When I was in Rome someone tried to do the paper scam with me and many Italians walking past said “don’t talk to them it’s a scam” and the two women stormed off angrily. Grazie to the locals.
Don’t purchase ice cream, cocktails or food near a tourist site…especially the Trevi Fountain…walk at least two blocks in any direction…everything is double or more wherever tourists hang out.
I was just in Rome and experienced several of these scams. First was the African at the colosseum guy putting the string bracelet on my wrist. He wanted five euro to support his family. I refused. He dropped to 1 euro. I walked away and kept the string bracelet with a plastic engraved elephant for a souvenir. Next was the petition guy asking to sign to keep music in schools. In a square was a bunch of people hawking cheap useless garbage. We were at a restaurant when a loud commotion broke out. It was a man faking a seizure. As the patrons were distracted we immediately heard a woman call out her purse was gone off the back of her chair and so was the seizure guy. She lost passport, credit cards everything. A person we were traveling with found that her shoulder bag was slashed and her empty camera case was missing ONLY after getting ready for dinner. It was done in the ticket purchase line for a museum. This is an excellent information video.
Remember that any trifling cost or gift requested can be a ploy to prompt you to reach for your wallet, making it vulnerable and accessible and enabling them to see where you keep one in the future.
I’ve been to Rome twice and everything she says is true. I told a street seller “NO” three times and then he started calling me a racist. “You don’t like black people. You racist”. I was in shock. I refuse to buy anything off the street sellers. I only patronize in shops for souvenirs. I have a neck wallet for valuables. The only thing in my pockets is lip balm and a plastic bag with a small roll of toilet paper. My phone is on a lanyard around my neck. With all this being said I love visiting Rome. So much history and wonderful people.
One thing maybe to remember: Some of the criminals have contacts in other countries too. If you carry your address tag on the outside of your backpack or bag, you might come home and find your house emptied. A good video Anna! However, if you have some common sense it will serve you well. I have visited Rome five times, and never had any problems. However, nowadays we mostly enjoy walking along the back streets and try to avoid the largest crowds.
Great video! I was in Rome and various cities in Italy for 2 weeks. I was thankful not to fall for these scams. I saw the majority of them in this video. With any big city, you just have to be aware and not engage with them.
Good rule of thumb. If the entire crowd is looking at one thing look in the opposite direction. Most things r a distraction or a slip of the hand type of thing
Am currently in Rome and those bracelet scams are being run all over the Forum and Colosseum area. Got accosted by one of the bracelet scammers, they even tried to grab my shoulder to hold me. Wild! Also slapped a pick pocket as they were reaching into my pocket in the same area...
Another tip in an Italian bar or restaurant- ALWAYS ask to see the menu. Often the waiter will reel off a list of items available. You have no idea of the cost and could well be presented with a enormous bill. By law they are obliged to show you a menu with prices or have it displayed where it can easily be seen. Venice is particularly bad in this respect.
As a venetian, not really: the waiter you show the main courses of the day in his kitchen( my husband is a venetian chef) , the menu is on the door or near of the door( all restaurant have it!) but the waiter isn't only the man who take you the dish, is a seller of menus proposed by the house, like a luxury vendeuse.
@@casomaiI ended up paying a 81 euro for a delicious fish. They showed me the menu says 9 euro per 100 gram and about 300 gram for the sea bass before I entered the restaurant. Then a friendly waiter highly recommended me with another fish. So the total bill is about 200 euro for 5 people. I felt ripped off.
@@ShaneKing-s8u I've heard about this. There is one place in Rome where they do the same thing then bring a huge fish and present a bill for hundreds of euro. You need to read the reviews on TripAdvisor or similar sites. The particular place in Rome has extremely low rating, for example. Also, any place with big signs in English in the windows is likely a tourist trap. The places advertised by people wearing signs in English are also tourist traps. Try picking places that are crowded with locals. Asking a hotel receptionist for advice is also a good idea.
@@ShaneKing-s8u 200 euros for 5 people is cheap for consuming fresh fish in a restaurant in the most touristic places. If you don't like it, go and eat the canned American tuna for $25 in supermarkets which is utter garbage.
I used to travel on business in Marocco . The trick I learned was to have a whistle on a band around your wrist. If they persitst after one or two from but polite NOs, I start blowing the whistle. Works every time
1:56 Went to Rome for my first time and I wanted to visit the Trajan’s Market but this place is crowded with those African bracelet scammers and they’re SUPER AGGRESSIVE. One of them tried to walk right into my way and I ignored him but he got aggressive and tried to make me stop by hitting me right on the chess but I managed to push his arm away. As I walked further another of those scammers got into my way and I tried to ignore him as well, but he grabbed my arm pretty tight and yelled at me to calm down. I just told him that I’m busy and somehow I got away. I can recommend anyone who visits Rome to NOT go to the Trajan’s market.
@@Cartamandua What I've read is that the countries they are from often don't want them. Some of them might use a fake name and nationality, so the country doesn't recognize them. An example is a very recent case when an Italian woman run over a thief who grabbed her bag. He had multiple arrests and multiple orders of deportation. The first reports were that he was Algerian, but then, his sisters from Morocco came forward saying he was Moroccan. I am not sure if this was the reason he wasn't deported or just the incompetence on part of Italian officials responsible. I've also read that the police asked powers-that-be multiple times to deport those with orders of deportation, but nothing happened.
I had the bracelet scam done to me, but the man put the bracelet on my teenage daughter's wrist and I had to ask her to take it off and give it back and told her (in front of the man) that it was a scam. He then started to insult us. The petition scam happened to me in front of the Eiffel tower. I kept saying "No! I'm not interested! Bla bla bla", but eventually had to walk away because she was relentless. I've traveled to a few countries, mainly Europe and the Americas, and I always keep my stuff in pickpocket-safe bags. 6:586:586:586:58
We were in Las Vegas watching a concert in the Venetian when I noticed a woman inching her way toward me. When she got very close, I told my husband, “lets move over there”. I knew what she was up too. Same in London with gypsies in the underground. He just doesn’t see it. I do. Years in retail!
