Common Tourist Scams in Casablanca (and How to Avoid Them)
Scams and pricing
- "Friendly local guide" in the medina who walks you to a carpet shop / tannery / jewellery store. Standard medina playbook across Morocco. Polite firm "no, thank you" and walk on.
- Hassan II Mosque ticket scams — only the official ticket office at the mosque entrance sells legitimate tickets. Anyone offering "VIP access" outside is a tout.
- Taxi flat-fee inflation — agree the price before getting in. Or insist on the meter.
- Currency: Moroccan dirham (MAD). Cards work at hotels and chain shops; cash for medina, taxis, smaller restaurants. Dirham is closed currency — you can't get it outside Morocco; withdraw at the airport.
- ATMs: Attijariwafa Bank, BMCE, Banque Populaire are major networks. Use bank-attached machines.
FAQ
- What's the biggest scam to avoid in Casablanca?
- Petit taxi fare inflation — drivers routinely refuse the meter for tourists and quote 3-5x the real fare. Always insist 'avec le compteur, s'il vous plaît' or agree a flat fare upfront (short hops 15-30 MAD, airport-to-downtown 250-300 MAD). Other recurring patterns: 'friendly local guide' approaches in the Old Medina that end at a carpet/tannery shop with high-pressure sales; fake Hassan II Mosque 'VIP access' touts outside the mosque (the only legitimate tickets are at the official entrance office); and moneychangers offering off-rate dirham deals (use Attijariwafa, BMCE, or Banque Populaire ATMs at bank branches).
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