This summer, Paris will host the Olympic Games, and more than 11.5 million visitors are expected to flock to the romantic capital. Among them, United Kingdom fans have bought 500,000 tickets, second only to the host France.
However, how many conspiracies await the United Kingdom? Will the France let go of these fat sheep delivered to their door? They have been waiting for them in airports, train stations, museums and other places for a long time!
Karen Moody, a 79-year-old lady from Buckinghamshire Marlowe, was tricked into vomiting blood just because she wanted to take a taxi from the left bank to the right bank! At that time, a seemingly friendly driver beckoned to her and said, "Hey, do you need a taxi?" "
Unexpectedly, what she met was "Brother 007", after arriving at the destination, the driver changed his face, first refused to accept cash, and suddenly stopped in the middle of a busy intersection, asking her to pay with a card immediately.
The old lady recalled: "I felt very stressed, and the cars behind me were honking, so I paid. "
It wasn't until she checked her bill this month that she realized that the 15-minute drive across the Seine last month cost her 850 euros, and she thought she had only paid 8.50 euros!
She paid 850 euros, believing that the driver had covered part of the screen of the card machine with his hand so that she could not see the extra zeros·······
She immediately reported the scam to her bank, NatWest, but has not yet been compensated.
Banks in the United Kingdom have also issued alerts, warning that in some cases, drivers are able to obtain card details and continue to use them to make duplicate payments after tourists leave.
These "black-hearted brothers" have a variety of fraud methods, they will cover the screen of the payment terminal with their hands when swiping the card, or cover the extra zero with their thumbs.
For example, they were supposed to charge 12 euros, but they quietly entered 1200 euros! However, as we all know, European cards generally have protection limits, and in order to get around this barrier, they will be cunning and will claim that the first payment failed and want you to swipe the card again.
If you're using contactless payments, they'll also say that this won't work and force you to insert your card and enter your PIN. Once you enter your PIN, you lose the €50 contactless payment limit protection! What a terrifying "French wisdom"······
Money Mail readers in the United Kingdom have been writing to the media in recent months about the dangers they have encountered during their travels in Paris, with some losing thousands of pounds in just a few minutes of taxi journeys and being locked in their cars until they pay.
Money Mail's reporters went to Paris to find out. In Terminal 2C of Charles de Gaulle Airport, reporters found four suspicious characters in just a few minutes.
These people are in their thirties, dressed in dark clothes, wandering around, nodding to each other or whispering to each other from time to time, almost like agents in a movie. It's just that their mission is to "trap tourists" rather than "save the world".
They specifically target lone tourists, selling taxi services in a whispered manner to avoid attracting the attention of patrolling security guards. Once someone takes the bait, they take visitors to the underground parking lot instead of the regular taxi waiting area.
At Gare du Nord, the situation is even worse. Within an hour and a half, the reporter saw more than a dozen sneaky guys. They specifically waited for the Eurostar train from London St Pancras station, and then took advantage of the chaos to solicit passengers.
The most shocking thing is that the nearby security guards and police seem to be blind to this!
The reporter also experienced first-hand the tricks of these scammers. A tall man in a gray T-shirt stopped them and said, "Those taxis only go to the airport because the Olympic system has changed." Come with me and I'll take you to the underground parking lot for a ride. "
The result? He took the reporters down to the fifth basement floor in an elevator, pointed to a dilapidated light blue Mercedes, and said it was a taxi. The reporter was terrified, is this to carry passengers or to make a horror movie? In this kind of hellish place, if you refuse them, you can be beaten up and no one knows······
In the face of these "black-hearted brothers", the France police are also heartbroken. Police Commander Giles Gravet said: "We have stepped up our police presence, but we hope that everyone will keep their eyes peeled. "
So, how do you avoid being the next victim? First of all, please remember! No regular taxi is allowed to approach passengers to pick up passengers!
In other words, anyone who takes the initiative to approach you and ask the old girl if she can leave is all illegal operation!!
Other than that! Legal taxis in Paris must have a "Taxi Parisien" sign on the top.
Moreover, there should be a small black plaque with red numbers on the right side of the front of the body. There should be a transparent sticker inside the car that says what the charges will be. Finally, the driver's license should be clearly affixed to the right side of the windshield.
Finally, be wary of cash-only drivers, as legitimate drivers must accept both cash and credit cards. When making a payment, be sure to check that the amount shown on the meter matches the amount on the card machine. If the driver says there's a problem with the card reader and the screen won't show it, then you have to be extra careful!
There is a fixed price for a taxi from the airport to downtown Paris: €56 on the right bank and €65 on the left bank. If someone asks for a higher price, they are definitely ripping off customers. In addition, under normal circumstances, the starting price of a hailing taxi is 3 euros, 7 euros for a reservation and 4 euros for a call.
If you are unfortunate enough to encounter these "black-hearted drivers", don't panic! Make a note of the license plate number, call the police immediately, and contact your bank.
Matt Hepburn, a fraud spokesman for TSB Bank, advised: "Don't let the driver rush you, take your time. Using a card with a contactless payment limit can reduce the loss of unexpected payments. Never let your card out of your sight! "
And if you choose to call a car online, you must also be vigilant, online car-hailing will not have too many expenses on the fare, but if you are unfortunate enough to meet bad people, they have more terrible means to trap tourists!
A United Kingdom student once broke the news that he came to Paris Spring to call a car back to the hotel after shopping, and when he got off the car, he was immediately robbed, all the luxury goods he bought were looted, and the driver drove away.
It is highly suspected that the driver collaborated with the robbers to commit the crime, and everyone should not carry a bag full of big logos when they are finished shopping! I don't know how many pairs of eyes are staring at you in the shadows.
What other ways to avoid the pit, old Parisians will talk about it!
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Ref：
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/mailplus/article-13664231/Exposed-nefarious-French-taxi-drivers-scamming-British-tourists-thousands-pounds-spot-them.html?ico=mol_desktop_home
Text: Tutti