Avoiding Scams During the 2024 Paris Olympics

Breakdancing is coming to the world stage while French citizens stage a creative protest with the hashtag “JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin.” We’ll leave the dirty research on that to you. Regardless, the ramp-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics is proving to be an exciting and controversial affair.

However, the Olympic call isn’t reserved for top athletes and sports enthusiasts. It’s also a prime opportunity for scam artists and fraudsters to exploit an influx of tourists. Spectators are less familiar with the local language, geography, and laws, making them perfect targets.

Your Olympic trip should focus on the competition and electrifying atmosphere, not lamenting a scam or talking to the police. Understanding the mechanics of scams like ticketing fraud will help you recognize and avoid threats more proactively.

Ticketing Fraud in the 2024 Paris Olympics

Wherever there are tickets, there’s ticketing fraud. High-profile events like the Olympics are at greater risk due to the challenge of getting a ticket through regular routes. The event’s prestige increases desperation to attend, making people more likely to trust a fraudster’s claims.

A single criminal group defrauded over $3.5 million through fake online ticket sales during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This isn’t an isolated tactic. The upcoming Olympics are currently battling similar issues.

The Olympic Committee has already issued a notice that groups are fraudulently claiming to provide free tickets to the opening ceremony. The lucky recipients only need to provide shipping information and pay postage fees.

Perpetrators typically gain legitimacy by claiming partnerships with groups like the French National Olympic Sports Committee. They then create spoofed websites, copying official logos and color schemes, and draw victims through Google Ad campaigns.

Some scam groups fabricate secondary marketplaces with listings for cheap tickets. The French Gendarmerie Nationale has already found 338 fraudulent ticketing sites, successfully shutting down 51 and sending legal notice to 140 others through law enforcement.

These scams have two edges. There’s the blatant crime of taking money in exchange for nonexistent tickets, but there’s another hidden threat. Scammers request the recipient’s personal details like their name, email, and physical address for “tracking and shipping” purposes.

Criminals can sell this information on the dark web or use it to launch identity theft attacks. Victims are often too focused on not receiving a ticket to take measures to protect themselves against potential identity fraud.

Efforts to Combat Ticketing Fraud

The ironclad method to prevent ticketing fraud is to trust no one. The only legitimate places to purchase tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games are through this official website or the Paris 2024 resale platform.

Early buyers may register their tickets for resale using the official application. Resale prices are set at the original ticket cost, but the reseller loses 5 percent of that value.

Any other resource has a chance to defraud you. Even trusted, verified accounts on social media or online marketplaces can be hacked and used for malicious purposes. There have been sponsored Google Ad campaigns for fake ticket websites because scammers have broken into verified accounts.

You can check a ticket’s unique code on the official website, but by then, you’ve probably already bought into the scam. If you discover or suspect a fake ticket, advise the case to the “la Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudesla” (DGCCRF).

Accommodation Scams: Tips for Avoiding Bogus Rentals and Hotel Bookings in Paris

The Summer Olympics will welcome 10,500 athletes, 40,000 security agents, and 15 million guests to Paris. This population boom is as if the entire state of Pennsylvania popped in for a visit.

You might assume that most people will struggle to find decent accommodation, but you’d be surprised. People who booked late last year paid roughly 2.5 times the usual cost, but that price has dropped to 1.5 times with only a month left before the opening ceremony.

This deflation is due to the surge in rental options provided by people who want to cash in on the Olympic hype for easy bookings.

However, it’s also true that paying 50 percent more than the regular rental price in one of the most expensive cities in the world is not an attractive offer. Millions of attendees will hunt down a good deal, and many are waiting until the last minute to see if prices drop further.

This swings the door wide for accommodation scammers.

Accommodation scams occur when someone steals money by promising the victim a place to stay. This may involve faking or double-booking listings on a rental site or not transferring a hotel room to the victim’s name.

Shady sites like Craigslist or Leboncoin (French Craigslist) are a hotspot for unverified accommodation listings. Many people reasonably rule these platforms out due to suspicions or fear of strangers. You should be one of those people.

However, sticking to reputable platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com isn’t necessarily safe. Of course, it’s safer than services that don’t vet the host, but there have been many cases where criminals smuggle fake listings past the authenticity checks.

It’s essential to critically check your booking, as nothing is more dangerous than arriving in a foreign location without a place to rest your head. Some red flags that may indicate fraudulent accommodations include:

Miracle Listings

Accommodations offering extremely low prices or situated in popular hotspots should immediately raise suspicion. With only a month left before the Olympics begin, you’ll likely need to compromise on price or location.

Unsecure Payment Platforms

Scammers will request payment through methods like MoneyGram, Western Union, or cash payments. These methods have fewer routes to appeal fraud cases and allow the scammer to hide their identity.

Lack of a Contract

Beware of listings without a binding contract, including your stay time, price, added fees, and so on. Hosts should be the first to offer this contract since it protects their property against you. You should also know basic information about the host, such as their name and how to contact them.

