How to protect yourself from street scams in New York City
Over 61 million visitors are expected to visit New York City this year, and one of the most popular places to go is to Times Square.
Travel TikToker POVs Adventures (@povsadventures) recently posted a video about some of the most common scams that people visiting New York City should look out for, especially in Times Square.
@povsadventures Don’t fall for these common tourist scams in NYC or other major cities
♬ original sound – Povs Adventures
“If you see Elmo or Spiderman charging towards you, then run,” he said. “Costume scams are probably the most common, easiest way to get robbed in daylight.”
He explained how the characters often try to get into your photo at the last second or say it’s free to take a picture with them, only to demand and pressure tourists to give them cash as payment afterwords.
He also warned against the “mixtape scam,” which is when a person pretends to be an up-and-coming music artist and encourages tourists to take their CD mixtape for free. Yet, if you decide to take the CD, they then demand money.
“Once you grab it, they decide to charge more than an A-list charged for a CD at Barnes & Noble in 2005 and get aggressive when you refuse and try to hand it back,” he said.
Along the same lines, he addressed a scam which involves people putting a bracelet on your wrist for free, then charging you for it. Often times, these individuals pose as monks and ask for donations in exchange for the bracelet.
“With the bracelet stuck on your wrist, you feel pressured to pay,” he said.
Lastly, the viral TikTok labels horse and carriage rides and TukTuk rides in Central Park as a scam, although some would argue that these are legitimate business venture. According to the TikTok, the prices of these excursions are often not displayed and are much higher than one would expect.
These scams also occur outside of NYC, which POVs Adventures mentions in his caption that these can happen in any major city around the world. According to thetravel.com, bag swiping, fake donation collectors and “friendly strangers” are all tactics used to scam and rob tourists.
According to yourbrooklynguide.com, the best thing to do in order to protect yourself is simply don’t interact with people who are offering thing for “free.” If the situation elevates to a dangerous level, tourists are advised to call the police. However, tourists can avoid the situation by understanding what is a scam up front.
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