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What scams should I watch out for in Lisbon?

— TRIP FRIEND

Pickpocketing on Tram 28 is the city's most reliable threat: the route through Alfama and Graça is beautiful and genuinely useful, but it is also densely packed with tourists, and skilled teams work it daily. Keep your phone in a front pocket or zipped bag, not loosely in hand for photos. The "friendship bracelet" approach operates around Jerónimos Monastery and near the Sé Cathedral, where someone ties a bracelet onto your wrist before you can decline, then demands payment. Walk past without slowing down or making eye contact. Taxi drivers at the airport occasionally take the longer highway route when the tunnel is faster and cheaper; use the Uber app or agree on the tunnel route verbally before departure. Finally, restaurants near major tourist squares sometimes add unrequested bread, olives, and spreads to your table, then charge per item, typically two to four euros each. These are legal, not scams, but you can decline them or ask to have them removed before eating anything.

164 WORDS · UPDATED AUG 2026
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