Scams in Prague

Over-charging
This works in a number of ways. Restaurants don’t print prices or English and Czech menus show different prices. If in doubt – ask to see the Czech menu. If the restaurant claims not to have any menus, leave. In the center of Prague, there are many restaurants and you’ll be able to find an honest one.

Changing Money
You can be scammed in two ways with exchange. One is illegal and the other is quasi-legal. In the gray area, exchange offices will advertise a higher rate which only applies to large sums of money. The only time you realize is when you’ve handed over your dollars, pounds or euros and got much less than you expected in return. So check the rates and commissions.

ATM Scams
This scam has been widely reported across the globe. A fake reader can be inserted into an ATM machine and steal data while a camera records your pin, as can be seen on this article at Snopes. A more recent a lo-tech approach was apparently a sticky money slot.

Another well-known scam is the so-called ‘Lebanese loop’, which Snopes also investigated. The Czech press have warned people about it too.

Undercover Undercover Police
You’re minding your business in central Prague and someone approaches you claiming to be a police officer. He flashes some indication – it could be his bus pass, but you’re new and hey, this guy says he’s a cop, and you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the law already. The guy then claims he’s checking for forged bank notes and would like to see your wallet. Forged bank notes! Well, it’s a good thing this guy came along…

Inspect the Inspectors
It seems there is no end to the subterfuge scammers will employ. Another trick is for a person to claim to be a ticket inspector and claim a fine. The inspectors from the Prague Metropolitan Transport  Service (DPP) are required to display a badge and are usually dressed in blue uniforms. Some do travel ‘incognito’ but they will show you the badge too. Also an inspector will write out a ticket you are not required to pay straight away; it is only cheaper if you do (700 CZK on the spot, 950 CZK at the office). For more information and an example of the inspector’s badge, check this page.

Other Disguises
It is a reality that some people come to Prague not to enjoy the history or the architecture. They are after more earthly delights. If you are among these people, you probably want to exercise caution.

Real Estate
Perhaps, you’ve experienced this before. You want to rent a place but before you’ve been shown the flat or house, the estate agent asks for a deposit to show that you can pay. Or when it comes to terminating your lease, you’ll find that your landlord doesn’t return all of your security deposit though there is no visible damage.

These problems have been addressed before so I’ll only say briefly don’t hand over any money unless you have something in writing and you have made clear the terms of the lease. It is probably also better to rent through a recognized company with some experience with foreign clientčle, rather than privately. Lastly, make sure that as a prospective tenant you won’t be charged a fee by the agency for finding you the flat.