6 Tourist Scams in Corfu

You step out of a restaurant in Corfu Town at 11:40 PM and approach the taxi stand. You ask the driver to take you to your hotel in Dassia and request the meter. He refuses, quoting a flat rate of €30-35. When you point out that the metered fare should be around €20, he shrugs and says all taxis at the stand charge the same fixed price. Other drivers confirm the price, creating a coordinated front. You have no choice but to pay 50-75% above the metered rate or walk. TripAdvisor's Corfu forum has a dedicated thread titled 'Taxi scams seem so common in Corfu?!' where one poster describes this exact 11:40 PM scenario, reporting that 'drivers refused to use meter calculation and said it is fixed price €30' while some quoted €35. The poster noted that 'according to taximeter, the fare should cost around 20ish.' Another poster in the thread reported experiencing 'more scams and overcharging in Corfu than in any other place in Greece.' A separate TripAdvisor thread titled 'Taxi Scam - warning' describes a traveler not noticing the meter was off until reaching the airport. WelcomePickups.com confirms the base fare should be €3.60 with standardized per-kilometer rates, and advises noting the Tourist Police number: +30 26610 29168.

You sit down at a waterfront seafood restaurant in Corfu Town. The waiter suggests the fresh fish of the day and takes you to the refrigerated display to choose your fish. He does not mention the price per kilogram. After a lovely meal, the bill arrives: €60-80 for a single fish that you assumed would cost around €15-20. The fish was priced at €80 per kilogram and yours weighed 800 grams. When you protest, the waiter points to fine print on the menu listing the per-kilo price — something you were never told. TripAdvisor's review of the Corfu Town restaurant Fishalida is titled 'Scum restaurant' and describes a customer being charged €30 for codfish that costs €12 at well-rated restaurants — and the head waiter 'failing to tell customers the price or weight of fresh fish even when asked twice.' A separate TripAdvisor thread titled 'Corfu Town Restaurant - Beware of his prices' documents similar experiences. Fodor's reports that Greece has cracked down on scamming restaurants but the practice persists, and WorldWildSchooling.com warns that on Greek islands, 'restaurants charge tourists well over the odds for food and drink.' The Corfu variant typically involves bringing bread and olives to the table automatically and charging for them as extras on the bill.

You arrive at a beautiful Corfu beach planning to lay your towel on the sand. But the entire beach is covered in rows of sunbeds and umbrellas rented by a concession operator. A staff member tells you there is no free space and you must rent a sunbed for €25 for two loungers and an umbrella. If you try to lay your towel in a gap between sunbeds, you are told it is not allowed. In reality, Greek law requires that at least 70% of every beach must remain free for public use — but enforcement is patchy. France24 reported that 'Greece handed out 350,000 euros in fines in just five days in a crackdown on bars and restaurants illegally covering beaches with sunbeds.' The article describes how 'large stretches of coastline had been taken by private businesses that either illegally restricted access to beaches or charged exorbitant sums for sunbeds.' Corfu specifically was named as a target of enforcement actions, with 'more than 1,000 complaints by the public.' Greek Reporter confirms that Greece's new beach law requires 70% of beaches to be sunbed-free and 85% in protected areas. Euronews documented the Greek government using drones to enforce these rules. Despite the crackdown, some Corfu beach operators continue to push the limits, especially at popular tourist beaches during peak season.

A friendly local approaches you at a scenic viewpoint in Corfu Town and asks if you would kindly take a photo with their camera. You oblige, but as you hand it back, they deliberately fumble and drop the camera on the ground. They react with dramatic distress, claiming the camera is broken and demanding €200-300 to replace it. An accomplice may appear to 'mediate,' confirming the camera was expensive and suggesting you pay to avoid trouble. GoDigit.com's comprehensive Greece scam guide identifies the camera drop as 'one of the most common tourist scams in Greece,' noting it is practiced across the islands including Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes. The GetNomad.app Greece scam guide describes the same technique, with the scammer 'asking you to take their picture, then purposefully dropping the camera and demanding money.' TripAdvisor's Greece threads include warnings about this scam operating in tourist-heavy areas. The camera is typically old or pre-broken — the 'damage' was there before you touched it. The scam works because tourists feel guilty about breaking someone else's property and want to avoid confrontation.

You are walking through Corfu Town's nightlife area when an attractive local approaches and strikes up a conversation. After chatting for a few minutes, they suggest going to a bar they know for a drink. At the bar, your new friend orders expensive cocktails and champagne. The bill arrives at €150-300 — five to ten times what the drinks should cost at any normal establishment. When you protest, bouncers appear at the door making it clear you will pay before leaving. Your 'date' has already disappeared. The Nomad eSIM Greece scam guide describes this pattern: 'friendly locals invite you to bars they partner with, leading to bills 5-10 times higher, with threats from bar bodyguards if you do not pay.' GoDigit.com's Greece guide confirms the scam operates across tourist islands including Corfu. The ExpatriatConsultancy.com Europe tourist scam report includes Greece among destinations where bar lure scams are common. The woman or man who lures you in typically receives a commission from the bar — they may even be employed by the establishment. This scam primarily targets solo male tourists but can affect anyone who follows a new acquaintance to an unknown bar.

You see a small crowd gathered around a man moving three cards or cups on a makeshift table near the cruise port. A few 'spectators' are winning money easily and encouraging you to try. You place a €20 bet and lose. You try again with €50 — the man lets you 'almost' win to keep you playing. Meanwhile, while you are focused on the game, an accomplice in the crowd lifts your wallet from your back pocket or unzips your bag. GoDigit.com's Greece scam guide describes 'the three-box guessing game scam' and warns that it 'involves pickpockets who target tourists distracted by the game.' The scam has two revenue streams: the game itself (which is rigged and impossible to win consistently) and the pickpocketing that happens while you are distracted. The 'winning spectators' are all part of the crew — they win to build your confidence. Quora threads about Greece tourist scams confirm this operates at tourist gathering points across the islands. The game is illegal in Greece, and participating puts you at risk of both losing money and being pickpocketed.