The ‘aggressive’ bracelet scam catching holidaymakers out in European holiday hotspot
TOURISTS have been warned about a common scam being carried out at popular sightseeing spots throughout Europe.
Perhaps the most common place for the scam is the Sacre Coeur in Paris, where holidaymakers are caught out every day.
However, the con men, also known as “string men” because of the scam they pull, have also been spotted at the Spanish Steps in Rome, the Eiffel Tower and elsewhere.
Their con involves putting string bracelets on the arms of tourists in a way that they can’t take them off. They will then charge the tourists for them, even if they don’t want them.
The string men have been labelled “aggressive” because of the way they forcibly grab people’s arms.
One person very familiar with the scam is Tiktoker Erin Tridle (@erintridle) who urged people to avoid the men at the Sacre Coeur.
In a video, she said: “Bracelet scammers are these guys who hang out at the base of the famous stairs up to the Sacre Coeur.
“They don’t just hang out there, they can be found in other tourist spots, but I would say that’s their most common post.
“Basically they have these little thread friendship bracelets. They’re really cheap little bracelets. They’re just cloth woven together.
“And essentially what they do is you’ll try to walk by on the stairs and they’ll be like, ‘Hi. Do you speak English?’
“And then they’ll be like, ‘Do you want this?’ And they’ll try to grab your arm and put a bracelet on you.
“Do not let them grab your arm. Just yank your arm away and say no or non merci in your best French accent and keep walking.
“Because if they figure out you’re a tourist, they’re going to keep bothering you, which is unfortunate, but it’s what they do.
“They’ll try to tie it on you in such a way that you can’t get it off, and then they’ll demand payment. So it’s really annoying. And they’re very aggressive.”
Erin has a couple of methods for avoiding the scammers, including some secret stairs that people don’t often use.
She continued: “I suggest avoiding them by going to those stairs that are to the left as you’re looking at the Sacre Coeur.
“I suggest going to those alternate stairs or the funicular that goes up to the top.
“They usually don’t hang out there, but they are people to watch out for if you want to go up the normal stairs, up the famous ones.
“And also, if they ask you questions, don’t respond to them because they’re trying to get you to talk so that they can just be more aggressive with you.
“It’s a whole shtick and it’s really annoying.”
Erin isn’t the only person to have encountered the scam at the Sacre Coeur, with fellow Tiktok user Fabrizio Moroni also targeted.
He told Mail Online: ” ‘It was very shocking, I go to this place every other weekend and it never occurred to me this would happen.”
Fabrizio advised people to “just run away” if they see anyone approaching with a bracelet.
Meanwhile, these scam artists have been catching people out with fake art in Florence.
And this money changing scam has been causing problems for people in Spain.