Scams! Dealing with them is a pain, especially when traveling abroad. Unfortunately, they can lurk everywhere without our knowledge. Despite its popularity, Istanbul has its share of tourist scams. Scams are frequent in this huge city, especially in tourist zones, where millions of people come and go daily.
Tourists are never free from scams, but you can learn how to identify and avoid them. Scam artists scam because of the poor economy and the need for money, but cheating is never the way to go. We must stay alert to avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes, which can cause financial losses and even physical damages.
Continue reading to learn about scams while traveling in Istanbul.
Taxi Scams
The taxi driver scam is not only one of the most common scams in Istanbul but also perhaps the biggest. Sneaky drivers often overcharge tourists by manipulating currency exchange rates. They also take long routes to drive up fares. You should AVOID taxis AT ALL COSTS, but if you have to, here’s what you can do:
First, always monitor the taxi meter and pay only for the amount displayed. If you notice the meter is not running or the driver refuses to use it, it’s best to find another taxi. In certain situations, the driver can manipulate the meter. They can make the meter display a much higher number. They can even stop the meter in the middle of the trip.
Be aware of tolls. The driver may suggest paying for tolls to arrive faster. This can happen when taking a long taxi ride, such as from the airport to Hagia Sophia. But, it’s a trap to make you pay more. Decline the offer to avoid extra expenses during your trip.
⚠️ Restoration note (2026): Hagia Sophia is undergoing a multi-year structural restoration. Significant interior areas may be covered with scaffolding during your visit. The site remains open and the entrance fee is unchanged.
Use Uber as an alternative. But here’s a downside: when getting an Uber during rush hour, prices can be higher due to increased demand. Uber drivers in these cases can discuss the fare in the app. Uber rides are easier to find after rush hour, such as late at night. You can find better rates at this time.
Taxi drivers pretend to be Uber. After booking an Uber, you wait for its arrival. Unexpectedly, a taxi appears instead, often at airports. Once you agree on a price with the taxi driver, they will try to take more money from you. First: They’ll begin by asking for your Uber ride cancellation, followed by a toll fee request. They might show fake meters to overcharge. They might threaten to involve the police. To increase the price, they may opt for longer routes. By the end, you may find it difficult to pay the agreed-upon fare.
Use the BiTaksi app. It is the best way to secure a taxi. The app lets you see the total fare before your ride starts, making it easy to enjoy your trip without any worries or misunderstandings between you and the driver! BiTaksi drivers are reliable and trustworthy, unlike drivers elsewhere.
Prepare cash. Most taxi drivers in Istanbul only accept cash. Make sure you have enough cash before getting into a taxi. Be cautious if the taxi driver accepts card payment. Double-check the price on the POS machine before tapping your card.
After you tap your card to pay, the machine may decline it. After several attempts, the driver will enter a higher amount into the machine and cover the screen. If you tap without thinking, it will be too late to reverse the transaction.
Even when paying with cash, the driver can still scam you. When you give the driver a 50 Turkish Lira note, he might switch it with a 5 Lira note. Afterward, he may claim that you gave him the incorrect amount. The lack of evidence is frustrating, especially when you’re too tired to recall if you paid him correctly.
Paying cash for a taxi might leave you vulnerable to scams. Like, you give him 50 Turkish Lira, and he switches it for a 5 Lira note and says you gave him the wrong bill. It’s annoying because you have no proof, and you’re too exhausted to remember if you gave him the right amount.
I know taxi drivers can be tricky and try to charge you more money than they should. This can make people feel upset and not like Istanbul. Some people even got dropped off in strange places because they couldn’t agree on the price. That’s not nice! Some people even got hurt by the taxi driver, watch this video. Ouch!
That taxi scam has been going on forever, and it’s probably not going away. To protect yourself, try to avoid taking taxis. Before taking a taxi to or from the airport, consider these alternatives.
Istanbul offers many transportation options. Taxis and Ubers are not the only options. Thank goodness. Consider using public transport options, including the metro, buses, and scooters. These options are a cheap and cheerful way to explore the city like a local. Read more about transportation in Istanbul here.
Tips:
Don’t take any taxis in Istanbul, and you will never get scammed by a taxi driver. Use public transportation instead.
