Key Takeaways
- The #1 reported scam is the The Bellagio Water Taxi Gouge
- Most scams in Lake Como are low-to-medium risk
- Use app-based ride services (Uber, Bolt) or official metered taxis instead of unmarked vehicles
- Never accept unsolicited offers from strangers near tourist sites in Lake Como
⚡ Quick Safety Tips
- Keep phones and valuables in secure pockets when in crowded areas
- Use only licensed taxis or app-based ride services
- Book tours and tickets through verified operators with online reviews
- Keep a copy of your passport separate from the original
Jump to a Scam
The 5 Scams
A water taxi captain at Bellagio offers to take you across the lake to Villa del Balbianello for €80.
The regular public ferry costs €5. Some charge per person rather than per boat — a couple ends up paying €160 for what should be a €10 ferry ride.
Red Flags
- Price quoted without clarifying per person or per boat
- Captain approaches you at the dock
- Claims the public ferry isn't running today
How to Avoid
- Use the public ferries operated by Navigazione Laghi
- A single ferry ticket between towns is €3-7
- Buy a one-day ferry pass for €15 and hop between all lake towns
- If using a water taxi, agree on total price before boarding
You visit Villa Carlotta and pay the €12 entrance.
Then you learn the separate garden section is another €8. Then the art gallery inside is a third ticket. Individual fees are legitimate but rarely presented clearly upfront.
Red Flags
- Multiple separate tickets for what seems like one attraction
- Prices not clearly listed at the main entrance
- Trust your instincts — if something feels off, walk away
How to Avoid
- Check villa websites before visiting for full pricing
- Villa del Balbianello: €10 gardens only, €20 gardens + villa, plus €7 boat from Lenno
- Villa Carlotta: €12 includes everything
- Budget €15-25 per villa visit
You sit down at a restaurant on the Bellagio waterfront, drawn by the view.
The menu shows reasonable pasta prices around 14 euros, but the waiter recommends the daily fish special without mentioning the price. It arrives beautifully plated. The bill shows the fish at 45 euros, plus a coperto (cover charge) of 4 euros per person and a 15% service charge that was not listed on the menu. Some waterfront restaurants in Como's tourist towns operate with dual pricing systems and push expensive specials on tourists. The practice is legal in Italy but catches visitors unaware.
Red Flags
- Waiter pushes daily specials without stating the price
- Menu does not clearly list coperto or service charges
- Restaurant has no local customers despite being in a prime location
- No prices are shown for market-priced fish or seafood dishes
- Bill includes charges not visible on the menu
How to Avoid
- Always ask the price of daily specials before ordering
- Check the menu for coperto and service charge disclosures
- Walk one or two streets back from the waterfront for better value restaurants
- Read recent Google or TripAdvisor reviews mentioning bill surprises
- Ask for the bill itemized and question any charges you do not recognize
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Get Free Itinerary →Art prints are laid out on the ground along the Bellagio waterfront promenade, appearing to be for casual browsing.
As you walk past, your foot accidentally grazes the edge of a print. The vendor immediately claims you have damaged it and demands compensation of fifty to one hundred euros. Accomplices in the crowd may support the vendor's claim and pressure you to pay. A Reddit user on r/travel described this scam as common across Italian tourist spots, where the prints are positioned specifically in narrow walkways to maximize the chance of accidental contact.
Red Flags
- Prints or artwork are laid directly on the ground in high-traffic pedestrian areas
- The display area is narrow, making it almost impossible to avoid stepping close
- Vendor reacts aggressively to the slightest contact with the merchandise
- Bystanders immediately side with the vendor and pressure you to pay
- The demanded compensation is disproportionately high for a mass-produced print
How to Avoid
- Be aware of ground-level displays and give them a wide berth
- If you accidentally touch one, calmly state you are not responsible and walk away
- You are under no legal obligation to pay for accidental contact in a public walkway
- Politely ask bystanders to step back if they become involved — they may be accomplices
- Report aggressive vendors to the local Carabinieri or municipal police
You arrive at the Bellagio ferry terminal and the next boat is leaving in five minutes.
A man outside offers to sell you tickets at the 'correct price' so you do not have to wait in the queue inside. His price is double the official fare. The official ticket office is inside the terminal building, and queues move quickly. The ferry runs frequently, so missing one boat means waiting only twenty to thirty minutes for the next. Some touts also sell expired or invalid tickets that are rejected by the ferry crew, forcing you to buy a second ticket on board at a premium.
Red Flags
- Someone outside the terminal offers tickets to avoid the 'long queue' inside
- The price is notably higher than the official fare listed on the Navigazione Lago di Como website
- The ticket looks photocopied or lacks an official stamp and QR code
- You are told the next boat is the 'last one today' when the schedule shows otherwise
- The seller becomes insistent as the ferry horn sounds
How to Avoid
- Buy tickets at the official Navigazione Lago di Como office or machine inside the terminal
- Check the ferry schedule on the official website or app before arriving at the terminal
- Official single fares range from 4-15 euros depending on the route — anything much higher is a scam
- You can also buy tickets on board the ferry from the official crew if the office is closed
- Download the ferry timetable offline so you know the actual schedule
🆘 What to Do If You Get Scammed
📋 File a Police Report
Go to the nearest Carabinieri / Polizia di Stato station. Call 112 (Carabinieri) or 113 (Polizia). Get an official crime report — you'll need this for insurance claims. You can also report online at poliziadistato.it.
💳 Cancel Your Cards
Call your bank immediately. Most have 24/7 numbers on the back of the card (keep a photo saved separately). Block any suspicious transactions before the thieves use your details.
🛂 Lost Passport?
Contact your nearest embassy or consulate. The US Embassy in Rome is at Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187 Rome. For emergencies: +39 06-4674-1.
📱 Track Your Device
If your phone was stolen, use Find My (iPhone) or Find My Device (Android) from another device. Don't confront thieves yourself — share the location with police instead.
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