Destinations › Latvia › Riga › Scams
Riga, Latvia
16 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Riga, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Unmarked cars accepting a street hail near the old town and the port, charging many times the app or metered rate and disputing it aggressively on arrival.
Men presenting as plain-clothes police and asking to inspect a wallet or currency for counterfeit notes, removing cash while counting it.
Cards copied at old-town venues and at street cash machines, including visitors walked to a machine to cover a disputed bar bill and their PIN observed as they enter it.
Taxis at the airport and old-town ranks with tariff cards several times the standard rate, which is why the app fare is the benchmark.
Bill inflation in old-town bars, including drinks bought for a companion who joined the table and charges for entertainment not requested.
Bar and strip-club touts in the old town leading to venues where the bill runs to many times what was ordered, with card details retained and departure obstructed — the city's best-documented tourist trap.
Rented scooters and bicycles invoiced for damage that was present at pickup, charged against the card on file.
Touts and drivers steering visitors to amber and souvenir shops that pay per head, framed as a recommendation.
Day trips to the coast and the palaces sold from street pitches, running with a smaller vehicle and a shortened route, or resold on to another operator.
Stag-party targeting: staged confrontations and 'fines' presented by men claiming to be security.
Plastic and pressed amber sold as natural Baltic amber at amber prices.
Pickpocketing in the old town and at the Central Market.
Collectors with donation books and laminated documentation working the old-town squares and restaurant terraces.
Men attaching themselves to visitors at the old-town gates and the cathedral square, presenting a fee once the walk is over.
Short-let bookings cancelled close to arrival in peak weekends.
Dynamic currency conversion applied by default on card terminals at a poor rate.
