Stay Away from Fake Petitions
Yesterday’s tip was about staying away from the three-card/cup scam you see in touristy sections of the world and especially in Paris. Well, the French government has also warned travelers about another common scam: “You will regularly come across young girls and boys, often young children, who will approach you with a petition in their hands, sometimes claiming to be deaf and dumb, who in addition to your signature will ask you for money. Although they appear to be representing recognised charities and foundations, this is not the truth. They are just trying to get money out of you and nothing will ever be paid to these organisations, but will instead be used to fund clandestine organisations and similar networks.”
Don’t be a sucker. Stay away.
FYI: The photo above was taken in Paris’ Bercy Village, which I explored while staying in the Pullman Paris Bercy.
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Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just because a (French) non-native speaker uses a derogatory term for a class of impaired people doesn’t mean JohnnyJet should. Feel free to edit offensive terms out of press releases.
Concerning these “tips”, the real issue is: get some street smarts. Do you really have to be told not to engage young ruffians at a Metro entrance? The problem is not the money you give them but that they’ll grab your wallet out of your hand. Or set in motion a pick pocketing on the train.
Be aware that when people on the street see you talking with scammers, you become a mark for even more sophisticated scammers. And they won’t be holding clipboards to identify themselves.