Common Tourist Scams in Montmartre, Paris (and How to Avoid Them)
The friendship-bracelet scam — Montmartre's signature hassle
- Where: the steps and ramp up to Sacré-Cœur from Square Louise Michel (the green park below the basilica), and around the funicular base.
- Who: groups of men, usually West African, who approach tourists with thread bracelets they offer to weave "as a gift" or "for friendship".
- The grab: they take your wrist before you can refuse and start braiding. Once the bracelet is on, they demand €20-30. Refusing leads to escalation — verbal aggression, occasional shoving, and an attempt to extract the cash anyway.
- Why it works on solo women: the scam relies on the target's reluctance to be physically forceful in shaking the hand off. Solo women are targeted preferentially because the scammers correctly assess that solo female targets are statistically less likely to break free aggressively.
- How to refuse: keep your hands in your pockets walking up the steps. If approached, "non merci" and keep walking; do not stop, do not make eye contact, do not let them take your hand. If a bracelet is already started, the right move is to walk briskly to one of the police officers at the top of the steps (there are always 2-4 visible) and say "il essaie de me forcer à payer".
- The alternative route: take the funicular (€2.15, accepts Navigo and contactless) from Anvers up to the basilica — it bypasses the entire scam zone. Or take Métro 12 to Abbesses and walk up the back via Rue Lepic.
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