Shoe Shine Scams in Istanbul
Let’s say you’re in Istanbul, just going about your day. A shoe shiner suddenly drops his brush in front of you. It’s a sneaky move, and that’s the beginning of their game.
As a kind tourist, you pick it up and hand it to the shoe shiner. But something unexpected happens next. The grateful shoe shiner wants to shine your shoes for free! It might seem kind at first, but there’s a catch.
As soon as they finish polishing, the shoe shiner will hit you with a sob story. Their family member is suffering from a terrible illness. They can’t afford the medicine they desperately need. They will use guilt and hope to manipulate you into donating.
They might aggressively demand a large fee for an unrequested shoe shine.
Shoe shiners in Istanbul are not to be taken lightly. If you try to confront them, a big man might show up. He’ll scare you into paying or leaving.
Whatever happens, it’s best to stay out of it.
While walking across the Galata Bridge with a friend, I was targeted in a shoe-shining scam. Fortunately, I had read about this scam online beforehand. My friend, too focused on talking to me, didn’t notice the man drop a brush in front of us. He did it twice, and I almost wanted to warn my friend not to do anything about it. But we didn’t stop there and continued walking past the bridge. Phew!
Tips:
When you see that brush drop, resist the urge to engage. Just keep walking and forget about it.
Perfume and Rose Selling Scam
You can’t walk around Istanbul without street vendors trying to sell you stuff. And they sell a variety of things. One common scam involves perfume sellers. These sellers may approach you, offering to let you smell their perfumes. Following this, they’ll spray some perfume on your wrist, inviting you to take a closer look at the bottle. Once you take the bottle, it’s hard to return it and they’ll ask for a high price, even if you never planned to buy it.
And the same goes for children selling roses in crowded areas like Sultanahmet and Taksim. These children often target couples (a man and a woman) walking together, approaching them with a gift, usually a cheap rose. Once you accept the rose, you can’t return it. The kid will dodge it and demand a high payment. These young sellers often target girls. When the girl takes the rose, the guy may find himself in a difficult situation, feeling obligated to pay for it. Also, if the children drop rose petals on you, they will ask for money.
Tips:
Don’t engage, and never take the items from them, if you never intended to buy.
The Free Club Scams
This is hands down one of the biggest scams in Istanbul, as it may cause physical and financial harm!
Scammers target visitors in places such as Taksim and Beyoglu.
Be careful when walking on a busy street like Istiklal. A friendly guy might approach you and ask for a lighter. Or, he might start a conversation by asking “How are you?” or “Where are you from?”. Then, he will tell his own stories to make you think he is also a visitor looking for some fun tonight. He might say “Let’s have dinner together” or “Let’s have a drink together”. After you spend some time together, he’ll mention a FREE club with great music and beautiful girls. If you believe and follow him to the club, it might be too late to turn back. Entry is free at the club, but the drinks are pricey. And when the beautiful girls join you and start drinking, you will also have to pay for their drinks. In the end, they will give you an enormous bill. If you refuse to pay, their bouncers might become violent. The scam has cost some people over $1000, and some have even been hurt while trying to leave without paying.
And I fell for this scam once, read more about my story here.
Tips:
When approached by a stranger in a busy street, assess their intentions. Stay away from those “free” clubs if they invite you.
Carpet and Souvenir Scams & The Friendly Locals
While sightseeing near Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, you might meet a friendly local who starts chatting with you. They’re friendly, asking where you’re from, etc., so you might end up with a free tour or tea invitation. Sometimes, they may even invite you to their shop right away, assuring you that you don’t have to buy anything.
However, once inside their shop, the atmosphere changes. After serving you tea, they show you their merchandise, like beautiful carpets. The relaxing atmosphere and tempting tea make it hard to leave, and the pressure to buy something increases. Eventually, you might pull out your credit card to make an inevitable purchase. Congrats on the souvenir, but watch out for sellers who might overcharge or pressure you into buying.
That’s how I bought my first souvenir on my first day in Istanbul. Read more about my story in my blog.
Tips:
Seek recommendations from trusted locals or reputable tour guides, and never follow strangers to their places.
