One travel influencer took to TikTok to warn others of a growing travel scam in Florence, Italy.
Kacie Rose (kacierose4) headed straight to TikTok to warn others of the scam. In a short viral video she explains what the scam is and how to avoid having to pay. The video, which now has 1.4 million views, has opened eyes to the realities of the scam in one of Italy’s most beautiful and popular cities.
Rose explains that the scam often takes place on busy corners in tourist spots in Florence. She explained that scammers lay beautiful art on the floor in places that people are likely to tread on. Once tourists inevitably stand on the meticulously placed art items, the scammers request a fee. They claim that you must pay them right away for ruining the art.
Thankfully, in the TikTok video Rose provides tips on avoiding paying. She advises that you “Do not pay them” under any circumstances as the scam is illegal. Otherwise, if things seem to escalate you can tell them you’ll pay them in front of a police officer which should deter them.
The TikToker even says that she saw the police arrest one of the scammers. Evidently, what they are doing is illegal and so tourists should do everything to avoid paying them.
Tourists warned of travel scam in Florence
@kacierose4 I literally saw one of them getting arrested the other day for it 😳😅 #americansinitaly #touristscams #florenceitaly #italytravel
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Many users shared their experiences with this scam and others in Florence and other cities in Italy. The scam is popular around the world though hyper-present in Florence. While it seems to be a scam that many are familiar with, unfortunately, it continues to plague tourists worldwide.
Some commented that the paintings are often overlapped so that scammers can easily gather them and run when the police arrive.
Often scams are easy to avoid but the best thing to do is keep aware and don’t get too distracted by a new city to let your guard down.
Related: Italian Thieves Return Stolen Watch To Tourists After Realizing It’s A Fake
