3 Times Square Scams to Watch Out For
Being scammed in Times Square is a tangible possibility, we don’t hide it.
In today’s article we tell you about the 3 SCAMS that are most likely to happen to you, and how to avoid them!
A little introduction
Time Square is an extremely touristy place, avoided as much as possible by New Yorkers: the restaurants in the area are nothing special and everything is super expensive
We have identified for your some great places where you can eat awesome burgers and pizzas when you are in Times Square, see below for the links:
READ ALSO : THE 5 BEST BURGERS AROUND TIMES SQUARE
READ ALSO: BEST 5 NEAPOLITAN PIZZAS IN MANHATTAN
Now back to the topic of today’s blog article:
Walking around Times Square you will surely notice 3 types of individuals and we at Discover NYC advise you to stay away from them as much as possible!
DO NOT GET SCAMMED IN TIMES SQUARE
The (FAKE!!!) Monks
Fake Tibetan Monks roam the streets of Times Square, dressed in an orange robe and stop tourists by giving a small gift that they say cleanses the soul. It can be a card or a small object. DON’T TAKE IT.
Politely say no and move on, don’t stop.
If you take what they give you, once it is in your hands they will start asking you for money. Very insistently.
We have heard stories of people being forced to pay $80 to get these fake monks to leave.
If possible, it is best to spend the $80 to attend one of our TOURS or to eat/drink at one of the beautiful ROOFTOPS in the Times Square area.
READ ALSO: 3 BEST ROOFTOP BARS AROUND TIMES SQUARE
The (FAKE!!!) RAPPERS
There are also young guys dressed as rappers who hang around Times Square stopping tourists and telling them that they are the new rising star of the music world and that they have just made a CD that will soon be released on all music platforms.
They will hold out the CD to you. DON’T PICK IT UP.
The consequence is the exact same as what we said the Monks above do: they will endlessly insist on a BIG TIP and won’t let you go until you give it to them.
And you want to know what the most interesting thing is? The CD you just picked up in your hand is, in very high probability, 100% EMPTY. You won’t find any songs on it. Worst case scenario, it includes a VIRUS that steals all your data.
If you are still looking for a hotel in NYC, may we suggest you to have a look at the dedicated section in our blog?
READ ALSO: HOTEL in NYC – BLOG SECTION
The Times Square Mascots
Mascots cannot be classified 100% as Times Square Scams: you know what you’re getting into.
The message is clear: business is business. Want to take a picture with the mascot? Do it, but be prepared to pay a tip.
5$ or 10$ usually.
Some of them are even “cute”, especially if you’re visiting with kids.
What we strongly recommend is that you AGREE before taking a picture with them. Ask CLEARLY how much it costs to take a picture, take out money already (for example a $5 bill), take the picture and hand it to them.
This way you avoid any kind of surprise.
Did you know that all of our Luxury Tours depart from Times Square? Click below to discover them and join the best experiences in NYC
READ ALSO: LUXURY TOURS in NYC