@@IrishAnnie ohh yeah... Present retail worker, drug deals in store, theft, customers in staff areas... Constantly saying to women 'watch your bag'.... And I have no sympathy for those with earphones on and no sense.... And I am not security
Before we went our travel agent gave us a do not do list which helped prepare us for Rome which I found particularly bad for Gypsy scams . She also told me to only take a leather crossbody bag with me because it is harder for the thieves to cut the bottom out of it . Florence didn't seem to have the same issues but that was a few years ago .
I didn't like Napoli for that reason. The Italians were friendly, the nature and historical monuments are great, but there are too many really unpleasant persons, hanging around
Going to Rome after 19 years. My crossbody bag was slashed all to pieces the last time there, but they didn’t get any money as it was closer to my body. Now we will both carry a Travelon bag for security. Stainless steel wire mesh, locks. In Amsterdam, I saw them eyeing me but moved on.
@@IrishAnnie I've just bought a Travelon bag for my trip. The bag I used on my previous trip was a nice leather bag. I was lucky - I hold it as if someone is about to try to rob me is at all times, but I don't want it to be cut. Even if they don't get anything, why risk a nice handbag?
Pistacchio color is a sign of natural or artificial gelato. Natural pistacchio is not green, it’s light brown. Green pistacchio is artificial ice cream with dyes
@@tanvikale3545 There are different kind of pistachos. The most common ones in Italy are actually a little bit violet, grey-ish and green. But the green type exists
Very accurate description! One guy tossed three roses in my arms while walking in Spanish Steps.. I said I’ll take one only for 3€ bc it was pretty .. it gave my photos a very romantic vibe 😊❤
No - don't look out for them - look away from them. Do not make eye contact, never get into a discussion with them - and stop trying to have a good time and fool around with "pushy" guys offering you a bargain you cannot refuse. Would you do that in your own hometown?
A nasone (plural nasoni), also called a fontanella (plural fontanelle, lit. "little fountains"), is a type of drinking fountain found in Rome, Italy. Literally meaning "large nose", they got their name from their characteristic design first introduced in the 1870s. There are approximately 2,500-2,800 nasoni in Rome, supplying people with free drinking water.
I wish I saw your video earlier. I was just in Rome, all of these scammers approached me, but I'm from a big city where they do similar tricks so I just ignored them. But, I think I've eaten fake Gellato 😢 Was delicious though 😁
You’re very intelligent in developing creative and humours you tubes that keeps my attention, especially when I have short attention span.very helpful tips!!
Great video, My wife and I plan to visit Naples first, then train to Rome. Thanks for your advice, we will arrive in early November 2025. I've read Italians like Americans but advised we don't wear Sandals with socks and enjoy dinner wearing long pants with shoes. I don't speak Italian but I try to learn basics before travelling more as a polite courtesy as I don't travel expecting others to speak English, but may I assume correctly that English is common on the street and restaurants?
Thank you! Couldn't quite work out the reason behind the signature scam...btw my advice is just say no...and no again and no again...they will tire of you. I'm in Rome now and it's worked every time so far 🙂
My 6' 2" 225lbs brother doesn't take any crap-o-la! We jumped out of a tour bus to look at the Coliseum. One of those junk dealer guys tossed something at my brother to scam him. My brother batted the object and it flew across the street and was run over by a car. About 5 of those junk dealer guys turned to him and said, "not cool". Jerks!
It is a completely safe city. Just take care. People notice the excessive petty theft, because of an absence of any actual violent crime. Rome is lovely, day and night. Be sensible, and have fun.
Great advice Anna! Sadly, big tourist cities and towns are inundated by scammers. Your video is awesome and many people need to watch it, if going to Rome! :)
Was in Italy just last March. Traveled all over, never had any trouble at all. Of course i follow a few rules: I don't usually go out at night, I don't carry any kind of bag while walking around, I keep my passport inside my clothes, I don't wear jewelry, and I look mean. Also, I'm male. Guess that helps...
We are in italy right now, you can't imagine how much I've warned my parents of these scams, but they still get caught up in them. Me and my sister literally had to watch our parents like they were kids, especially our mother. One instance was we looked away for one moment and they bought something and the guy tried giving them bracelets "as a gift" the moment we saw that, we screamed no and said for him to leave, our parents being as stupid as they are told us "Don't worry hes muslim and showed us a picture of his family" (we are muslim and they do like to use that to scam us) obviously the guy understood that me and my sister knew of his scam and left. The amount of times our mother got scammed was staggering first it was a hat, then it was water, then it was flowers and it was almost bracelets, and then she has the audacity to say we are overreacting and she wasn't scammed. A wonder she wasn't robbed.
