Destinations › United States › New York › Scams
New York, United States
11 reported scam patterns travellers run into in New York, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Statue of Liberty ferry tickets sold by street vendors near Battery Park are worthless — the ferry won't accept them; buy only at Castle Clinton or StatueCityCruises.com.
Costumed characters in Times Square pose for photos, then demand a large cash tip and sometimes hold a phone hostage until paid — NYPD-identified as one of the city's most common tourist scams.
Unlicensed cabs and unofficial "ride-share" touts outside airports and tourist areas quote flat fares well above the metered/regulated rate.
Pickpocketing on crowded subway lines serving major tourist stops.
Unofficial resellers near Broadway theaters selling counterfeit or invalid show tickets.
A stranger bumps into a tourist, then claims their glasses or watch were broken in the collision and intimidates them into paying for the "damage."
CD hustle: strangers place a CD in a tourist's hand and use social pressure to demand payment for it.
Restaurants in high-tourist areas add an unlisted "gratuity" on top of an already-included service charge.
Empire State Building touts claim individual observatory tickets aren't available and pressure tourists into a more expensive bundled package — untrue, standard tickets are always sold at the official box office.
Three-card monte street gambling near Times Square, rigged with shills to guarantee the house wins.
People dressed as monks offer beads or bracelets tied to a "religious cause," then ask for a donation.
