Once I've used it, I always put it straight back in my jacket pocket and zip it up. I was on the train leaving London the other week and a man got on and spoke out loud to the passengers claiming to be an army veteran and that he was homeless. He even gave his army number and regiment. I found myself wondering how he afforded to buy the train ticket in the first place because fares are not cheap on London transport! Two people gave him money. Its a good idea to ignore the cup scammers on Westminster and other bridges too. They work in groups using lookouts to see if the cops are coming!

It's not a scam as such but alot of people don't realise that there is ALOT of London museums which are free entry (or would ask for a voluntary donation) and I've heard of a couple of people be scammed into paying for fake tickets into the British museum or science museum for example. So just a warning. Alot are free to enter but not all are free.

Tuk-Tuks yeah. I’ve lived in London all my life. Never felt the need to use one. Plus they charge ridiculous prices. Buckingham Palace to Victoria Station: I’ve seen £20/30 quoted for this on their price lists. This is a 10 minute walk at most. They are at least due to be regulated by TFL soon though.

Bit of a clarification. There are homeless people in London and the rest of the UK but if they're in places with a lot of tourists they're more likely to be scammers. The tell is that they'll ask you to pull out cash for them from an ATM if you don't give them enough or you don't have change on you. In some places they'll say they need money for the shelter but you need to be aware that some shelters in the UK are free so it's worth checking if you're in a smaller city before you go if you're worried about that.

Always keep your bag zipped up and over your shoulder, or on your lap when sitting down. Never put your bag on the floor, thieves will kick it away, then take it. Never put your phone on the table, as its easy to take. Gangs come to uk especially to do shop lifting or steal, then return to their country a few days later. If you leave something on buses or trains, ask for telephone number of depot or station, you will be surprised at how many honest people will hand lost property in.

always remember "If it's too good to be true it usually is" and always be suspitious of people being too friendly

Pickpockets are very active in London. It was our first day and we were not careful. Our wallet was stolen from the backpack and it contained our passports. What a terrible hassle that created to us. 🙁

Don’t go in any of the American candy store type shops. These are usually fronts for money laundering / organised crime. Why would you buy American candy in London anyway?

Lived in San Francisco for a few years. Same rules there.

I have never had any issues when in London. But thanks to you, I am always very aware of my surroundings.

At 4:45 a picture of an 'American Candy Store' popped up! NEVER USE those establishments! If their products have been imported, it is highly likely that they have been imported illegally and most American candy is illegal in the UK and Europe because of what it contains. It is also frequently the case that the shops are operating illegally.

With the ATM machine scam. An easy way to double check, is to run your hand around the screen, the lip and the keypad, with at least some pressure, not enough to damage a legitimate ATM, but enough to feel if anything has been tampered with. The lip and above the keypad are the most obvious places, but an extra 10 seconds might just save you more than being short a quid.

I was literally just in London a few weeks ago. Didn’t have any problems at all. But I was still constantly monitoring my surroundings wherever I went because you just never know. Great informative video as always Mark! Happy New Year!

Carefull on the street with your phones, scooters and mopeds with 2 riders have been known to yank your phone out of your hand, usually by the rear passanger.

Good advice for travellers to any major city in the world really! But to anyone who might think London sounds particularly bad for it - I live in the UK and visit London several times a year, I've never once seen any of these scams. They do happen, but the chances it will happen to you are extremely low, enjoy your visit!

I have travelled to London, Paris, Berlin, New York and other large cities for almiost 50 years and never been scammed yet

Awesome travel tips! Thankfully all went well during my England trip (incl. London) in October. When I needed to use an ATM, I remembered you mentioning in a previous video not to accept the bank conversion. SO happy I thought of your comment, thank you! 😁 Happy New Year to you and your family! 🎉

Thanks Walter. Love ur chanel. Lived in London for 18yrs. Fantastic city. Same con artists as the rest of the world. Keep ur whits about you fellow tourists ❤

All great advice for travellers. I just spent a month in England, mostly in London. I did purchase an RFID protected wallet, and RFID protected cross body bag....I could wear the cross body bag on my back if I was in a sparsely populated area, but when I went to busy spots, I wore it across my front. I bought the cross-body bag that had NO side access zippers for further precaution. Only access was zipper across the top, which for people wanting to get in my bag, the top access would be more awkward and harder for them to get into. Other than losing one of my credit cards on day two, (my own Oops) my trip was amazing and I didn't come across anyone trying to scam me. Thankfully nothing was charged to the lost credit card and I got the card shut down almost immediately. And thankfully, I had backup credit cards so my trip wasn't ruined!!

