Common scams and how to sidestep them

Violent crime against tourists is rare here. What is not rare is a handful of confidence tricks that have been running for decades. They all start the same way: a stranger opens a conversation you did not ask for.

The shoe-shiner's brush

A man walking ahead of you drops his brush. You pick it up and hand it back. He is grateful, insists on shining your shoes for free, and then names a large price — and his friends appear. What to do: do not pick up the brush. Keep walking.

"Let me show you a great bar"

A friendly, well-dressed man practises his English with you near Taksim or Istiklal, then suggests a drink at a place he knows. Inside, hostesses join your table, and the bill at the end runs into the hundreds of euros with security at the door. What to do: never follow a new acquaintance to a venue they chose. Choose the place yourself, and if you are in a bar you did not pick, leave before ordering.

Fake police asking for passports

Someone in plain clothes flashes a badge and asks to check your passport and cash for "counterfeit notes". Notes go missing. What to do: real officers wear uniform and are not interested in your money. Say you will walk with them to the nearest police station or tourism police point. That ends it.

Unpriced goods in the bazaars

A carpet, a lamp, a kilo of saffron handed to you before any price is mentioned; once it is in your hands the number arrives, and it is enormous. What to do: ask the price before you touch anything, ask for it written down, and know that in the Grand Bazaar bargaining is expected. Note that the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and on public holidays.

Exchange office tricks

A brilliant rate on the board, then a "commission" on top, or notes counted quickly and short. What to do: ask for the final amount you will receive in writing before you hand over anything, and count the money in front of the counter before you leave. Use exchange offices in busy commercial streets rather than tourist corners, or simply pay by card.

Rigged taxi meters and note-swapping

A meter set on a wrong tariff, a long detour, or your 500-lira note swapped for a 50 as you pay. What to do: use BiTaksi or Uber where possible, say the value of the note out loud as you hand it over, and ask for the receipt ("fiş").

The friendship bracelet

Someone ties a bracelet on your wrist "as a gift", then demands payment. What to do: keep your hands to yourself and say "hayır, teşekkürler" = no, thank you.

"It's closed today — my cousin has a shop"

Near Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque a helpful man tells you the site is closed for a ceremony and offers an alternative — which is a shop. What to do: verify at the entrance yourself. Attractions have real opening hours, and prayer-time closures at the Blue Mosque are short.

If it happens anyway

1. Say no clearly, do not explain yourself, and walk towards a busy street or a shop.
2. Do not chase the money in the street. Nothing you can win there is worth the risk.
3. Photograph what you can: a receipt, a shopfront, a licence plate.
4. Call 112 for police — 155 and the other emergency lines now route through it — or find the tourism police in Sultanahmet, who are used to visitors.
5. Open the app and message your rep. They can call the business, translate, and help you file a complaint — and if your card includes it, put you in touch with a lawyer.

If you paid by card, contact your bank the same day: a card payment can often be disputed where cash cannot.