Braid scam artists at the Sacre Coeur... and other Paris, France Warning Or Danger Tips

Not sure how long this has been a problem but watch out for guys at the foot of the stairs in front of the Sacre Coeur: they'll ask if you speak English, French, whatever & try to con you into letting them put a bundle of string around your wrist. They'll quickly braid the threads & demand an outrageous amt of money for it, around 5 euros. Keep in mind that it translates to a lot in dollars! If you want to avoid the scam, just give them an emphatic "NO." & keep on walking. Don't be surprised if they follow you & become more aggressive, keep your attitude the same & you'll leave 'em behind.

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While on tour in Paris & waiting for our guide, Mario, to arrange our entrance to the Eiffel Tower, he pointed out a couple of gypsy girls not far from our group. (At least they were DRESSED like gypsies, who knows if they actually are, right?) After spotting 'em Mario gave us his standard warning, "WATCH OUT, little hands!!" & pointed them out. The were wearing light blue or green flowing skirts, denim coats & scarves over their heads. Mario told me that the con these girls commonly ran at this site was to take a Polaroid of tourists & aggressively demand money for it, distracting you while their friend robs you!

I noticed something interesting while we waited for Mario; every few mins they would change their skirts, pulling the new one over the old & pulling off the old underneath. They'd also change headscarves as well. It's done to fool tourists they may have bothered earlier but also to fool the police, who patrol tourist sites freq.

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