8 Common Scams in New York City (Tourists Beware!)

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Common Tourist Scams in New York City to Avoid

As a native New Yorker, these are the most common scams I see tourists falling for in NYC. New York is honestly not that bad of a city when it comes to scams (I can think of several cities I’ve traveled to where you have to be way more on your guard), but that being said, you should still come prepared.

Scams do happen, and tourists are often targeted for them. Luckily, once you know what to look out for, these common scams are very easy to avoid. If you’re approached by anyone trying to pull one of these scams on you, my advice is to simply unleash your inner New Yorker and just keep on walking in silence.

You don’t owe anyone your time or a response. It’s not rude, and the best way to avoid falling victim to any of these scams is to simply not engage. If it feels fishy or too good to be true, keep walking.

Without further ado, here are the most common scams in New York City to watch out for:

1. Unlicensed airport drivers

Most people visiting NYC will fly into one of the city’s two airports, LaGuardia or JFK. (Some people also fly into Newark, which is in New Jersey.) Although the airports have done a lot to crack down on this, you might still encounter unlicensed drivers claiming to be a taxi or Uber in the arrivals area.

It can be tempting to go with one of these hustlers, who will lead you right to their car, bypassing the long line at the official taxi stand or eliminating the need to walk to the official rideshare pickup area and call an Uber/Lyft. But these unlicensed drivers will take you for a ride — in more ways than one.

You’ll end up paying an exorbitant fare, and you lose the protections of taking a licensed yellow taxi or a legit Uber/Lyft through the app. Ignore these people, and follow the signs to the official taxi stand or the official rideshare pickup area. Trust me, it’s worth waiting a little longer to do it the right way!

2. Pedicab tours

Another transportation-related scam to avoid is pedicab tours. Pedicabs, also known as bike taxis, are a rickshaw-like form of transportation pulled by a bicycle. This is not a real method of transportation for New Yorkers, and the pedicabs only exist for tourists. And I can see the appeal of them; I really can.

It seems like the perfect way to tour the expanse of Central Park or get around the city when you’re tired of walking. But many of the pedicabs will tell you a misleading price (“oh, it’s only $7!”) and then you find out that they actually meant it’s $7 per minute, so your 15-minute ride costs $105.

You’re much better off renting a CitiBike (e-bikes and standard bikes are available) to explore on your own, or if you’re tired of walking, just take the subway. Even a taxi will be cheaper than a pedicab!

3. Three-card monte

This is one of the oldest scams in the book (seriously — it dates back to the 15th century!), yet I still see people falling for it all the time. Three-card monte is a street game where the con man has three cards on a table. All you have to do is follow one of the three cards while the con man shuffles them around.

You bet a small sum of money on this, and if you successfully follow the card, you win double. Seems easy, right? You might even see other people playing the game and winning, so you decide to give it a shot.

The scam here is that anyone you see who’s “playing” is actually a shill working with the con man to lure in a mark. And once a mark starts playing, the con man employs sleight of hand to remove or hide the original card, so you never guess it correctly and lose your money every single round you play.

If you see this game being played on a street corner in New York (usually it only happens in touristy areas), just keep walking. There’s a similar variation called the shell game, which uses shells instead of cards.

4. Breakdancing shows

New York has a vibrant culture of street performers and subway performers, and most of them are totally legit. However, I’ve noticed that some of the breakdancing shows are very scammy. You’ll see these happening in popular tourist areas, and there will be several guys trying to rustle up a crowd.

They might do a bit of breakdancing, but they spend the majority of their time getting people to come over and watch them, and prepping for a big stunt. This typically involves getting a handful of volunteers to line up, with the promise that one member of the breakdancing crew will jump over all of them.

In the build-up, they’ll go around collecting donations from audience members (in a sleazy, high-pressure way). There’s a sunk cost fallacy, because you’ve already been standing there for ten minutes and you want to see the big stunt, so you give them some money. But in the end, it’s usually not even worth it!

