What scams should I watch out for in London?

Pocket theft is the main real risk, concentrated on the Tube (especially the Central and Northern lines during rush hour), Oxford Street, and around major tourist sites like the Tower of London and Borough Market. Keep your phone in a front pocket or bag zip rather than your back pocket, and be conscious of it whenever you stop moving in a crowd. Beyond pickpocketing, the practical annoyances are: unlicensed minicabs outside clubs and late-night venues in Soho and Shoreditch — take an Uber, Bolt, or black cab only; currency exchange booths near Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus with "0% commission" signs that hide terrible rates — use a Wise or Starling card instead; and "charity collectors" who approach you on Oxford Street and pressure you into direct debit sign-ups. Fake ticket sellers outside the O2 and Wembley before big events are genuinely worth avoiding. London is not a high-scam city by global standards, but these specific situations produce a reliable number of bad days for visitors.

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Plan a real trip there, and Trip Friend can answer every follow-up — with your dates, your style, and your places baked into the conversation.

• Where do locals actually go for aperitivo in London?
• Where do locals drink coffee in London?
• What does a local breakfast look like in London?
• Where is the street food in London actually good?
• Where can I eat after midnight in London?
• How do I get from the airport to the city in London?