When I was reviewing some footage I shot while my wife and I were in London a few months ago, I noticed her in the corner of the frame in one of the clips. A guy walking along behind her casually reached out and stuck his hand in the outer pocket of her backpack. She had nothing in it precisely because of that possibility, but the thing that got me was that neither of us noticed it when it happened. And he actually paused a couple ticks to dig around a bit before going on his way.

Expect petitions/donation collecting immediately after leaving the busier tube stations especially in central. Don’t say anything to them, they will be rude (I’ve been verbally abused by them) if you say no or come up with an excuse and will be overly persistent. Just ignore them and keep walking.

I've been to London a million times and never had any issues at all. It's just common sense. NEVER use a tuk tuk rickshaw as they are unregulated cons. Never use an unregulated taxi / minicab. I have my wallet in my pocket and keep my hand in the pocket in crowded places. I actually feel incredible safe in London. The only issue I have is fake beggars on major bridges which the police should of banished years ago

Hey Mark, great video

I kind of miss the background noise in the cities you were in, It felt so natural

Whenever I travel with anyone I always double down on them that they should never accept the conversion on card machines. When I was in Portugal a few months ago I showed my sister and mum the amount on the screen that would be converted 'get the conversion now! Don't miss out!' then didn't accept, and showed them on my banking app that it was £5 less on a 50euro conversion than what it would have been if I accepted. 10% is a big difference!

I live in London. This is all good advice and most of it applies to residents too. If you're paying with your phone, just set it up so that it doesn't work on the lock screen. No need to turn off the signal. As for the fake wifi, that is extremely good advice: I once turned on my phone's 'hotspot' with a name very similar to the name of the pub I was in just to see how many people tried to connect. The result was about one person every three or four minutes. Extra tip: if you use a backpack in crowded areas then wear it as a front-pack.

Always be wary of the overly friendly, overly helpful stranger---that is a very important lesson for the tourists.

A good rule of thumb for me, and this goes for any city... If someone approaches you, it isn't in your interests. Ever. Be as rude as you like getting away from them. I do not go back to places where this happens.

The part about the "beggars" being part of a group, that even happens in the US. In my local city I see them getting pick up and dropped off in Masdies at cretin corners in my city, as if they have shifts.

Hope you get to enjoy the New Years Celebrations in London. Again huge crowds so keep your family safe!!

Really good info. Also applies to other countries in Europe, especially inside St. Peters in Vatican and lagoon area in Venice. Both places are super crowded.

Heading to London in 4 1/2 months! Thanks for the video

Guys, he’s right!!! I was eye witness to one of this incident. Motorcyclist snatched the phone out of one of the pedestrians, waiting to cross the road. Was so quick nobody could do anything.

to prevent being victim of card skimming I tend to keep my funds in a secondary account then transfer funds over to my card account when needed. And with backpack on the ground I also put a foot though one of the straps

Did a semester abroad in London and didn't have any issues with some common sense and situational awareness. Definitely helps to have local friends or experienced travelers to tell you which areas to avoid at certain times (hello rush hour!).

Converting Dollar bills to Pound notes in the bank in England is a bad idea…ive done it and it’s a miserable rate..

Realistically as a Londoner the big one is pickpcokets, lookout for them mostly around the big sites (buckingham palace etc.) and busy commercial streets like Oxford St, and on the tube

The shell game is up and running in London. Saw there a few weeks ago

Gabrial Morris AKA Gabrial Traveler on RU-vid was staying in a hostel in London and his stuff was almost stolen from his Locker.. apparently he had a lock on it and someone tried to cut it.. luckily they weren’t able to cut through it..

❤❤❤Happy 2024 . Your information are Helpful For us

You can win at the "three card trick" and similar games nowadays. Give them £20 and you may very well get £40 back. Except the money you gave them was real and the stuff you won might dissolve in the rain.

I had my backpack stolen off the back of my chair in a popular department store cafe. Fortunately nothing valuable in it.

Confusing to me was restaurant service charges - some added it automatically, some didn't ask. Back in 2010 nobody asked, and we gave maybe a pound or two per table.