Back in 2012 from the moment we landed on italian soil people tried to scam us. As soon as we got into the taxi to go to our hotel the cab driver was on the phone speaking italian to a friend. He said in italian he had dumb americans in the car and he was gonna take us for a ride the long way and make money on us What he didnt know at first was that my father spoke Italian so believe me my father gave him hell. Another time we took a cab to the hotel and he told my father what the cost was and my father gave him cash. I was standing away from the driver and saw him turn, put my fathers money in one pockey and pull out money from another pocket and said my father didn't give him the full amount. At this point i was so tired of people trying to rip us off i went off on the driver yelling "no i saw what you did. You put the money in one pocket and pulled out money from the other". He was so busted he jumped back in the cab and left as quickly as possible. And there were a ton of scams i saw. It was nice when we finally got out of rome and went to the amalfi coast. Much slower pace and we could relax. However i dont know what its like today. I will say this though, Italy is a beautiful country and as long as you are aware of the scams and how to protect yourself you will be ok.❤🇮🇹
I visited Italy for the first time around those year too, those are the craziest period of time for tourist as information about these scams weren't widely shared enough on the Internet but only those who do well on their homework knows what to look for. I was a student in the UK back then, so being the poor peasant I was (not that I'm rich now), every penny counts. So I read a lot before travelling to any country. I read a lot, especially on wikitravel, where real travellers posts their own experiences there and got to know how all those scams work. Me and my friends witness it all, and very unfortunately, some of us got pick pocket. One of my friend that travels with me also almost got picked pocket but manage to realised and yelled at that bugger before his wallet got taken. One time we witness a gypsy lady tried to pick pocket a bunch of tourist who is going into the bus to Pisa, we scream our lungs out to get everyone's attention, stop the lady, told the bus driver and there was a commotion. The police soon arrive but couldn't do anything and let her off. She walk around the building, put on a scarf, flip the jacket inside out and came back out, we were stunned and told her to bugger off and warn everyone around there to be alert of her. Those were the days without much smart phones, but I still have that photo from my camera and still on my fb 😂
So you recommended tying the backpack in front of you not on the back, How if you keep the bag on your back but put a small padlock on it? Not sure if these pockets go to the length of cutting and stealing from the backpack with the scissors.?
First rule. Do not buy anything illegally sold in the street. Second. Keep purse and mobile in your front jeans pockets. Third. Never stop with illegal expats or sign petitions.
I'm really starting not to like people too much anymore. You go somewhere for a good time and it ends up being a bad time because of people trying to scam you.
I wish I could have watched your video earlier this year. Thank you for your sharing. Fake gladiators in Rome asked me for 5 Euros after I took a single photo of them (I did not even ask them to take photos with me and I thought they were cosplayers or some kind of official staff). They were very aggressive and did not let me walk away for about 5 minutes. I finally made my escape after giving them a 2 Euros coin. I did not report to the police on the opposite side of the road because they seemed to allow these people and their attitude towards foreign tourists. Two policemen just watched and did not try to intervene. It is a hard lesson for me.
Ohh gosh .. so sorry about such experience.. and its not about money really! It’s about that bitter feeling you have after .. it kinda effect everything not in a very good way 🙄 especially if it’s your first trip to Rome .. but next time just remember that those clowns have nothing to do with Roman culture and places 🤗 and ‘I don’t have cash’ really works 😉 They don’t have yet the ‘London homeless’ guts to point out the cash machine 😉
Thank God my sister and I, did not experience any of this while we were in ITaly. We were very vigilant the entire trip and never spoke to any suspicious looking people. Our cross bags was inside our coats and phones are around our necks. 😆
Thanks for the vídeo, excellent advice. I’d like to add that 80% of the seríous/viølent crímes in Italy are not from Italians (ppl with Italian lineage), it’s from who was let into Italy and theír chíldren.
@@GhostSal That is fascinating. I can read Italian but could not work out where this is on their various websites. Please can you provide some search words that I could use to locate it. Thanks
13:13 Guy selling flowers 😅 Those are existing for long time, I really don't know how can survive by selling flowers, our days almost nobody keep money in the pockets, because most of the places you can pay with your phone or card.
I forget all the scam when I saw you,you are having an air of bliss,by the way you did hard to make awareness,I appreciate,you are amongst the amorous Italian,good by
So according to around the 8:30 timestamp there are no authentic restaurants to eat at lunchtime in Italy? Where do Italians eat lunch when they fx. travel in Italy and cannot have lunch at home or their office cafeteria? Or do they only eat once in the evening? Because another video stated that skipping breakfast is commonly done as well. I am so confused 🤔
I got scammed one time. I was so hungry I went to one of the food kiosks in the park and grabbed a bag of chips when I held it up the guy pit up 2 fingers when he heard my accent he quickly put up 3 fingers. I was definitely overcharged for them
Sono italiana, mi dispiace questi delinquenti ci rovinano la reputazione facendoci sembrare tutti dei disonesti, mi scuso per il trattamento ricevuto 😢
A nasone (plural nasoni), also called a fontanella (plural fontanelle, lit. "little fountains"), is a type of drinking fountain found in Rome, Italy. Literally meaning "large nose", they got their name from their characteristic design first introduced in the 1870s. There are approximately 2,500-2,800 nasoni in Rome, supplying people with free drinking water.
Two years ago when we visited Milan , a lady from our tourist group left her iPhone on the table when a man with newspaper sitting next her. When she found out that her phone had been stolen.
The bracelet scam has been around for more than 30 years. Back then they were everywhere, but now they’ve relocated to cities with huge numbers of tourists like Rome. Regarding normal ice cream flavours vs traditional ones. Here in Bologna there’s an ice cream place which has been in business for forty years and is famous for its crazy as well as normal flavours and they make everything themselves, with the exception of things like Kinder products which they have sometimes added to the ice cream. Many years ago, when cinemas were screening the first film in the Lord of the rings franchise, they came up with a “Signore degli anelli” flavour
We were going to Caracalla Terme one early Sunday morning when 4 giggling young girls got on the metro and as we got ready to get off at the next station and the train slowed down the girls fell on my back and at the same time managed to steal my wallet even though I had closed pocket with a button. The girls were nicely dressed, but the Italians said they were gypsies and that you should look at their shoes, which are often muddy and worn as they live in a large gypsy camp on a dirt field outside Rome. Luckily I was well insured but suddenly we would be living the rest of the holiday on just one wallet. The police required the report to be written in Italian on an Italian form which took us a couple of hours to fill out correctly using a phrasebook for the report to be accepted and registered. The most dangerous place according to locals in Rome, is the Bus from Termini (Central Station) to the Vatican. Several leagues of young boys and girls go with the tourists for the purpose of pickpockets them.
