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[esl_teacher1973]

I FOUND THIS ON THE NET:


*I did not know where this should go, but given my and others I know experiences, I think this needs to be written somewhere. In my opinion, everyone traveling to Istanbul needs to read this as it was cost on average about $300-400 per person...*

(I know this is long, but if it saves you up to $700 or more, it might be worth the time to read)

There is a scam that I have become quite familiar with in traveling to Istanbul 2 times in the last year, with a large number of my co-workers also making the trip. (I am currently working in the Middle-East and Istanbul is a fairly common stop-over/vacation spot for us.)
I first traveled to Turkey in the summer of 2002 during the World Cup and fell in love with Istanbul. I was a student and did a summer study there. I had no problems, loved the people, food and city. It was amazing and I longed to return. I have done so twice since then and largely because of this scam I have a strong distaste for Istanbul as a whole.
Both of my last two trips, someone has tried to use this scam to steal money from me and outside of that I know of four other people who have fallen prey to this. Because of that I want to tell you as much as I know about it so that this doesn't happen to anyone else. (If you are aware of, or are a member of any other forum about travel in Turkey, please post this there as well. Tell everyone you know...

The scam goes like this....
(I have only heard/know of this happening to men)

1.) You are approached by someone you have never met. A local Turk. In my experience, the man knows English fairly well, but the last friend I know that this happened to, the man's English wasn't so good.
The man's reason for approaching you seems innocent- some examples...

a.) I was asked the time (in Turkish) both times, and when the men "found out" I was American, they wanted me to go get a beer with them (the asked in a way that sounded very much like they wanted to buy me a beer) so they could practice there English, talk about America ect.
b.) The men have asked some other questions (usually in Turkish at first, until they "learn" you aren't a local) like directions to a location, or some other common reason to talk to a stranger
c.) This happened to a friend of mine...He asked a taxi driver at Ataturk Int'l Airport where he could find a cheap room in a hostel. The man said he knew where to go in broken English, grabbed one of his bags and sort of ran off with it, forcing my friend to follow him to his cab, where he took him somewhere else instead...

NOTE- The places I am aware of this being initiated are 1. at the airport 2. in Taxsim and 3. in Sultan Ahmet---all three being obvious turist spots

ALSO- Discriptions of the people I was scammed by are... the first was a young man, said he was a Cypriot Turk in the city only for about a week to buy leather for his fathers store (I am 99% sure I saw him on Istiklal Cad. the last visit I was on, walking with a Korean man, and I was so incredibly close to chasing after him and doing something incredibly violent---a few weeks my foot)
The second man, was actually two men, one who knew English pretty well, the other one didn't. The one who knew English pretty well, told me and my friend he worked at the Four Seasons in Taxsim Square, although I never saw him at the desk there as I walked by during the remaining week and a half of my stay...

2.) Anyways, after agreeing to go get a beer (real quick- they sometimes say they don't have a lot of time...) you will either "wander" around an area they have heard there are good places, or go to a place they know of that's "really nice"

3.) We went to a place that was dark, fairly tacky, with waiters in tuxedos, flashing lights and a dance floor (each time it was like this). To get in there, in both of my experiences and also in my friends' we had to walk down some stairs. One place my jacket was checked the other it wasn't

NOTE- The locations of the two places I know of are both in Istiklal, Taksim...the first time I was picked up in Sultan Ahmet and taken there, the second I was walking with my friend, where the Arby's used to be at the head of Istiklal Cad. I think there is still a Burger King there.
The actual places were 1. just off Istiklal Cad. (about 20 meters), well before the street bends (if you are coming from the square). I am pretty sure it was on the street that has the white sign that says "*something* Bazaar" in pink letters, on the left side of the street-- I know there was a lot of fruit/vege being sold on that street when I left 2. the place was on a street off of Taksim square. It is the one with the Havash stop for Taksim, between the Pizza Hut and the McDonald's I think. (Not on Istiklal)

4.) Once I got there, I was asked if I wanted a beer. A crappy Efes to be exact. Both times the person who took me there ordered for me in Turkish. The second time I said I wanted to see a menu before I ordered anything, but he order for me in Turkish none-the-less (I understand enough Turkish to know what he was saying)

5.) After the beers arrive and they ask if the place is nice ect. a few Russian/Baltic girls come and sit-down at the table. They start to make small talk, the guys start talking to them and try to force you to be friendly with them. They try to create the impression that if you show disinterest in the girl, she and her friend will leave and he will not be happy about losing out...

