Tourist scams in Russia (St. Petersburg & Moscow)

[acrzybear]

A friend and his wife (American born) are planning on visiting Russia (Moscow or        St. Petersburg) and he asked me about some of the scams.  He is a Police Officer in Atlanta and is familar with the most common scams con artists use, but was wondering what he should be careful of.  Any advice or comments would be appreciated and you can either PM or post on the board.

 

Thanks

Acrzybear

[BC]

Carry small change and give a bit to the babushkas.

[Elen]

NEVER stop at a street and open your walet for to give something to babushkas, starving kids, poor girls with babies and others. Especially if it is Gipsy.


 

And I presume you would not be abble to be caught  at such silly thing like "OH! You are lucky guy. You won our prize in million dollar and that fine S888 in nice box. All you need to enjoy with your lucky stars is to pay us some little sum"
 

"Oi :? Somebody splited at a back of your nice jacket , may I help you to clean that with my handkerchief. And while you are tring to see what's that at your back a walet (or cell phone from breast pocket vanishs

[acrzybear]

I noticed the same thing in Odessa.  As soon as you're pegged as a foreigner with money they're on you like flies on execrement!!!

[Turboguy]

The wallet drop thing is pretty popular over there too where the bend over an pick up a wallet with money sticking out or a wad of bills and asked you if you dropped it.   Just keep walking and don't talk to them

[jb]

crazybear,

I've spent an awful lot of time in Russia and I've never seen anything that I'd term a "tourist scam" other than the Gypsies hanging out in the parks.  Defininately tell your friend to avoid those rascals or they'll pick his pockets clean in a flash.

Since he's traveling with his wife I suppose he's gonna be with a tour group seeing the sights.  When I was last in the Kremlin there were dozens of such groups from all over the world ogling the sights,  As long as he sticks with the group he should be fine.  He should be mindful that there are some places they won't allow cameras unless you pay the extra fee. Lenin's tomb does not allow cameras period, and all the Orthodox churches I've been in don't either, although they will sell pictures.  Most have little shops around somewhere.

English will not be widely spoken, however the tour groups I saw all had English speaking guides, and most all Hotels have some English speaking staff.  So he won't be able to strike up a conversation with most natives, but he should have a good time if he and his wife simply remember to practice a little common sense.

One oddity of Moscow, they don't have cross walks a major downtown intersections, there will be a system of tunnels you used to cross these very busy streets.  Many of these underground cross walks are also mini-shopping malls, I don't advise doing any shopping down there as the quality of goods is very poor.  As mentioned, it's a good idea to have a pocketful of small money, (coins) to give to the beggars, some of those old women and crippled children will break your heart. I usually give them a 10 ru coin as I pass by, God knows they need it..

[Elen]

 I usually give them a 10 ru coin as I pass by, God knows they need it..

 Of course it's a business of yours just know NO ONE beggar is allowed to sit there in tunnels and ask for money without a permission bought from "beggar maphia":?

(especialy in the centre)

So you just feed our maphiosy with your coins and support their "business" (btw 10 rub coin is rather rare thing here:D)

[BC]

Elen,
Probably quite true in the big cities. Same 'system' exists here especially for flower vendors that walk in restaraunts, windshield cleaners at stoplights and organized gypsies. They're pretty easy to spot.. so are the genuine smiles off the beaten path that make a small gesture worthwhile.

[jb]

(btw 10 rub coin is rather rare thing here:D)

That may be, in this case I mis-typed, I meant I usually drop some coins, they are probably 10 kopec coins, not rubles.

I have here a couple of old mayonase jars full of what I refer to as my "Foreign Coin Collection", small change left in my pockets after returning from a trip goes into these jars.  There's coins from all over the world in there, since the advent of the Euro, most of the old european stuff is now probably worthless.  One of these days I need to sort that stuff, there's a ton of memories in there.

[Turboguy]

I am sure that stuff is not spendable but It may increase in value as a collectors item someday.   I have the same thing.  I have a lot of jars filled with old coins and bills from all over the world.    Might be worth something to your grandkids some day.   The Euro sure has made travel easier.   I can remember when I would run around and my right front pocket was pounds, my left front was French franks, My Right coat pocket was Lire My right coat pocket was Guilders.   And sure enought you would pay for something in a hurry and drop the money you got back in the wrong pocket and mess your system up totally.

[jb]

oops~!

Yeppers.. been there, done that.  :D