Paris > Practical advice > 'Petition' scam

Paris 'Petition' Scam

When in Paris, don't be fooled by bearers of fake petitions. They'll shake you down for money, and they may pick your pocket.

ABOVE: Petion scammers accost a tourist on the Pont St-Michel.

By Durant Imboden

In other articles, we've described the Paris "Gold Ring" Scam (which is almost comical, unless you fall for it) and the petty shakedown artists known as the "String Men" of Sacré-Coeur. Today's warning is about the "Petition Scam," which can be a double-whammy assault on your pocketbook.

Here's  how the scam works:

• As you're walking along, a gang of youths (usually teen-age girls or young women) will approach  you, asking you to sign a petition on a clipboard. Not wanting to appear rude, you take the proffered ballpoint pen or pencil and sign  your name on the phony petition.

• After  you've signed, the petition-bearer asks for money to benefit a charity or political cause. (In reality, the criminal gang will keep the money.) You can say "Non," but the petition-bearer and her friends will be extremely persistent, and you'll probably end up handing over some coins or a five-euro note just to make the annoying scammers go away.

But wait, there's more!

• Often, the petition gangs include pickpockets. While you're signing a petition for Girl Un,  Girl Deux may be extracting a wallet or phone from your pocket or purse.

Bottom line:

Just say "Non" to petition scammers, and don't let them get too close. If necessary, be nasty. (I practically had to beat off a crowd of wasp-like petition scammers on the Pont Saint-Michel a while back, and they wouldn't leave me alone until I snarled loudly enough to be noticed by other people on the bridge.)

About the author:

Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (including Paris for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About our site, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

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