New York City scams: what to watch for

These are the ones that actually cost travellers money in New York, ranked by how often they hit and how much they take. Everything on the list starts the same way: a stranger opens the conversation. That is the signal to keep walking.

There is no ticket to a scam, so the numbers below are what people report losing, not published prices. Treat them as bands. The pattern matters more than the amount: the ask is small enough that most people pay to end the conversation.

Costumed characters and CD handlers work the same hours as the crowds, roughly 10:00–23:00 in Times Square, and are thickest in the evening and at weekends. Three-card monte tables appear in daylight and vanish when police pass. Ticket touts cluster before the first ferry and at attraction opening times, when queues are longest.

Almost every scam above needs you to stand still. Moving is the defence. Walk with purpose, keep one earbud out, and if someone steps in front of you, sidestep rather than stop.

On the subway, tap in with a contactless card or phone at the OMNY reader instead of buying a card from a stranger. Stand back from the platform edge and keep the phone in a pocket, not in your hand. Late at night, use a busy station and board near the conductor's car; most lines run around the clock.

For attractions, buy direct. Statue of Liberty ferry tickets come from the official operator, and observation-deck tickets from the building's own site; resellers outside the queue add nothing but risk. If a deal is only available from a person on the street, it isn't a deal.