Requests for Security Deposit Prior to Signing

It’s illegal in France to ask for a security deposit before signing a contract. This is an attempt to take your money and cut off contact.

Missing Host or Owner Information

You should know the host’s basic information, such as their name or contact information. This allows you to contact them to handle problems or disputes later. It’s also their way of vouching for the authenticity of their listing. Do not rent from private owners who cannot meet in person.

Verifying Accommodation Offers

Reputable rental services only allow reviews from people renting from the host. This is not like Yelp or Google Reviews, where anyone with an account can leave a note.

This makes reviews and ratings a strong way to check if a rental meets your quality requirements or if it exists in the first place. Look for positive and detailed feedback, and be cautious of listings with limited reviews.

You can also personally visit with the property owner. For foreign attendees, this may not be possible in person, but video calls are a great second choice. These meetings require the hosts to expose themselves to some degree, and most scammers won’t go through the trouble.

Finally, you can utilize the Official Paris Olympics Hospitality Program to find lodging. This program offers two programs: basic and all-inclusive.

The basic package has standard tickets to sporting events and access to an exclusive lounge. The all-inclusive package tacks on amenities like lodging, dining tickets, transportation options, access to private events, and cultural tours.

Common Street Scams Around High-Traffic Tourist Areas in Paris

Walkable cities like Boston, New York, Florence, and Paris are hunting grounds for street scammers. You see them often portrayed as pickpockets, cab drivers, charity collectors, and more in the media.

Tourists are prime targets for scammers since they can’t easily describe how the scammer spoke or where the crime occurred. The most common street scams you’ll see include:

Pickpocketing

Rather than a scam, pickpocketing is a ubiquitous street crime worldwide, and Paris has the second-highest rate of it. The city has 251 reported incidents per 1 million visitors; however, this ratio leapfrogs itself during periods of high tourist traffic.

Paris recently neutralized an infamous gang of pickpockets who stole up to 20,000 euros per day in transportation hubs. This premeditated round-up was likely a response to the massive number of wallet and cellphone pickpocketing incidents that occurred during the 2020 Brazil Olympics.

Despite the big bust, individual pickpockets will still come for unzipped pockets and loose purses. Pickpockets rely on deception and distraction to steal, so watch out for these techniques:

Distraction

Pickpockets aren’t lone wolves. They’re pack hunters, with one or more people creating a distraction and the other separating you from your valuables. These distractions appear like harmless, everyday interactions such as asking for directions, offering a photo op, or starting a loud argument nearby.

Charity Collections

Studies show a declining trust in charity operations, and who can blame them? Street scammers often pose as charity collectors working for a great cause. Think of the 45 different Santa Clauses you see on New York Streets.

The “charity worker” asks you to sign their clipboard or orates the 15 talking points of their organization while the pickpocketer works their magic. Sometimes, they will have a speech impediment or physical disability to earn sympathy points and keep your attention.

The Good Samaritan

A thief may put on a disguise. Not a ski mask, but the guise of a non-threatening and helpful person. While it’s nice to believe in the natural goodness of people, be wary of unsolicited offers to help with luggage or the like. If you need help, closely monitor your belongings while interacting with strangers.

On the Metro

“The Metro” includes other forms of transportation such as buses, rideshares, and taxis. However, the metro is one of the most popular places to perform the “Crush and Grab.” The extremely tight quarters on the metro and the chaos during stops make it easy to pull off a pickpocket unnoticed.

A less stealth-focused method of metro theft is to sit near the doors. The thief steals a purse or loose object and jumps off right before the doors close. You’re left watching them count your money while you speed away.

What to Do if You Get Pickpocketed in Paris

It’s understandable to panic when you’ve been robbed. While you can’t do anything about embarrassment or anger, try to direct that energy to positive actions. Assess your situation and ensure you’re not in a dangerous situation.

Do NOT chase after the thief. You don’t know what kind of weapon they’re holding, and you don’t want to end up on the wrong side of a knife.

Locate the nearest police station or “commissariat.” Each of Paris’ 20 districts has three or four stations you can visit to report the theft to the police. The officers will provide a Récépissé de Déclaration de Perte ou de Vol, which is required to renew your identification documents.

They can also direct you to the nearest American Embassy. It sounds annoying, but you’ll need their help to return to the US if the thief made out with your passport. The complete crime report must be completed before you leave the country.

Protecting yourself from identity theft is the next step. Your wallet or phone includes many personally identifiable information that can lead to financial fraud or identity theft. The thief could create fake IDs, access bank accounts, or damage social profiles.

Utilizing a Lost Wallet Assistance and Restoration service is a way to quickly cover yourself and know ahead of time if someone misuses your information.

Public Wi-Fi Scams in Paris

Tourists are more likely to access public, unprotected Wi-Fi channels. They’re far from their “home” network and have no other option. So, scammers create fake networks to steal information, using the Olympic sporting arenas as bait.

