With the weather being so good (at last!) the tourist season in Budapest is expected to be in full swing in a couple of weeks. The scammers of all sorts are getting ready for the season, and this might be a good time for us to remind you of the most popular tricks and cheats.
Statistics shows that men fall victim to frauds more often than women, probably because the scammers' "performances" involve good-looking girls.
Sometimes it goes like this: A man is approached by an attractive girl (either in the street or in the bar) who suggests having a drink together. The bill that comes after the drink (couple of them) is so high that even a confused (half-drunk too) foreigner can see the extra zeros. The funny thing is that most men pay. Check these comments here. The guys surely paid, didn't they?
The other popular trick is a check by false policemen. A man stops you and asks whether you have small banknotes to break his ten (twenty)-thousand bill. At this point "policemen" appear to arrest you and the man (as though the man is a pusher caught red-handed). The "policemen" then want to see you ID and wallet. And your wallet becomes much thinner in the twinkle of an eye.
There is one more thing that may seem rather annoying when you are on a vacation and trying to relax. But it is about your hard-earned money, you know. Please do not forget to check the bills they bring you in cafes and restaurants, especially the ones located in the touristy areas (i.e. downtown). Sometimes these bills have nothing in common with your order. What's more, some waiters and bartenders are so impudent here that before giving you the change they ask how much you want to get. Our position is always: "Just give me what you owe me, and we’ll see about the tips then"!
And last but not the least. Please don't buy some suspiciously looking things from suspiciously looking people in suspiciously looking places only because you think it is a good deal. We know about two shops near Basilica that sell "Special Hungarian Vitamin C" to Korean and Japanese tourist groups. The question is what is Special Hungarian Vitamin C? And why is it so incredibly expensive?
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.
Well, we are surely not saying that Budapest streets are flooded with crooks of all kinds, but we do not want you to meet even one of them.
Enjoy your stay in Budapest and don't forget to be careful!