Common scams in Czechia

The scams you'll actually run into

1. Currency-exchange booths with hidden rates

   Booths near the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge advertise a great rate in huge numbers that turns out to be the “sell” rate or applies only above a large amount, with a fee that leaves you 20–30% down.

   H.A.C.K. · Comfort

   The move — Use an ATM from a major bank, or an exchange that shows the exact amount you'll receive before you commit. Czech law lets you cancel an exchange within a few hours — keep the receipt.

2. Taxi overcharging

   Drivers waiting outside stations, the airport and tourist sights use a rigged meter or a flat “tourist” price several times the real fare.

   H.A.C.K. · Hurry

   The move — Use Bolt or Uber, or ask a restaurant to call a reputable firm. The airport-to-centre fare is roughly 600–800 CZK; anything near 1,500 is a rip-off.

3. Restaurant bill padding

   Old Town restaurants add unrequested bread and “couvert”, charge for tap water as if bottled, apply a “tourist menu” price, or add a large tip line already filled in.

   H.A.C.K. · Comfort

   The move — Check the menu prices, refuse anything you didn't order, and review the bill line by line before paying. A service charge, if any, must be shown.

4. Strip-club / “nice bar” drink trap

   Men near Wenceslas Square and Old Town hand out flyers or invite you to a bar or club; drinks for you and the “hostess” are billed at absurd rates and security blocks the door until you pay.

   H.A.C.K. · Kill-Switch

   The move — Bin the flyer, decline the invitation. If you're inside, pay only for your own drinks, photograph the menu, and leave toward a main street.

5. Charles Bridge shell game and “police”

   A three-cup game runs with planted winners and pickpockets in the crowd; separately, fake “police” ask tourists for ID and check wallets for “counterfeit notes”.

   H.A.C.K. · Hurry

   The move — Never watch or play the game. For an ID check, ask for a uniformed officer and offer to walk to a station; keep your wallet pocketed.

What these scams have in common

Most Czechia scams lean on Hurry and Comfort. Whatever the trick, the way out is the same three moves — Pause · Assess · Talk: stop before you pay, hand over a document or follow someone; ask what the request really wants; then say it out loud to someone you trust, or your bank on the number from your card.

Czechia travel-scam FAQ

Official travel advisories for Czechia

Fraud and scam wording pulled from the official Canadian and New Zealand travel advisories. Use the government sources for current travel decisions.

Scam guides for nearby destinations

H.A.C.K. — the four pressure tactics

Every scam on this page is tagged with the tactic it uses. Recognise the tactic, not the trick.

H Hurry

Urgency. A deadline, a countdown or a “right now” that leaves no time to check.

A Authority

Officialdom. A badge, a title, a uniform or an official-sounding request you feel you can't question.

C Comfort

Familiarity. A friendly local, a routine or an emotion that makes the request feel safer than it is.

K Kill-Switch

The cut-off. The moment you're pushed to pay, click, hand over a document or follow someone — before you can verify.

The way out of all four: Pause · Assess · Talk.