Talking about leaving phone/bag on table in restaurant…there is one known trick pickpockets do, especially if you are in an outdoor seated area just outside the pub/restaurant… A known pickpocket tactic is that they may pretend to be a tourist, walking around with a map of the local area…when they come over to you, asking for directions, and they use the map to cover over the area where your phone etc is, and then steal it…be very wary if any supposed “tourist” approaches you, asking for directions, holding out a local map…

When I went to London last summer, I didn’t really see any fake beggars or fake donations scams.

When using atm's. If possible always use the ones inside the bank, they're far less likely to be tampered with and your less likely to have someone looking over your shoulder.

Did you mention the switching the menu scam at Harrods UK?

The credit card thing happened to me in Oklahoma! Your advice is good in any large city just not London.

When I went to Northern Ireland this summer, people often offered to take pictures of our family and after watching this video, I’m going to think twice about doing that again.

im hoping to go to new york and LA soon, could you post scams from those places as i havent been and want to know what to look out for??

A Tube ticket stealing scam that almost got me.... This happened at rush hour, where people are hurrying thru the ticket gates, a person in front pretended to put a ticket in the machine and their coat on the ticket eject slot hoping that I would put my ticket in shortly after assuming they were about to go thru and they would therefore have taken my ticket. Probably a lot less relevant now as this was just before Oyster, but, overground tickets that can be used on the tube would be susceptible, but probably such a low chance of a person having a paper ticket that it probably doesn't exist anymore.

My phone got took by a hugger mugger in Manchester a while ago. It is what it is.

I know someone who just recently had her phone stolen off a table in a London restaurant

What Mark said about skimming at ATM- this can also be in shops (it targets not just tourists) and these things can be super discreet! Like you cant see them so only thing you can do is cover your hand to protect your pin to stop access to larger sums of money. In most cases these things get discovered so they are rare but do exist. I know two people who had £600 and £1200 taken but not sure exactly how it happened, in both cases the bank refunded the money but I can’t remember the details of how it was lost. Just be careful and not too trusting of “friendly “ people who approach! Its a sad situation but UK has a lot of poor people and crime unfortunately increased

I just tell my friends to be carefull, when coming over here to London, but they still "don't believe me " that London is like thaat, like any other "scam city" !!

One other known scam, is regarding taxis in the evening/night…when it’s dark… If in Central London when it is dark, ALWAYS use a black taxi cab with a clear taxi license registration on the back… NEVER get into one where they have stopped offering a taxi ride in a seemingly ordinary car, , or a black cab, but where you cannot see any taxi registration on the back…these are almost certainly unlicensed and uninsured taxis, where you will be ripped off…it may be tempting to get into one of those, especially if you need to get home quickly and it’s busy…but DON’T…the only exception is if it’s an Uber, but then you will have already pre-booked it, and will know which car is your Uber…

Your tap to pay card only works for ONE person on the tube. So forewarning, you can't just tap your kid in and then yourself, you'll have to get tickets.

I had been in London less than 3 hours before a (seemingly drunk...not sure if he really was or not) gentleman that was "friendly aggressive" panhandling came up trying to insist on shaking my hand, put his arm around me, and asked for money. Fortunately I keep my valuables in a sling bag across my chest under a hoodie and a puffy jacket, so he would have had to have been REALLY good to get at it. A firm but friendly "sorry, mate...haven't got a quid to my name", and a quick crossing of the Strand and I was out of there.

I read the title of this video to the monody of, Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon lol

informative , Have been scammed with any of thisbmentions ways??!!

I was scammed at the airport who is overly helpful. He saw me trying to find the train station in the airport and offered to help me, showed me the way and tried to sell me ticket which is $20. It’s kind of sad and I felt sorry for him

Can't understand why any tourist would sign a petition or give a donation in a foreign country.

A tip for WIFI; just go to any phone shop and buy a sim card. They are relatively cheap, and while your friends back home can't phone you, you will have mobile data at a cheap price.

Actually, these are things to watch out for no matter WHERE you travel.

