Paris. Had fam there. Last time there was '11. It has devolved into a big tourist site. So much different than when visiting in the 70s. Oh, and the scams. I was an intended victim, but didn't fall for the "lost ring" scam and on the same day a dope tried to, or offered, to wrap some kind of twine on my fingers with the hopes I'd pay to untangle the mess. WTF.
These scams!: (Cut and paste job)
1. Gold ring scam
This is one of the most irritating yet common scams in Paris. Usually it will happen when you’re walking along the Seine or near the Eiffel Tower.
Someone will approach you with a gold ring that they “found” and ask you if you dropped it. They will expect you to say no, and then they will pretend to examine the ring and exclaim how valuable it is.
Then, they’ll then attempt to sell you the ring for a good price (of course, the ring is total junk.)
How to deal with it: Ignore them and keep walking. Or firmly say “No” and keep walking.
2. Friendship bracelets at Sacré-Cœur
The friendship bracelet scam is one of THE most annoying to me. Basically, there are a lot of guys hanging out around Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre. It’s almost impossible to avoid them as you’re walking up the hill to the church.
What they will do is come up to you, act really friendly, and start tying some strings around your wrist. They’ll quickly braid a “friendship bracelet” onto your wrist and then demand that you pay for it. (So much for being friendly.)
An added bonus for this one is that they may have a second person who comes up behind you while you’re distracted by the bracelet scam and pickpockets you.