Living Statues

These “live” statues are generally harmless and actually are an entertaining part of major cities. People will paint themselves and dress up to look like statues.

They will pose frozen for hours in city squares, hoping for visitors to appreciate their impressive work and provide a small tip. The problem comes when a tourist tries to take a picture of one of these living statues without paying up.

Roman Gladiators

These costumed men often found in Rome, especially near the Colosseum, will turn on the charm and ask tourists if they want to take a picture with them.

They mention nothing about money. After the picture is taken, they will badger tourists for a small payment until the frustrated tourists give in.

Ticket “Assistants”

In major transportation stations, there are many people who keep an eye out for stressed out and vulnerable travelers.
Once they find a victim, they will approach the travelers and offer to help them purchase their transportation tickets. After assisting them, these people will expect some payment for their services and will not leave until they are paid.

Men with Roses

This trick is geared especially towards women. Men with bouquets of roses will approach women and offering them a rose with much charm and charisma.When the woman accepts the rose, the man will ask her for some money as a payment, and if she is with a man, he will pressure him to pay up.

The Fashion Expert

This is another scam geared towards mostly female travelers. In this trap, men will typically approach women, asking for directions and claiming to be a fashion expert or designer, and they may even have convincing designs to persuade their victims.