The First Free Tea & Overpriced Restaurants
After a long day of walking, you’re now craving authentic Turkish food. A waiter approaches you while you’re outside a restaurant and invites you in. You hesitate, but then he explains they would like to offer you a free tea. This is a tactic to entice you into the restaurant. Once you’re inside, you might feel obligated to order something. And they might charge you an inflated price for your order.
Some restaurants don’t even display prices on menus. You’ll only find out after you make your order. And that might lead you to pay more than expected.
Tips:
To avoid surprises, kindly refuse the free tea. Check Google reviews on restaurants in the area. Make sure that their menu shows prices. In Turkish culture, people offer free tea after a meal or service, such as a haircut. But, offering it before may show their desperation for your business. So, keep an eye out and stay alert.
The Ice Cream Scam
Turkish ice cream is popular and widely available internationally. When visiting Istanbul, the birthplace of this ice cream, it is tempting to watch the entertaining tricks performed by the ice cream vendors.
While we think that the playful tricks, like the ice cream vendor pulling away the cone before you can catch it, are all part of the experience, in certain places, especially popular tourist areas like Taksim, they may charge you for the “show.” If you look closely, you might notice a menu on the table that lists an item called “ice cream show – 100 TL.”If you miss this information, the seller can trick you into paying more than expected.
Please note that not every ice cream seller will perform the show. Some may be tired from working all day or simply not interested in demonstrating it to you.
Tips:
Please clarify any charges or fees beforehand. By doing so, you can enjoy your ice cream with no unexpected costs.
ATM Scam
ATMs in Istanbul often charge high fees, sometimes up to 10%, when you withdraw money from your bank card. To avoid paying more for these fees, be cautious when using ATMs and follow these tips:
- Choose fixed commission over dynamic exchange rate: Some ATMs will ask you to choose between a fixed commission or a dynamic exchange rate. Choose the fixed commission option to pay less for the fee.
- Avoid ATMs with English signs – they have higher fees. Look for machines with no English signs, as their fees are lower. You can usually switch the language on these machines to English, or use Google Translate to help you understand the screen.
From my experience, Halkbank is one example of a bank that doesn’t charge any commission for ATM withdrawals.
To save money while withdrawing cash in Istanbul, be aware of ATM fees and follow these recommendations.
Counterfeit Stores
In Istanbul, counterfeit goods are a booming industry. Store owners may lie about their clothing being authentic; usually, it’s fake. Counterfeit products are much cheaper than originals. But be careful of store owners who falsely claim they sell genuine items and mark up the price.
You need to understand that nearly all brand-name products sold outside of authorized stores are fake. Many people purchase these fake branded products to portray a certain image, and some even buy them to sell overseas. So, don’t expect to buy authentic branded products at such low prices. If a fake branded product is what you’re looking for, then get it, and don’t expect it to be genuine.
The Fake Police Scam
Watch out for fake police officers who insist on checking your ID or passport in the street. They may even show you a badge, to make you believe they are real police, but the badge is 99% fake. And you might see them equipped with guns. And when you expose your wallet while searching for your ID, they might take it. Or, once you hand over your passport, they might take it and run away, leaving you in shock.
Tips:
Always have a photocopy of your ID or passport saved on your phone. When asked for identification, it’s enough to show them the digital copy on your phone.
Police often check IDs and passports in Turkey. It’s easier to work with them if you have a digital copy. It also makes interacting with them safer.
How to have a safe visit to Istanbul
Pay attention to what’s around you. That’s how you avoid getting scammed.
Research common local scams before you travel. Reading online forums, blogs, and local guidebooks helps identify potential scams.
Trust your instincts. If a situation feels off, it probably is. Decline and leave the situation.
You are under no obligation to buy anything, regardless of how politely it’s offered.
Always verify prices before purchasing anything.
Enjoy the beautiful city of Istanbul with its culture, history, and mouthwatering food!
Wrapping up
Yes, scams exist in Istanbul, just like in every country you travel to. I did my best to cover most of them in this article. I hope they are less scary now, and you are more prepared to have a wonderful trip to Istanbul.
Scams can lead to awful experiences. It’s unfortunate, but there are also kind people waiting for us to meet. We can have a great time together. And it’s those people who will make our travels memorable. And I’m lucky to have known some of them, and I will share my positive experience in my blog. So, with that in mind, pack your bag, and travel safely!
