6 Tourist Scams in Moscow

You exit the arrivals hall at Sheremetyevo Airport and a man wearing a laminated ID card on a lanyard approaches offering a taxi. His car looks legitimate. He quotes a reasonable price. You get in. At your hotel, he presents a POS terminal and charges your card 25,600 rubles ($400) instead of the expected 2,500 rubles ($39) — over ten times the normal fare. In extreme cases, a Chilean journalist was charged $900 for a ride from the airport to his hotel, fifty times the real price. TripAdvisor's Moscow Forum has a dedicated thread titled 'Beware of Taxi scams at Moscow airport' with dozens of reports of tourists overcharged by unlicensed drivers who park right outside terminals and use intimidation once passengers are inside. Russia Beyond published a guide titled 'How to NOT get ripped off by Moscow taxis' documenting how illegal taxi drivers wear fake laminated IDs to appear official and use rigged POS terminals or tampered meters. BridgeToMoscow.com's travel scam guide confirms that illegal airport taxis charge prices 10 times higher than normal and that drivers use intimidation tactics when passengers protest.

You are walking near Arbat Street when two attractive young women strike up a conversation. They are friendly, speak English, and suggest going to a bar they know for a drink. You enter a dimly lit establishment and order a round. After a couple of drinks, the bill arrives: 50,000-100,000 rubles ($500-$1,000). The women ordered champagne and premium vodka without mentioning the price. When you protest, bouncers appear at the door and make it clear you will not leave until you pay. They escort you to the nearest ATM to withdraw cash. BridgeToMoscow.com's travel scam guide describes this as one of the most common scams targeting foreign men in Moscow, operating in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg near metro stations and tourist landmarks. Quora's 'What are some scams to avoid when visiting Moscow?' thread includes first-person accounts of tourists being led to bars where the bill was 5-10 times what was expected. AndySworldJourneys.com published a detailed 'Scam Alert — Moscow' post documenting how the women offer to chip in a small amount but the bulk of the inflated bill is forced onto the tourist, with bar bouncers serving as enforcers.

You are walking out of Red Square through the double arch toward the metro station. A man walking in front of you drops a plastic bag containing what appears to be a large wad of cash with a $50 bill visible on top. You either pick it up or look at it. Immediately, a third man appears, flashing a police-style ID, claiming he witnessed a theft and needs to inspect your passport and wallet. While 'checking' your documents, he pockets your cash and hands everything back. You do not realize the money is missing until later. TripAdvisor's 'Dropped Money Scam in Moscow' thread in the Russia Forum documents this exact scenario with the Red Square location. The Movsta Moscow Guidelines page describes the fake police officer variant in detail, noting that scammers posing as police demand to see passports and wallets, then steal cash while pretending to check for stolen goods. One tourist reported that when they showed only photocopies of their passport instead of the original, the fake officer became frustrated because the scam requires holding the actual passport as leverage to keep you from leaving until they have extracted cash.

You sit down at a restaurant near Red Square. The waiter hands you a menu with reasonable prices. You order several dishes and drinks. When the bill arrives, it is three or four times what you calculated from the menu. The waiter explains there were 'service charges,' 'live music fees,' 'table charges,' and that the menu you saw was the lunch menu — dinner prices are higher. Some restaurants near tourist areas have two different menus: one with lower prices shown before ordering and another with inflated prices used for the bill. ScamDetector.com's '37 Scams To Avoid in Russia' lists restaurant overcharging as a top concern, specifically in establishments near tourist landmarks. BridgeToMoscow.com warns that overcharging in bars, nightclubs, and restaurants near popular tourist attractions is common, involving inflated bills with hidden charges or surprise fees. The Movsta Moscow Guidelines page recommends always requesting an itemized bill and photographing the menu prices before ordering to create evidence in case of a dispute.

You are on a packed Metro car during rush hour. As passengers push toward the doors at a busy station, you feel someone bump into you from behind while another person presses against you from the side. At the next station, you reach for your phone — gone. Your wallet has also vanished from your jacket pocket. The pickpockets worked as a team: one created the crowd distraction, another shielded the theft from view, and a third actually lifted your valuables. BridgeToMoscow.com lists pickpocketing on the Moscow Metro as one of the city's most common crimes against tourists, noting that teams work crowded trains and stations. The Movsta Moscow Safety Guide warns about pickpockets working in groups near Red Square and on the Metro, with one member creating a distraction while another steals. TIME Magazine's Moscow city guide specifically warned that the Metro is a prime target for organized pickpocket gangs who work in coordinated teams during rush hours.

You are taking photos near Red Square when someone in a Soviet military uniform, a bear costume, or dressed as Lenin or Stalin waves you over for a photo. They drape their arm around you and a friend snaps the picture. The moment the shutter clicks, they demand 2,000-5,000 rubles (about $20-50). If you refuse, they become aggressive, sometimes blocking your path or following you. People with monkeys, parrots, or other animals near tourist sites use the same tactic. GoDigit.com's '10 Tourist Scams in Russia' describes this exact scenario with costumed characters and animal handlers at tourist landmarks. BridgeToMoscow.com warns about street performers who offer photos without mentioning prices, then demand money aggressively afterward. The Movsta Moscow Scam Guide notes that characters position themselves at choke points where tourists naturally stop to take photos, making it difficult to avoid them without actively giving them a wide berth.