I can only say we ate in tourist restaurants and gelato places and the taste was very nice even it might be considered as "Fake" . Two days we ate Spaghetti for 7 € in a place which sells also Döner and hot dogs and the taste was totally ok. And Pizza there was only 2,50 € and we enjoyed it. For me the biggest scam is that some Restaurants ask 15€ for a main dish and you need to order extra the side dishes which sums up to more than 20€ for a meal. And not to forget the hotels which charge more than 200€ for a night, thats obviously a huge scam. Max 100€ for one night is ok.
Anna, I love your accent. I’m going to start saying “guys” like you do! 😂 it’s endearing. Thanks for all your tips. I love love love Rome, but am sad that there are so many scammers there.
How is it possible that the government doesn't do anything about it, it's a shame for Italy and they don't respect the tourists who bring them money, I'm really disappointed, Rome should be avoided, scammers spoil your impression, in such a beautiful city.. 😢
I wondered the same thing. With the millions that tourists pour into the economy for Rome, one would think that the safety of the tourists would be a priority for the police. It doesn't look that way.
When I was in Rome someone tried to do the paper scam with me and many Italians walking past said “don’t talk to them it’s a scam” and the two women stormed off angrily. Grazie to the locals.
I will never drink fountain water in rome. I see dogsl licking them, people taking bath. not for me no thank u
Don’t purchase ice cream, cocktails or food near a tourist site…especially the Trevi Fountain…walk at least two blocks in any direction…everything is double or more wherever tourists hang out.
Exactly. Same near the Spanish Steps. Check out Google reviews. For example, look at reviews for Bar Gelateria....they're horrible
Thanks, that's welcome advice.
I was just in Rome and experienced several of these scams. First was the African at the colosseum guy putting the string bracelet on my wrist. He wanted five euro to support his family. I refused. He dropped to 1 euro. I walked away and kept the string bracelet with a plastic engraved elephant for a souvenir. Next was the petition guy asking to sign to keep music in schools. In a square was a bunch of people hawking cheap useless garbage. We were at a restaurant when a loud commotion broke out. It was a man faking a seizure. As the patrons were distracted we immediately heard a woman call out her purse was gone off the back of her chair and so was the seizure guy. She lost passport, credit cards everything. A person we were traveling with found that her shoulder bag was slashed and her empty camera case was missing ONLY after getting ready for dinner. It was done in the ticket purchase line for a museum. This is an excellent information video.
Hanging a purse on the back of a chair is not the smartest thing to do - anywhere in the world.
Letting anybody anywhere on the planet get that close to you is asking for serious problems.
@@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kpHave you been to crowded countries ever? Italy is heavily populated
Remember that any trifling cost or gift requested can be a ploy to prompt you to reach for your wallet, making it vulnerable and accessible and enabling them to see where you keep one in the future.
Why was she carrying her passport?!
I’ve been to Rome twice and everything she says is true. I told a street seller “NO” three times and then he started calling me a racist. “You don’t like black people. You racist”. I was in shock. I refuse to buy anything off the street sellers. I only patronize in shops for souvenirs. I have a neck wallet for valuables. The only thing in my pockets is lip balm and a plastic bag with a small roll of toilet paper. My phone is on a lanyard around my neck. With all this being said I love visiting Rome. So much history and wonderful people.
@user-yp2mw2ko9k street sellers are not italians, also yes British are racist. Look what they've done around the world for centuries.
@user-yp2mw2ko9kIt wasn’t an Italian calling him racist.
@user-yp2mw2ko9k Well if the person said “You don’t like Black people” it would have been a Black person. Not an Italian.
I wouldn't go back... Seen too much with my eagle eyes (retail worker👀👀👀)
Thanks for your input, I’ll be going in October
Trying to get ready for my Italy trip. This is so useful. Thank you
One thing maybe to remember: Some of the criminals have contacts in other countries too. If you carry your address tag on the outside of your backpack or bag, you might come home and find your house emptied.
A good video Anna! However, if you have some common sense it will serve you well. I have visited Rome five times, and never had any problems. However, nowadays we mostly enjoy walking along the back streets and try to avoid the largest crowds.
Great video! I was in Rome and various cities in Italy for 2 weeks. I was thankful not to fall for these scams. I saw the majority of them in this video. With any big city, you just have to be aware and not engage with them.
Good rule of thumb. If the entire crowd is looking at one thing look in the opposite direction. Most things r a distraction or a slip of the hand type of thing
Am currently in Rome and those bracelet scams are being run all over the Forum and Colosseum area. Got accosted by one of the bracelet scammers, they even tried to grab my shoulder to hold me. Wild!
Also slapped a pick pocket as they were reaching into my pocket in the same area...
The girlfriend wants to go in April, I'd love to go myself but is it even worth the hassle? Paris is an utter kip now.
I usually never watch this videos ..cause the people speaking are annoying or havr no flavour. You are actually engaging. Good tips.
Another tip in an Italian bar or restaurant- ALWAYS ask to see the menu.
Often the waiter will reel off a list of items available. You have no idea of the cost and could well be presented with a enormous bill.
By law they are obliged to show you a menu with prices or have it displayed where it can easily be seen. Venice is particularly bad in this respect.
As a venetian, not really: the waiter you show the main courses of the day in his kitchen( my husband is a venetian chef) , the menu is on the door or near of the door( all restaurant have it!) but the waiter isn't only the man who take you the dish, is a seller of menus proposed by the house, like a luxury vendeuse.