These shows are 90% hype and soliciting donations, and 10% actual stunts or breakdancing. Yet I always see big crowds of tourists standing there watching. Honestly, you should just keep walking.

5. Times Square characters

I go out of my way to avoid Times Square (as all New Yorkers do), but I do understand the appeal for first-time visitors. I don’t think you need to spend very long here (or, heaven forbid, stay in a hotel near Times Square), but it’s worth stopping by to take some photos of all the bright lights and billboards.

However, watch out for the characters that roam Times Square. You might encounter Spider-Man, Minnie Mouse, Elmo, Minions, and other characters coming up and aggressively trying to get you to take a photo with them. They especially target families with small kids, who of course are happy to see them.

After you snap a photo with one of these characters, they’ll start demanding a “tip” for the privilege. Paying $5 for a quick photo is a total rip-off, so it’s smart to simply avoid these characters when you see them.

6. Fake monk bracelets

Another scam that’s common to see in Times Square or other busy areas with lots of tourists is the fake Buddhist monk bracelet scam. These orange-robed “monks” can be quite pushy trying to give you a friendship bracelet, then demand payment as a “donation” for their brotherhood or some other nonsense.

It should go without saying that real Buddhist monks are not in the habit of proffering bracelets in Times Square and then trying to get money from unsuspecting tourists. Yet many people fall for it anyway.

The best way to avoid this scam, like most of the others, is to simply ignore these guys and keep walking. Like most scammers, they prey on your natural curiosity and sense of politeness. A lot of people will feel bad and end up paying $10 for a cheap bracelet they don’t even want, so don’t get sucked in!

7. Overhyped tourist traps

New York is home to some truly incredible, world-class museums. Whether you’re interested in art, history, or science, you’ll find the right museum that is tailored to your tastes. But then there are the gimmicky museums. Or rather, they have “museum” in the name, but they’re really just tourist traps.

I’m talking about places like Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum (why, just why?) or the Museum of Ice Cream (you’ll pay $40 to line up and take photos in front of Instagram backdrops.) So not worth it!

Another kind of tourist trap to avoid? Overhyped restaurants and viral food places. I promise it’s not worth waiting an hour in line for Katz’s Delicatessen, Ralph’s Coffee, or Junior’s Cheesecake. The same goes for viral pizza and bagel places — you could find a million other places just as good, without the crowds.

8. Ticket sellers on the street

Lastly, one scam to watch out for is ticket sellers on the street. The worst area for this is around Battery Park, where illegitimate vendors claim to sell Statue of Liberty tickets. Not only are these overpriced, but you won’t actually be buying tickets to visit Liberty Island — just a boat cruise around the island.

I’ve even seen these ticket scammers have the audacity to try to sell tickets for the Staten Island Ferry, which passes by the Statue of Liberty from a distance — and is always completely free to ride!

If you want to visit the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island for real, or visit the National Immigration Museum on nearby Ellis Island, I highly recommend booking your tickets online well in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute, because tickets frequently sell out, and don’t buy tickets from random strangers.

This goes for just about any attraction in NYC. People on the street selling tickets for the Empire State Building observation deck or Broadway shows are often not legit, and even if they are selling real tickets, you are likely to get ripped off and pay a higher price. Use official channels online to buy tickets instead.

NYC Tourist Scams: Final Thoughts

This guide showed you the biggest scams to avoid in New York City.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this guide, scams really aren’t something you need to be too concerned about when visiting NYC. You should always stay vigilant and exercise street smarts, but once you know what to look out for when it comes to common tourist scams, they are very easy to avoid.

Despite the “rude” stereotype, most New Yorkers will look after you if you need help (for example, if you ask a local for directions.) The thing to watch out for is people who are approaching you on the street, invading your personal space, or trying to pressure you — classic signs of an impending scam.

Enjoy your trip to NYC!

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