Common Tourist Scams in Quito (and How to Avoid Them)
Scams + Old Town pickpocket patterns
- "Mustard / paint / bird-poop" distraction: classic Quito Old Town pattern. Someone "accidentally" sprays a substance on your jacket; an accomplice offers to help clean and lifts your wallet. Walk away — clean yourself at the hotel.
- Plaza Grande + Plaza San Francisco pickpockets: most-active in the Sunday-mass crowds + during festival days. Daypack in front, phone in front pocket.
- "Express kidnapping" via unmarked taxis: documented pattern — taxi driver and accomplice force victim to withdraw cash from multiple ATMs. Always use Uber, Cabify, or radio-dispatched taxis (City Taxi, Taxi Amigo) — never flag from the street, especially at night.
- El Panecillo walking-route robberies: the staircase + path up to the Virgin statue is a recurring armed-robbery spot. Take a taxi up + down ($5-7 each way).
- La Ronda evening scams: the historic music street is genuinely nice but pickpocket-active around 9-11pm.
- Drink-spiking in La Mariscal: documented at some Plaza Foch bars. Hold your own drink; don't accept from strangers.
- "Police" stops asking for passport + cash inspection: real police don't inspect cash. If approached, ask to walk to the nearest tourist-police booth.
- ATM caution: use ATMs inside bank lobbies (Banco Pichincha, Produbanco, Banco del Pacífico) during business hours. Outdoor ATMs after dark = robbery target.
- Card-terminal DCC: Ecuador uses USD — there's no DCC to worry about. But check the displayed amount matches the bill before signing.
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