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Paris France Aug 2010
Walking out of the Museum Dorsee with the GF, standing at the cross walk (Looking like Tourists to be sure.)
Guy beside me sticks out his hand with a gold wedding band in it and asks us if we just lost our ring and jestures as if he just found it on the sidewalk. We say no and thanks anyway, but he wants to know if we want the ring. We both say no, you found it, it's yours. (Plus I really have no interest in something like that or something that isn't mine.) But the guy persists. Tries to tell my GF to take it. But she doesn't want it. He puts it on his finger, but it's too small and again tries to give it to us. But neither of us want it. We walk off and the GF says, "something wierd about that, he was way too persistent" I check, my wallet is still in my pants, can't figure it out. Go back to the hotel and google "Paris Ring Scam" Bingo. Apparently it's a common gypsy scam (the guy was a gypsy) the ring is just a brass ring and worth nothing. They hope you take the ring, and then start in about "hey, how bout 25 Euros for me, or whatever" If you don't, then Boris comes out of nowhere claiming you stole the ring and most idiots don't want any trouble so they cough up some money.
Moral of the Story - don't take any brass rings from Gypsies in Paris.
Also in Paris - this happened twice - it seems like all kinds of people want you to sign one petition or another. They come up to you and thrust this petition in your face (again, they can tell you're a tourist and again, they are gypsies.) Usually it's for some noble cause like urging the gov't to spend more on AIDS or whatever. You sign, then they ask you for a donation to the cause - which goes right into their pocket. They can be pretty pushie with their petitions.
Didn't fall for that one either - thanks to me reading about the Ring Scam, I learned about the petition scam.
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