I used to live in London, worked in Soho so I was around the centre almost every day. The best thing for tourists to do is simply NOT to look and behave like tourists 😂 Walking the streets, looking around wide-eyed and open-mouthed, taking pictures of basically everything, while wearing hiking boots, windbreaker and a backpack - thieves will run to you like flies to honey. Try to be just a bit less obvious, it really helps if people think you're just one of the Londoners on the way from work etc. And, of course, follow the video advice just to be safe 😊

It can happen to anyone. I was living in London in 1999. Drunk and foolish I got cash out of the atm and talked about it with my friend and then I got pickpocketed a few minutes later.

If you guys ever do a video in Bristol (England) we would love to meet you for a beer 🍺

In Paris there was the ball and 3 cup game at Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower. At the E.T. there was either a ( to me ) shill couple or a couple being set up for a bigger score.

All of those happen in one form or another in every large and mid size city in the world, not just London.😂

years ago as an 18 year old walking through soho a woman tried luring me into a clip joint where I'd be threatened into handing over hundreds of pounds for a drink. fortunately I wasn't that daft

😂 Bro I thought the thumbnail was Alex Jones.

Scammers, doing the work locals won't do...

What do you mean turn off your signal when you are paying with your phone?

I hope people watching this realise that hardy any of the pickpockets are British, it is very rare for one of us to do that. Hope everyone enjoys visiting, by big city standards London is pretty safe.

Used to love the fake electronic stores here 20 to 30 years ago where they whip up a frenzy and then lock the doors and get people to part with a couple of hundred for a black bag full of shite.

Always have three or four purses or wallets, so oyster travel card, money, and credit cards are all separate. Then you don't lose everything.

"Tourist Scams of London." A rather obscure Warren Zevon tune.

A RFID theft is not a thing it’s a scam to sell the wallets.

i cant even get ripped off in London due to the Eurostar cancellation

"Turn off the signal." What does that mean. Thx u~

I seen so many Americans fall for the overly friendly scam it truly makes me think why did you trust this stranger. But then again I've heard its normal to leave a credit card behind a bar in the US! NEVER DO THIS HERE!!!!

My daughter had her phone stolen in Covent Garden

Probably just skip Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square? There is actually nothing to do there.. save yourself from the crowds lol. Covent Garden is nice but for me it's the small neighborhoods on the outskirts and the parks such as Hampstead Heath, Regents Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park that are worth it. Highly recommend Richmond which is just a 15 min ride from Waterloo! Quaint gem of a town but inside London. For using the tube/buses, I'd say check if you can get a foreign contactless card to tap on that doesn't charge fees. This topping up your Oyster Card thing takes time and can get annoying if there are lines and you're in a rush to catch that train! Also, I paid 7 pounds for a new card, which is as of 2022, non-refundable. You can of course get any credit under 10 pounds refunded when returning the card, but not the 7 pounds. So just use contactless. Never come across the stealing credit scam in 1.5 years but yes, be safe. Also scams... Heathrow/Gatwick Express. I know it's a pain but just get the tube to/from LHR. The Elizabeth line is quicker than the Piccadilly line, and more expensive but not as much as the Heathrow Express. For Gatwick, just take the regular trains from Victoria/London Bridge station. Again, doesn't take too much longer than the Gatwick Express. I shouldn't be crapping on the Heathrow Express given the discounts we get as BA staff (making it as cheap as the tube :D) lol. Tip.. If changing tube lines at Green Park or any of the busier stations in the area, just follow signs to the exit upstairs after leaving the first train and then enter the new line you are changing to from there. Its quicker this way. :) Following the path inside the station to change lines is super long and crowded sometimes.

Cargo slacks and shorts work great, keep your pockets buttoned closed.

If you're going on holiday, buy a cheap phone and watch, and leave the expensive one at home. Make a note of where you hid watches or jewellery at home while you're on holiday, It's easy to forget, or better still ask your bank if they keep valuables.

A scam happened to me in Tiarana Airport, Albania. I ordered coffee in a cafeteria at the airport which was 1080 ALL ( 1ALL = 0,0097 Euro). but the shop keeper changed to 1080 Euro while paying through my bank card to the POS machine. I saw the amount 1080 but did not check the currency on the POS device. Normally they do charge in local currency. After coming back to home country I found I paid 1080 Euro for 1080 ALL ≈ 10.60 euro product.

National rail ticket prices in the UK are a scam, probably the most expensive in Europe. Rent a car if you can share the cost, it is much cheaper.

You get any snow ❄️ over there?! Its green in Minneapolis 🌳