@@casomaiI ended up paying a 81 euro for a delicious fish. They showed me the menu says 9 euro per 100 gram and about 300 gram for the sea bass before I entered the restaurant. Then a friendly waiter highly recommended me with another fish. So the total bill is about 200 euro for 5 people. I felt ripped off.
@@ShaneKing-s8u I've heard about this. There is one place in Rome where they do the same thing then bring a huge fish and present a bill for hundreds of euro. You need to read the reviews on TripAdvisor or similar sites. The particular place in Rome has extremely low rating, for example. Also, any place with big signs in English in the windows is likely a tourist trap. The places advertised by people wearing signs in English are also tourist traps. Try picking places that are crowded with locals. Asking a hotel receptionist for advice is also a good idea.
@@ShaneKing-s8u 200 euros for 5 people is cheap for consuming fresh fish in a restaurant in the most touristic places. If you don't like it, go and eat the canned American tuna for $25 in supermarkets which is utter garbage.
I used to travel on business in Marocco . The trick I learned was to have a whistle on a band around your wrist. If they persitst after one or two from but polite NOs, I start blowing the whistle. Works every time
1:56 Went to Rome for my first time and I wanted to visit the Trajan’s Market but this place is crowded with those African bracelet scammers and they’re SUPER AGGRESSIVE. One of them tried to walk right into my way and I ignored him but he got aggressive and tried to make me stop by hitting me right on the chess but I managed to push his arm away. As I walked further another of those scammers got into my way and I tried to ignore him as well, but he grabbed my arm pretty tight and yelled at me to calm down. I just told him that I’m busy and somehow I got away. I can recommend anyone who visits Rome to NOT go to the Trajan’s market.
If only they could be deported.
@@Cartamandua What I've read is that the countries they are from often don't want them. Some of them might use a fake name and nationality, so the country doesn't recognize them. An example is a very recent case when an Italian woman run over a thief who grabbed her bag. He had multiple arrests and multiple orders of deportation. The first reports were that he was Algerian, but then, his sisters from Morocco came forward saying he was Moroccan. I am not sure if this was the reason he wasn't deported or just the incompetence on part of Italian officials responsible. I've also read that the police asked powers-that-be multiple times to deport those with orders of deportation, but nothing happened.
I would scream at the top of my lungs
I had the bracelet scam done to me, but the man put the bracelet on my teenage daughter's wrist and I had to ask her to take it off and give it back and told her (in front of the man) that it was a scam. He then started to insult us.
The petition scam happened to me in front of the Eiffel tower. I kept saying "No! I'm not interested! Bla bla bla", but eventually had to walk away because she was relentless.
I've traveled to a few countries, mainly Europe and the Americas, and I always keep my stuff in pickpocket-safe bags. 6:58 6:58 6:58 6:58
We were in Las Vegas watching a concert in the Venetian when I noticed a woman inching her way toward me. When she got very close, I told my husband, “lets move over there”. I knew what she was up too. Same in London with gypsies in the underground. He just doesn’t see it. I do. Years in retail!
@@IrishAnnie ohh yeah... Present retail worker, drug deals in store, theft, customers in staff areas... Constantly saying to women 'watch your bag'.... And I have no sympathy for those with earphones on and no sense.... And I am not security
@@sowitandhopeitgrows
I glad you saw it. I can sense people who are up to no good, and I remove myself from the scene.
And please do understand that for the most part...those scammers are neither Romans nor Italians......Period....
Fact
Does that matter?
Of course it matters!!!!!
@@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kp IMMENSELY SO.....
I saw that but sadly it's happening in Italy so have to accept it
My first rule if I need help is typically to ask other tourists. They never have an agenda, and usually are looking for similar stuff.
Wake up at 6 am or after 11 m and the crowds in the touristic sites are close to none
Same with the beggars or the thiefs.
Before we went our travel agent gave us a do not do list which helped prepare us for Rome which I found particularly bad for Gypsy scams . She also told me to only take a leather crossbody bag with me because it is harder for the thieves to cut the bottom out of it . Florence didn't seem to have the same issues but that was a few years ago .
Agreed they run in groups and sometimes have a baby.
I didn't like Napoli for that reason. The Italians were friendly, the nature and historical monuments are great, but there are too many really unpleasant persons, hanging around
Going to Rome after 19 years. My crossbody bag was slashed all to pieces the last time there, but they didn’t get any money as it was closer to my body. Now we will both carry a Travelon bag for security. Stainless steel wire mesh, locks. In Amsterdam, I saw them eyeing me but moved on.
@@ortolitore1522 Gypsy and African scammers were really bad in Naples a few years ago.
@@IrishAnnie I've just bought a Travelon bag for my trip. The bag I used on my previous trip was a nice leather bag. I was lucky - I hold it as if someone is about to try to rob me is at all times, but I don't want it to be cut. Even if they don't get anything, why risk a nice handbag?
Pistacchio color is a sign of natural or artificial gelato.
Natural pistacchio is not green, it’s light brown. Green pistacchio is artificial ice cream with dyes
This is what I thought until I ate green pistachios
Pistachio skin and cover in brownish , the actual pistachio is green
@@tanvikale3545 There are different kind of pistachos. The most common ones in Italy are actually a little bit violet, grey-ish and green. But the green type exists
The greener the pistacchio gelato is, the more fake it is. The green-greyish one is the real deal😊
I was very unwell after eating it 😢
Your channel is excellent, toured Italy ( loved it ) you helped us a Lot!
Very accurate description! One guy tossed three roses in my arms while walking in Spanish Steps.. I said I’ll take one only for 3€ bc it was pretty .. it gave my photos a very romantic vibe 😊❤
I will be in Rome next week and will be on the look out for these scams.
Grazie, Anna!!!