6.) Shortly after the girls sit down, the waiter comes back and asks if the women can order a drink (which is their way of saying, do you want to get ripped off further by paying for the women's drink?) You are pressured into saying yes once your new "friend(s)" eagerly say yes and give you the "you better do it for my sake" look

7.) The night goes on, you realize how cheesy this place is and how much it sucks and decide to go after much persuading to stay by the people you are with (or when the waiter tells you, your bill is very high and suggests you make sure you have enough to pay)

8.) If the waiter has not yet warned you about the bill, here is where the fun part starts. You discover you are being charged anywhere from 20YTL-20 Euros for a Efes, and upwards of 50-60 Euros for the women's mixed drinks.

9.) Your choices from here are to either pay the bill in it's entirety or to go to the owner's office and talk about it. The second time this happened to me I payed the 20YTL for my one Efes and quickly left, knowing what was going to come. The first time I talked with the owner seeing as how the bill I had was about 500 Euros (I had two beers...shows you how the womens' drinks can add up and how much they drink)

10.) If you choose to pay, you leave. If you get away quick, you also pay for them to check your coat (about $5-10). If you stay and talk a few things might happen...
a.) You will talk to the owner who will make you a "deal" which is really now deal at all---my last friend this happened to doesn't even drink, but just sat there while the guy who took him and two Russian ladies went through about 2-3 bottles of $300 champaign, packs of unreasonably expensive cigarettes and fruit, totaling over $900. Even after he hadn't consumed anything but some fruit, the owner (who spoke perfect English) said, I will make you a deal, since you guys don't know each other, you pay half and he pays half ok?
b.) You will be threatened when refusing to pay---when this same friend said, "No, no way I'm paying $500 for that. I didn't have anything." The owner told him (and I quote), "You seem like a gentleman. I wouldn't want to kill you."---remember there is a fairly strong mafia presence in Istanbul, especially around the Taxsim area. Someone might try to make good on a threat like this.
c.) If you tell them you don't have enough money they (2-4 of them) will walk you to an ATM and ask for you card and try to with draw the money for you. This is not favorable. They might try to tack on their own exchange rate over and above what they are trying to steal from you.
d.) The other thing that might happen when you tell them you don't have enough is they will continually ask how much you have, coupled with threats until you literally give them all you have on you. I ended up forking over about $400 and my friend about $300. Other people I have met since have had up to $700 withdrawn from their account by ATM by the owners of these places.

11.) Once you have effectively been robbed, these men actually have the gual to try to shake your hand. Then they will tell you, I feel bad about this, don't leave, have another beer on me, or stay and have a Turkish coffee.


Since this, I have gone from being absolutely enchanted by this city to having no desire to ever return, especially to Sultan Ahmet, the tourist-trap-trash hole of Turkey. I am so tired of being jerked around by people like this, who have absolutely ruined and made null everything I loved about this city. I hope that nobody else runs into this, but if you do, I advise you under no circumstances every, go anywhere with a Turk that approaches you on the street, or tries to take you anywhere other than where you specifically stated you want to go. More than anything I hope that no else become filled with the utter distaste for a country that I now have.

If you have any questions about this whole matter please post and I will be notified by email that I can answer them, or if this has happened to you, please post and share any similarities/differences in your experience.

As for me I know I will be traveling through Turkey several more times this year. I am going to be making a concerted effort to cut down the number of nights I spend in Istanbul to as few as possible. I have decided that if I am approached by any Turks I don't know, for any reason, that speak English, I am going to attack them with a slew of loud dirty words and possibly hit them. I have learned a few swear words in Turkish and may find the urge to try them out.

Does anyone know if foreigners spend jail time in Turkey for getting in fights, and how long that actually is? It would be good to know.

Thanks for reading, hope this helps/saves you a lot of money and anger later....

[dmb]

i'd have got suspicious when he mentioned he worked in the four seaons in Taksim square

This scam happens in every major city.
I have been in strange cities before where this happens but i just say thank you i am able to find a bar on my own. Anyone who is gullible enough to believe a complete stranger who approaches them on the street and offers to 'help' them should stick to package holidays.

[justme]

Yes, the obvious solution seems to be not to go drinking with people you don't know in places you don't know. It's not that difficult.

Fortunately, as a professional English teacher, there's nothing I want to do less than practice English with someone in my free time.

Anyone ever been approached by a Turk with crappy English saying he/she needs a 'friend' to talk to in English, where 'friend' really means 'free one-on-one lessons' or 'I think you're stupid enough to actually fall for this ruse'? That's the kind of rip-off to watch out for...

[Golightly]

Yeah, this scam happened to one of my teachers in Taksim. It's well known. The guys who are on the prowl for suckers are sometimes called 'saat kac abi's, after the way they ask for the time.

[sandyhoney2]

I too have heard of this con. I was working at the desk of a Best Western after returning to Canada and there was a music festival on. One of the guests (an Irish guy) was talking about a crap vacation he had just taken to Istanbul. I. of course, had to pipe up to ask him what had happened.

