SCAMS to avoid when visiting London (even for seasoned travellers)

I’m a Londoner living in central London I would not trust anyone selling anything on the streets 😊

The final scam (covering and then taking your phone) happened to me in a Starbuck cafe, where a smartly dressed man thrust an upside down map in front of me and asked if I could help him locate a certain shop he couldn't find. I actually had my hand on my phone already and can only assume that he thought I would let go of it in order to turn the map the right way up. I didn't let go of my phone though and our hands met under the map haha! He left very quickly after that!

These scams are in all major tourist cities, I've seen all these in Paris! The general rule of thumb is that if anyone approaches you, move on.

You should always where your shoulder bag with the strap across your chest. Having just on the shoulder, like you did, is much easier to snatch...

Great advice. My phone was stolen on a recent London trip right out of my hand in broad daylight by a woman “asking for money.” And I’ve been to London twice before. Treat your phone like cash and take it out only when you are sure it’s safe.

7:04 That unlocked a memory! That literally happened to my Mum, except the scammers were talking so quickly that we didn't know what they were talking about. A huge shout-out to the American students who quickly told us what had happened, or we'd have never gotten Mum's phone back. Those girls were like superheros. Swooped right in to help us out.

Such sensible tips. On a recent London trip in the summer (just a few miles away for me), I was shocked to see that people still get taken in by street game scams. They still seem to pull a big crowd and I'd have thought people would have got wise about all of those years ago. I guess lots of people turn off their 'common sense button' when on holiday. An additional tip, which is less scam and more theft prevention... watch your luggage if you are moving it by train. Luggage is left at one end of the carriage and anyone can (and does) walk off with it when leaving the train. Use a strap with an easy release lock to lock it all together, then it can't be lifted easily. You can release the lock easily and separate it up, before getting off.

I think its also important to be aware of begging scams, such as free things which are not actually free! There is common one on Oxford street when your given a flower (tends to be roses)don't take them you will be asked to pay.

The 3 card monte on Westminster bridge is absurd. 100m away from one of the most secure buildings in the country and you have scammers pulling the oldest and dumbest trick in the book

Great advice! Not sure how often this happens often in London, but I get a lot of people trying to "upgrade" my already purchased tickets, claiming I'm missing some option. They're nice enough to trade your real ticket with a fake one. They can get pretty relentless.

My thoughts when visiting anywhere, if somebody approaches you it’s because you have something and they want it.

The pineapple one is new to me, and probably the scariest on the list. Might be worth the fiver to get a SIM for the day.

Wow. Thanks so much for this, pretty lady!

Some good advice there. Yes never leave you phone on a table especially outside, so many girls do it. Also girls (especially), do not put your phone in your back pocket! Perfect place for thieves to take it plus you risk cracking the screen when you sit down. Thank you for sharing these tips.

A friend of mine was caught out. Walking along a street an elderly woman in front of him tripped and fell. He and a few other people nearby rushed to help her up, she thanked him profusely and walked off. A few minutes later he noticed his watch, his wallet and, believe it or not, his wedding ring were all missing and no sign of the person who had tripped or the others who helped.

Thankfully no incidents in the two times I’ve been to London. Living in New York City, I’ve witnessed or been aware of a majority of these scams, so you can bet I was on high alert roaming around London.

Thanks for looking out for us Jess!

Great tips, thanks!

You're amazing and a gatway to authentic touristic info on London!

Thank you Jess! I will be in London next week, your video is very useful for me.