Comments on: How to Avoid Morocco’s Notorious Tourist Scams

By: Marek

Marek — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:29:03 +0000

In reply to Billy. Haha, brilliant!

By: Billy

Billy — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 22:26:06 +0000

I had this same experience but I was ready for it. I’d speak to them in Cantonese but it works with any non-world language. I’d talk about my bowel movements or how itchy my penis is. They don’t speak Cantonese so they’d repeat their script over and over until they get frustrated and walk away.
When they ask your name and where you’re from give them a false identity. I say my name is Jackie Welles and I’m from Tameriel. They won’t know where that is and get confused. This is important as they bully tourists from “nice” countries like South Korea, Japan and Canada. Sometimes I ask them for money! I say I’m traveling on the kindness of Moroccans!
I’d also bring some non-dinar and non-African old currency. In my case I had Guatemala Quetzals and give it to them as “baksheesh”. They can’t change it or use it so it ends up wasting their time!

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:29:28 +0000

Was walking back from a late dinner in the main square. The path back to our riad was closed and there was a line of men standing by the closed path. Immediately one guy started following us and tried showing the way back. We said no multiple times but he persisted and got more aggressive. Next thing you know he threatens to bash my head in if I don’t give him 300 Euros. First night in Marrakech by the way…

By: Elisa

Elisa — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 12:12:47 +0000

I’ve been to Fez, but I only stayed for 3 days. Probably the only reason why I wasn’t scammed was because I was only going out with a local guide haha.
My Filipina friend is currently at Marrakesh (2023) and she has already been scammed (one scammer told that the street was closed, took her somewhere and insisted money and one insisted money after she took a picture of a snake).
She is totally not fan of Marrakesh and I told her to get out, cuz there are waaaay better places in Morocco where you can actually enjoy & meet genuinly nice locals 🙂

By: Darren Evans

Darren Evans — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 09:59:58 +0000

I sat reading your article with a smile on my face, I think I fell fowl of all the scams you mentioned. Luckily I’m a big boy and was able to deal with all the situations I found myself in. Only time it got a bit scary was when a local tried the “are you lost scam”. No matter how many times I said no he continued to follow me. In the end I told him to go away, he exploded and started screaming “f**k you” over and over as I walked away.
I think there is a new scam, it would be interesting to know if it happened to anyone else. When I got back to the UK I received my monthly bank statement. Reading it carefully I noticed that I had a meal in a restaurant in Marrakech 4 days after I had returned home. Wasn’t a lot of money, but it was very annoying. It had to have been someone at the hotel, it was the only place I used my card. I hated it that much I’m going back in December. Only 1 day in Marrakech mind.

By: Marek

Marek — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 23:46:15 +0000

In reply to Mark Vaughan.

Ouch, sorry to hear that dude! I can definitely relate to this… I’ve talked about Marrakech before and have had dismissive comments, like I must be an inexperienced traveller, but it truly is a hornet’s nest! Hope you’ll find more relaxation elsewhere 🙂

By: Mark Vaughan

Mark Vaughan — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 21:37:03 +0000

Years later… I’m in Marrakesh now – my first and last visit. My biggest mistake was adding in this two-day, mid-holiday adventure between Madrid and Tenerife while needing some intense relaxation. This is NOT a relaxing place, by any stretch if the immagination. Glad I brought a can of tuna. If I make it out tomorrow I’ll feel extraordinarily lucky. Let me qualify bad: I’ve spent protracted periods in Cuzco, Puerto Quetzal (in a war), Mexico (in the 90’s, everywhere), Bangkok, Seychelles, Cape Town, Kenya, Panama City – I am not a travel neophyte and I walked away from all wanting more. Marrakech: it broke me. For that, it has my respect, and I’ll never return.

All that and $50 got stole out of my luggage (hidden) in my Riad. Keep on rockin’, M-town!

By: Niklas Persson

Niklas Persson — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 21:59:56 +0000

I have spent a few hours in the souk with my fiancé today and got scammed. Wish I had read this beforehand. The guy was walking with us ever though we knew exactly where to go and when we got there he suddenly turned from friendly to threatening.

He demanded 30€ from us (for a 10min walk) or there will be trouble. We managed to give him 10 and go to our destination but for the rest of the day we were looking over our shoulder to make sure that the guy did not come back for the rest. We were in Istanbul a few years ago and here in Marrakesh the hassle is on a whole different level. The guys just won’t leave you alone.

By: Roni Benavides

Roni Benavides — Mon, 08 May 2017 14:04:34 +0000

A helpful tip. In the Souks they will draw you into conversation and once they’ve found out your occupation they will charge you for items accordingly. Another good trick of there’s is to ask if this is your first time visiting Morocco, this also tells them you are an easy target if you admit to it being your first time! They are real charmers “you have the eyes of a gazelle!

Having said all this the more you travel the more you learn, I’ve always enjoyed Morocco.

By: Colette

Colette — Sun, 07 May 2017 12:51:55 +0000

Ah! so true indeed. I can see that 20 years later their attitude has not changed. In the 90’s there was even a big tv campaign explaining to the locals that if they were caught harassing tourists they were going to be fined heavily. Not sure if this campaign was successful but at least it was a start… Because of the recent terrorist attacks less tourists go to Morocco hence the locals are desperate and as soon as they see the face of an innocent tourist they become flies over a honey cake! On top of all these recommendations you might consider negotiating the price of an afternoon visit of the medina with a local guide (knowing very well that they are no “official” guides) for a few coins. Some of them even have a (fake) ID with their photo. Just take a picture of it… you never know. Just make sure that you set your terms in easy-to-understand words (just to avoid “fake” English language issues) straight at the start (no visit to carpet shop, to jewellery shop, etc…) and the price is ok for you. As soon as you have an agreement and that it is understood that no money will be exchanged before the end of the visit (never pay beforehand) you will see that you won’t be hassled any more as the guide you chose will push the others away. As a female traveller it worked a treat 20 years ago (not only in Morocco) and 1 month ago when I returned to Marrakesh. Some things do not change. Also good to have a lot of small change on you in various pockets so that if you are interested in something and want better bargain power you can show that you only have a x value note to spend. If the price is not good, just walk away. If they come back, there is more room for bargaining. If they don’t come back, it might be the right price. But ask the hotelier to give you an idea of how much s/he would pay. Don’t ask a local person in the street as they might not have a clue about what you are asking for and will say yes to anything you say. And if you go to a shop after a full bus of Germans or Americans (just to give an example, not picking on them) have visited it, expect very high prices that won’t come down. Better come back at a quieter time…. I guess this is valid anywhere. Enjoy Marrakesh, it is a wonderful place!