You can also check my travel to Rome guide 😉👉🏼 allgoglobal.com
Just book the restaurants in advance and enjoy your trip to Rome 🤗
@@AnnaGoldmanTravel I am binge watching all your Italy Videos before my trip. Grazie!
@@PetefromBaltimore aww thank you so much indeed 🤩 I’m so happy you enjoy it 🤗
I’m currently here and yup! Everything she said is correct
I just walked away from these guys, had a girl try and pickpocket me on the metro yesterday
No - don't look out for them - look away from them. Do not make eye contact, never get into a discussion with them - and stop trying to have a good time and fool around with "pushy" guys offering you a bargain you cannot refuse. Would you do that in your own hometown?
A nasone (plural nasoni), also called a fontanella (plural fontanelle, lit. "little fountains"), is a type of drinking fountain found in Rome, Italy. Literally meaning "large nose", they got their name from their characteristic design first introduced in the 1870s. There are approximately 2,500-2,800 nasoni in Rome, supplying people with free drinking water.
We love you so much for guiding us on how to be careful thank you so much 😊
I’m going to Rome in October, thank you for the advice.
Very practical and useful advices , thanks Anna🎉
I wish I saw your video earlier. I was just in Rome, all of these scammers approached me, but I'm from a big city where they do similar tricks so I just ignored them. But, I think I've eaten fake Gellato 😢 Was delicious though 😁
Was all over Italy and had zero issues last week
7:57 LITERALLY A GUY WITH HIS PHONE ON THE TABLE TO THE LEFT 😂 its ironic that you explained that in the video, and caught someone doing that 😂
The food in the restaurants and the gelato looked so delicious.
The food in Rome is undoubtedly the best I've ever had, and I'm widely traveled. Dining with good companions over a great meal is one of my passions.
Thank you Anna, i will be heading there in February, mainly looking forward to visiting Rome, Naples and Oriolo in Calabria, will be an amazing visit
I can see many Bangladeshi people on the streets selling stuff. How come there are so many Bangladeshi people in Italy?
You’re very intelligent in developing creative and humours you tubes that keeps my attention, especially when I have short attention span.very helpful tips!!
Great video, My wife and I plan to visit Naples first, then train to Rome. Thanks for your advice, we will arrive in early November 2025. I've read Italians like Americans but advised we don't wear Sandals with socks and enjoy dinner wearing long pants with shoes. I don't speak Italian but I try to learn basics before travelling more as a polite courtesy as I don't travel expecting others to speak English, but may I assume correctly that English is common on the street and restaurants?
I want to say thank you for this video ! I followed all of your advice, you are a star. you saved me
Aww thank you so much 🤩🤩 I’m so happy it helped 🤗
I hope you had a great trip to Rome ❤️
I'll be carefull. Thanks for the info. Scams это развод?
You better be ☺️ you are always welcome 🤗 scam is … good question actually ! But развод - это divorce 😉😅
@@AnnaGoldmanTravel no, no, no. I meant scam in the slang sense is translated into russian as развод. I didn't mean развод in the meaning of divorse😃
now I looked it up in the dictionary. Scam means мошенничество, кидалово. So the same as развод
@@AnnaGoldmanTravel I think in Norway there are no problems like that.
Thank you! Couldn't quite work out the reason behind the signature scam...btw my advice is just say no...and no again and no again...they will tire of you. I'm in Rome now and it's worked every time so far 🙂
Keep going Anna! Good luck!
Aww thank you so much indeed 🤩🤗
Enjoy the rest of your weekend 🩵
Hearing all of this- why would I want to go to Rome? I saw enough of this in Paris.
Karl Black also just released a video on this same subject. Good Job...Thanks...
Very informative and very helpful , high quality media
Thanks alot
My 6' 2" 225lbs brother doesn't take any crap-o-la! We jumped out of a tour bus to look at the Coliseum. One of those junk dealer guys tossed something at my brother to scam him. My brother batted the object and it flew across the street and was run over by a car. About 5 of those junk dealer guys turned to him and said, "not cool". Jerks!
They were black I guess...Italians mind their own business.
Thanks dear Anna 😊
All the cases are so true, you are helpful indeed 👍
Don’t let anyone use your camera to take your picture. They see u taking a selfie & come up to you!!
Great tips, and you're fun to watch!
Thanks for sharing
Great video :) you are doing a good job, Anna. All the best
Thanks Anna and everyone for sharing much appreciated 🦋💫💫💫💫💫💕
Last time I was in Roma... 2010, but I don't remember it like this. Was safer for tourists I guess.
It is a completely safe city. Just take care. People notice the excessive petty theft, because of an absence of any actual violent crime. Rome is lovely, day and night. Be sensible, and have fun.
Great advice Anna! Sadly, big tourist cities and towns are inundated by scammers. Your video is awesome and many people need to watch it, if going to Rome! :)
Lovely work Anna. Love from London ❤
Was in Italy just last March. Traveled all over, never had any trouble at all. Of course i follow a few rules: I don't usually go out at night, I don't carry any kind of bag while walking around, I keep my passport inside my clothes, I don't wear jewelry, and I look mean. Also, I'm male. Guess that helps...
It’s a shame you restrict yourself to daytime movement only while in Rome. Rome is beautiful at night, cooler for sure and not especially dangerous .
@@ptrs559I'm 71 so wasn't particularly interested in the ' 'nightlife' as such; it's just a habit I have.
@@Shmerpy got it.
I'm also male, give us all tips on how to
" look mean."😂
@@makeyourlifeeasier5794helps if you're just born looking mean. Even when I smile I still look mean...
Very informative and great video you have made
We are in italy right now, you can't imagine how much I've warned my parents of these scams, but they still get caught up in them. Me and my sister literally had to watch our parents like they were kids, especially our mother.
