Destinations › Poland › Krakow › Scams
Krakow, Poland
18 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Krakow, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Reader overlays on cash machines around the old town, and cards taken away from the table to be processed out of sight.
Memorial-site and salt-mine day trips sold by unofficial sellers near the main square and the station, taking payment for a coach seat and an entry slot that is resold, downgraded, or never booked.
Men presenting as plain-clothes police and asking to inspect a visitor's wallet or currency for counterfeit notes, removing cash during the count. Serving officers do not examine a wallet in the street.
Unlicensed taxis at the main train station charge 5–10x the normal rate; use a licensed rank, call Mega Taxi/Radio Taxi/Eko Taxi, or book Uber/Bolt.
Currency exchange kiosks in the Old Town display misleading rates — always confirm the exact rate before handing over cash, as several "legitimate-looking" offices are set up specifically to shortchange tourists.
Strip clubs offer free entry or cheap drinks to get tourists inside, then pressure them into ordering expensive bottles with an exorbitant final bill.
Some bars and clubs near the main square lure tourists in with a street tout, then present inflated bills for drinks with no posted prices.
Scooter and e-bike hire invoiced on return for marks that were already there, with the deposit used to force payment.
Pressed and plastic amber sold as natural Baltic amber at amber prices in the old-town stalls.
Unofficial transfer offers to arriving passengers at the airport and the main station, quoted well above the app and rail fares.
Drivers and street guides steering visitors to amber and souvenir shops that pay them per head, presented as the trustworthy option rather than a paid arrangement.
Men presenting a printed guide card at the main square and the castle, charging for commentary at sites where entry and a guide are already included.
A call to a hotel room from someone claiming to be "reception" asks a guest to verify their credit card number — real front desks don't do this by phone.
Pickpocket teams work the crowded main square (Rynek Główny) and Wawel Castle, one distracting while another steals.
Women approach late at night asking for bar recommendations, then lead tourists to a venue where they work, running up a large bill on drinks bought for them.
Collectors with clipboards and laminated documentation working the main square and restaurant terraces.
Street "promoters" for bar crawls making misleading claims about included drinks or entry fees.
Horse-drawn carriage operators in the Main Market Square overcharge tourists who don't agree a price upfront.