Surrounding cafes, hotels, and retailers often provide free Wi-Fi with a distinguishable name, such as “Store-1999-5G.” Scammers will name their network similarly and steal all the data that passes through, including bank logins, communications, and credit card numbers.

How to Avoid Public Wi-Fi Scams

It’s easy to say not to use public Wi-Fi when you’re out of the country, but that’s not actionable advice. A strong connection is necessary to look up the Olympic schedule, access tickets, or send real-time photos of your trip back home.

While you can’t eliminate the risk of public networks, you can substantially mitigate it with the following tips:

• Verify Wi-Fi names with staff members to avoid spoofed networks
• Don’t log into financial accounts or perform financial transactions on Wi-Fi
• Disable the auto-connect feature and “forget” networks when you’re done using them

These habits will do a lot to protect you but aren’t foolproof. Emergencies happen, and you may need to break one of these rules. In these situations, we recommend preinstalling a VPN program and turning on two-factor authentication for all your sensitive accounts.

Taxi Scams

Taxi scams target tourists who are unfamiliar with the area. They don’t know the fastest routes to and from locations, allowing unscrupulous drivers to take longer routes and jack up fare rates.

Some drivers even rig their meters to measure distance incorrectly. A native Parisian might recognize that the stadium isn’t 24 miles from their hotel, but a tourist likely doesn’t know to argue that point.

The most simple and shameless way drivers scam tourists is to simply lie. Exchange rates are challenging to pin down, and tourists tend not to question it. They may lament that “Paris is an expensive city,” but that isn’t the driver’s fault, right?

We also recommend against choosing convenience over reputation. Many scam artists hang around airports and crowded transportation hubs. They offer their services to people frustrated with the wait, quoting exorbitant rates after arriving.

How to Avoid Taxi Scams

Choose licensed taxi services in Paris recognizable by a “Taxi Parisien” sign on the roof. These vehicles also have a unique license number, allowing you to report foul play and hold the driver accountable.

However, you might not have the time to wait for a licensed vehicle if you’re pressed for time or in a dangerous situation. Cab-hailing apps are a great alternative if you pick a good one. Our picks include the following:

1. Taxi G7
2. Paris Taxis
3. Tako Alpha Taxis
4. Free Now

It’s ideal to have a price before the taxi starts moving to avoid confusion. Ask the driver to quote the distance and estimated time. This way, you can rationalize any unexpected delays and charges yourself.

Fake Lotteries

Scammers have become increasingly adept at impersonating financial service providers and popular brands to lure victims with fake lottery winnings related to the Olympics. Here’s what’s been happening:

Recent Scams: Recently, scammers have been mimicking typical email lottery schemes but with a twist for the Olympic Games. They have been impersonating big names like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Google, and the World Bank, offering fake lottery prizes ranging from AUD $833,000 to AUD $1,280,000. Bitdefender's research has shown that these scams are targeting multiple countries, including the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Australia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Slovakia.

Past Tactics: Previously, during major events like the Olympics, scammers have targeted fans with convincing but fraudulent offers. For instance, during a past Olympic Games, scammers posed as Visa, offering fake travel packages to the Olympics in exchange for personal details. These fake offers often included promises of exclusive tickets and prize miles, using email phishing to deceive recipients.

Stay Safe:

• Be skeptical of unsolicited messages promising prizes or asking for personal information.
• Verify any offers directly through official channels before providing personal details.
• Use robust security software and keep informed about common phishing techniques.

Fake Merchandise

The demand for official Olympics merchandise and mascots has always been high, leading to a significant issue with counterfeit products. To put it in perspective, official merchandise generated $31 million USD in revenue from the 2016 Rio Olympics and $119 million USD from the London Olympics for the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. Here’s a look at a notable past incident involving fake Olympic merchandise. 

Fake Olympic Merchandise Incident: The immense popularity of Bing Dwen Dwen, Beijing’s 2020 Winter Olympics official mascot, led to shortages of official merchandise due to high demand. In the first half of 2007 in Beijing, authorities seized 30,000 fake Olympic products. This crackdown also included the establishment of an informers' hotline and rewards for those who reported individuals selling counterfeit items.

What You Can Do:

• Buy authentic Olympic merchandise, including this year’s mascot, the Phrygians, through the official Olympics website.
• For those in Paris, original merchandise is available at 12 locations, including prominent sites like the Eiffel Tower and Carrousel du Louvre Shopping Centre.

The 2024 Paris Olympics promises to be an extraordinary occasion with new events and significant suspense around the Seine Riverway.

We caution you to consider the potential risks of such a crowded and tourist-heavy event. New people, unfamiliar with the city, provide a veritable buffet to small and big-time scammers. Staying vigilant and aware of potential scams will protect your experience and belongings.

From ticketing fraud and accommodation scams to street scams and Wi-Fi traps, being informed and cautious will allow you to enjoy this internationally anticipated event to the fullest.