The story he told was exactly like the one here. And he had completely sworn off of ever returning to Turkey. That made me sad. I was ripped off in the states and held up at knifepoint in Buffalo, yet I would probably return (armed with pepper spray) and a little bit more sense than I had at 18. (why yes! I would love to see that gold chain you have in your van. Let me open up my wallet full of American money that I had just exchanged...)

[TeachEnglish]

Yes..if you want to get ripped off..spend time in the Taksim or Sultanahmet area. The longer you hang around the better the odds get that you will be approached by one type of con/criminal or another. Or maybe better yet your bag will be snatched, your cell phone will be snatched out of your hand or lifted from your pocket..etc.. the story goes on and on. Tourists are $ or Euro signs to these creepy Turk types. I agree, warn everyone about these tourist areas and maybe when the tourists stop coming due to crime, maybe the stupid legal system might take a look at the situation and do more than just "look" at it. I recently heard about a project in these areas involving some cameras.. hehe.. Maybe this will help.. but if the stupid Turk police would actually try to do their job instead of just cruising the street in groups like idiots, maybe it would not be so bad. Sorry to sound so negative.. but many people i know have been ripped off..some have been hurt physically.. This makes me angry.

[Baba Alex]

Heard that one too, I know someone who it happened to in London.
I'm always getting stopped in Taksim by people wanting to go for a beer with me, but for some reason I've always been completely suspicious of people I don't know offering to get me a beer.

People should go to the police about this, a naughty Taxi drivers. I know most people think the police in Ist. are shit, and this may be true, but they take this kind of thing quite seriously, and they love stitching up cab drivers.

[dmb]

Does anyone have any positive or negative dealings with the police. Afew years ago a friend was broken into and i went to the copshop to report it(he didnt speak much Turkish) They were very sympathetic and friendly. They actually asked if they could phone me in the future cos often they had tourists in their station and couldnt speak Turkish, they never did though.
On the flip side i have seen running battles in the street with the police just hitting everyone in sight regardless of innocence.

[TeachEnglish]

The cops in Istanbul get mixed reviews from the people I talk to and listen to talking.. Most have nothing positive to say.. Most say the cops are involved with some of the crimes, which i find a little difficult to believe. Yes.. some people are lucky and don't get affected by the crimes going on in the street. I guess it is not so smart to be in the streets going about your own business and find out someone lifted your wallet.. I always wonder how it happens so quickly. I was in a bar one night.. and I realized later someone opened my bag that i was wearing around my waist.. and stole my phone and my condoms.. but left my money.. hehe.. Guess the fella was little horny and needed to call his girlfriend.. and had no phone or condom of his own.. LOL.. Yes.. this is true..

[31]

Ugh! You were wearing a bum bag or what Americans say a fanny pack.

[sandyhoney2]

I had a great idea about getting a decoy wallet and just having it float loosely around my bag with not a whole lot of lira in it and expired license, health card, old air miles cards, a Blockbusters card...

I then had money in a different part of the bag that was difficult to get to. Trouble was, I started getting attached to my decoy wallet. Had a cute picture of me and my mum when I was three years old.

Of course, idiot me, had left bag unzipped (or maybe I hadn't, I haven't been able to figure that one out). I had just paid for a cherry drink and was waiting for the train at Yenikapi. Of course, by the time got there, I realized that my decoy wallet was snatched.

Completely blindsided me. Thankfully I still had my akbil.

[TeachEnglish]

I hate these creepy little slimey thieves.. They make me think very evil thoughts.. I actually have a friend that broke one of their arms when he caught the kid with his hand in his bag..pants..or whatever.. I have another friend that was confronted by a small group of them and wanted to take his things.. one had a knife..and my friend took the knife away from the creep and stabbed him with it.. both of these guys are my heroes.. they did things I would like to do.. but everytime I get mugged or robbed.. I am too drunk to think that fast.. hehe I will save the rest of my stories for another post on crime/adventure in Istanbul. Peace

[justme]

I usually have my backpack, and unless I'm drunk I can usually feel people tugging at it trying to get in. I know it's dumb to go around with the backpack, but I don't always have a place to dump it after work, and, at least at Interlang, things had a tendency ro disappear from locked lockers anyway. I don't keep anything important in the easy-to-access outside pocket.

When I feel that tiny tugging, I usually whirl around with my arm out and whack the tugger in the face or stomach or whatever happens to be near my arm (they usually only do it on crowded streets).

There's a corner in Bakırk�y, where Ebuziya Cad crosses Istanbul Cad near the McDonald's ice cream place, where there always seems to be someone pulling on my bag. One time there (during the day), I whipped around to whack the person doing it and caught a woman right in the b.oob and stomach. I about died, thinking I'd made a mistake and now just whacked a middle aged woman with her son on her arm, but then neither of them did anything-- they were just looking off innocently so I guessed the hitting part was okay...

[sandyhoney2]

[dmb]