One instance was we looked away for one moment and they bought something and the guy tried giving them bracelets "as a gift" the moment we saw that, we screamed no and said for him to leave, our parents being as stupid as they are told us "Don't worry hes muslim and showed us a picture of his family" (we are muslim and they do like to use that to scam us) obviously the guy understood that me and my sister knew of his scam and left. The amount of times our mother got scammed was staggering first it was a hat, then it was water, then it was flowers and it was almost bracelets, and then she has the audacity to say we are overreacting and she wasn't scammed. A wonder she wasn't robbed.
It's great that your parents have such caring daughters.
@@carlbook2051 She called them stupid. Very disrespectful, not caring.
Back in 2012 from the moment we landed on italian soil people tried to scam us. As soon as we got into the taxi to go to our hotel the cab driver was on the phone speaking italian to a friend. He said in italian he had dumb americans in the car and he was gonna take us for a ride the long way and make money on us
What he didnt know at first was that my father spoke Italian so believe me my father gave him hell. Another time we took a cab to the hotel and he told my father what the cost was and my father gave him cash. I was standing away from the driver and saw him turn, put my fathers money in one pockey and pull out money from another pocket and said my father didn't give him the full amount. At this point i was so tired of people trying to rip us off i went off on the driver yelling "no i saw what you did. You put the money in one pocket and pulled out money from the other". He was so busted he jumped back in the cab and left as quickly as possible. And there were a ton of scams i saw. It was nice when we finally got out of rome and went to the amalfi coast. Much slower pace and we could relax. However i dont know what its like today. I will say this though, Italy is a beautiful country and as long as you are aware of the scams and how to protect yourself you will be ok.❤🇮🇹
I visited Italy for the first time around those year too, those are the craziest period of time for tourist as information about these scams weren't widely shared enough on the Internet but only those who do well on their homework knows what to look for. I was a student in the UK back then, so being the poor peasant I was (not that I'm rich now), every penny counts. So I read a lot before travelling to any country. I read a lot, especially on wikitravel, where real travellers posts their own experiences there and got to know how all those scams work.
Me and my friends witness it all, and very unfortunately, some of us got pick pocket. One of my friend that travels with me also almost got picked pocket but manage to realised and yelled at that bugger before his wallet got taken.
One time we witness a gypsy lady tried to pick pocket a bunch of tourist who is going into the bus to Pisa, we scream our lungs out to get everyone's attention, stop the lady, told the bus driver and there was a commotion. The police soon arrive but couldn't do anything and let her off. She walk around the building, put on a scarf, flip the jacket inside out and came back out, we were stunned and told her to bugger off and warn everyone around there to be alert of her. Those were the days without much smart phones, but I still have that photo from my camera and still on my fb 😂
Yep I got the guy asking me if I was from Africa. I just kept walking but it kinda startled me a little as it’s pretty obvious I’m not from Africa.
Totally ! That’s the trick 😉 to spark up a conversation and ‘sell’ you this idea of ‘helping’ their family …
Thank you for making this!
I normally say ''Do not talk to me''. ''I did not ask you''. And I walk away.
If they try to intimidate me, I can be craziest than them.
Thank you for your useful information. It will be very helpful for my trip to Rome.
My great pleasure ☺️🤗 you can also check my travel to Rome Guide for the best experience in Rome 😉 allgoglobal.com
Enjoy your stay in Rome ❤️
thanks for your tips. i will be there soon, ciao
Love your jacket and trouser !
Aww thank you so much ☺️🤗
@@AnnaGoldmanTravel by the way I am planning to go to Rome this Nov. thanks for the heads up.
So you recommended tying the backpack in front of you not on the back, How if you keep the bag on your back but put a small padlock on it? Not sure if these pockets go to the length of cutting and stealing from the backpack with the scissors.?
I was almost a victim of the African bracelet scam. Thankfully I had family that told me it was a scam.
Scammers in Italy are a pain never again.
Visited Rome once, and Napoli, that was good enough.
First rule. Do not buy anything illegally sold in the street.
Second. Keep purse and mobile in your front jeans pockets.
Third. Never stop with illegal expats or sign petitions.
The second rule doesnt work.. they still can reach to ur front pockets
@@evanlau8you will have an easier time feeling it as opposed to your back pocket
I was in Rome when someone tried the picture scam on me. Told them to get lost.
Thank you so much for this. Really helpful.
You're very welcome!
Thank you for these helpful tips 🎉🎉🎉
My pleasure ☺️🤗
Finalmente qualcuno che racconta la realtà che non si può dire apertamente in Italia.
@rumbatango3341
True, it has become unpleasant .
It's so Sad because it wasn't this way.
Those Illegal migrants are destroying Europe. 😔
brava Anna questi video sono interessanti per i turisti (e non solo). Che bel quadro quando sei alla fontana di trevi :)
I'm really starting not to like people too much anymore. You go somewhere for a good time and it ends up being a bad time because of people trying to scam you.
I wish I could have watched your video earlier this year. Thank you for your sharing. Fake gladiators in Rome asked me for 5 Euros after I took a single photo of them (I did not even ask them to take photos with me and I thought they were cosplayers or some kind of official staff). They were very aggressive and did not let me walk away for about 5 minutes. I finally made my escape after giving them a 2 Euros coin. I did not report to the police on the opposite side of the road because they seemed to allow these people and their attitude towards foreign tourists. Two policemen just watched and did not try to intervene. It is a hard lesson for me.
Ohh gosh .. so sorry about such experience.. and its not about money really! It’s about that bitter feeling you have after .. it kinda effect everything not in a very good way 🙄 especially if it’s your first trip to Rome ..
but next time just remember that those clowns have nothing to do with Roman culture and places 🤗 and ‘I don’t have cash’ really works 😉
They don’t have yet the ‘London homeless’ guts to point out the cash machine 😉
I can’t understand why the police lets these doofuses get away with this kind of stuff.
