Destinations › Portugal › Lisbon › Scams
Lisbon, Portugal
12 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Lisbon, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Individuals posing as plainclothes police in Baixa-Chiado and Avenida da Liberdade claim to be running an anti-drug operation and insist on inspecting a wallet, returning it with notes missing.
Fake taxis at the airport — the single costliest scam reported — quote a fixed fare instead of using the meter; always use the official taxi queue or a booked app ride.
Pickpocketing on the historic Tram 28 route, one of the most tourist-dense and reported spots in the city.
Card skimming devices fitted to ATMs around Rua Augusta/Rua do Ouro and near Alfama viewpoints, paired with a hidden pinhole camera to capture the PIN.
Tuk-tuks around touristy areas quote high prices for short rides, often well above what a metered taxi would cost.
Street "drug dealers" in Baixa are almost never real — the interaction is a pretext; declining triggers a staged bump or distraction while a wallet or phone disappears.
Street sellers near tourist sites selling counterfeit branded sunglasses and bags.
Small vendors and kiosks shortchanging tourists paying with large euro notes.
Restaurants in the Alfama district automatically serve unrequested "couvert" (bread, olives, cheese) and charge €2–3 per person for it at the end.
Restaurant touts near Rossio and Rua Augusta steer tourists toward venues with inflated, non-transparent menus.
Fake "monks" near Baixa offer amulets and request a donation.
Along the waterfront near Terreiro do Paço, someone ties a bracelet on a tourist's wrist before they can object, then demands payment.