Las Vegas showgirls on the strip demanding money
Brava! Molto accurato!
Thank God my sister and I, did not experience any of this while we were in ITaly. We were very vigilant the entire trip and never spoke to any suspicious looking people.
Our cross bags was inside our coats and phones are around our necks. 😆
Grazie Anna! Video molto interessante 🙂
Anna, loved your energy and vibes... also adv about the situation by throwing in some acting is pretty cool... keep up with good work🥰
Thanks for the vídeo, excellent advice.
I’d like to add that 80% of the seríous/viølent crímes in Italy are not from Italians (ppl with Italian lineage), it’s from who was let into Italy and theír chíldren.
😂😂😂😂
80% ?? So where are your facts or did you read it somewhere on the internet's social media.
@@ColinCarFan The stats are from the Italian government own data site, you’ll have to be able to read Italian if you want to check them for yourself.
@@GhostSal That is fascinating. I can read Italian but could not work out where this is on their various websites. Please can you provide some search words that I could use to locate it. Thanks
@ It’s on ISTAT, they don’t track by chiłdren born in Italy by immigrants but even without that it’s clear who is majority responsible.
13:13
Guy selling flowers 😅
Those are existing for long time, I really don't know how can survive by selling flowers, our days almost nobody keep money in the pockets, because most of the places you can pay with your phone or card.
Arrest these scammers already! !!
I forget all the scam when I saw you,you are having an air of bliss,by the way you did hard to make awareness,I appreciate,you are amongst the amorous Italian,good by
So according to around the 8:30 timestamp there are no authentic restaurants to eat at lunchtime in Italy? Where do Italians eat lunch when they fx. travel in Italy and cannot have lunch at home or their office cafeteria? Or do they only eat once in the evening? Because another video stated that skipping breakfast is commonly done as well. I am so confused 🤔
I got scammed one time. I was so hungry I went to one of the food kiosks in the park and grabbed a bag of chips when I held it up the guy pit up 2 fingers when he heard my accent he quickly put up 3 fingers. I was definitely overcharged for them
No way 😱😱 this is crazy
Sono italiana, mi dispiace questi delinquenti ci rovinano la reputazione facendoci sembrare tutti dei disonesti, mi scuso per il trattamento ricevuto 😢
A nasone (plural nasoni), also called a fontanella (plural fontanelle, lit. "little fountains"), is a type of drinking fountain found in Rome, Italy. Literally meaning "large nose", they got their name from their characteristic design first introduced in the 1870s. There are approximately 2,500-2,800 nasoni in Rome, supplying people with free drinking water.
Two years ago when we visited Milan , a lady from our tourist group left her iPhone on the table when a man with newspaper sitting next her. When she found out that her phone had been stolen.
The bracelet scam has been around for more than 30 years. Back then they were everywhere, but now they’ve relocated to cities with huge numbers of tourists like Rome. Regarding normal ice cream flavours vs traditional ones. Here in Bologna there’s an ice cream place which has been in business for forty years and is famous for its crazy as well as normal flavours and they make everything themselves, with the exception of things like Kinder products which they have sometimes added to the ice cream. Many years ago, when cinemas were screening the first film in the Lord of the rings franchise, they came up with a “Signore degli anelli” flavour
Great video
Thanks for the tips. I know it probably took a lot of time to produce that video
11:04 i love it how you said it thank you ❤⚘️
I just got scammed by one of them and I feel really bad I hope that they can't able to do that kind of thing to another people.
Very useful, Thank you 😊
My great pleasure 🤗 I’m very happy to help 🤍
We were going to Caracalla Terme one early Sunday morning when 4 giggling young girls got on the metro and as we got ready to get off at the next station and the train slowed down the girls fell on my back and at the same time managed to steal my wallet even though I had closed pocket with a button. The girls were nicely dressed, but the Italians said they were gypsies and that you should look at their shoes, which are often muddy and worn as they live in a large gypsy camp on a dirt field outside Rome. Luckily I was well insured but suddenly we would be living the rest of the holiday on just one wallet. The police required the report to be written in Italian on an Italian form which took us a couple of hours to fill out correctly using a phrasebook for the report to be accepted and registered. The most dangerous place according to locals in Rome, is the Bus from Termini (Central Station) to the Vatican. Several leagues of young boys and girls go with the tourists for the purpose of pickpockets them.
I can only say we ate in tourist restaurants and gelato places and the taste was very nice even it might be considered as "Fake" . Two days we ate Spaghetti for 7 € in a place which sells also Döner and hot dogs and the taste was totally ok. And Pizza there was only 2,50 € and we enjoyed it. For me the biggest scam is that some Restaurants ask 15€ for a main dish and you need to order extra the side dishes which sums up to more than 20€ for a meal. And not to forget the hotels which charge more than 200€ for a night, thats obviously a huge scam. Max 100€ for one night is ok.
Paying $100 for a hotel is a scam too.
Anna, I love your accent. I’m going to start saying “guys” like you do! 😂 it’s endearing. Thanks for all your tips. I love love love Rome, but am sad that there are so many scammers there.
How is it possible that the government doesn't do anything about it, it's a shame for Italy and they don't respect the tourists who bring them money, I'm really disappointed, Rome should be avoided, scammers spoil your impression, in such a beautiful city.. 😢
I wondered the same thing. With the millions that tourists pour into the economy for Rome, one would think that the safety of the tourists would be a priority for the police. It doesn't look that way.
I think it would be a good idea now for every hotel to hand out leaflets with all of the most common scams listed in the language of the tourist
Very informative, thank you🥰
0:47 for 2 eur I have a pack of 6 large bottles
Hi Anna! Where in Rome are you in that first clip?
I am so glad I live in America