[cheezyboi]

This deserves its own post because it something that Everyone visiting Saint Petersburg, Russia needs to know. There is a scam afoot in the night life that is pervasive. I’d say 70% of the girls I’ve met in the last two nights are in on it. This shit happened to me two nights in a row. Thank god I saw through it the second time.

These girls will come in to you in twos. Never more. They will talk to you till late then suggest a new bar to go to. The next bar has astronomical prices per drink but they just keep bringing you drinks (that you did not order) the girls will take them making you liable to pay. At the end, you get a massive bill that you have to pay under threat of them calling the police. This is all very slick and you will not notice till the end. After the girls will find a reason to leave you and you will have paid crazy money for nothing.

Bottom line, at 3-6am the only place you should be going with a girl in Saint Petersburg (or anywhere for that matter) is to get food or to your or her place. If you do anything else in this city, you are in danger of getting robbed.

You can avoid all this shit by never buying drinks for a girl or by having some principled stance on when and how much money you will spend on a girl. If you don’t have these standards well defined in your life, be very fucking careful. I got fucked out of 10k rubles ($160).

Old town bar is the name of one of these places but there are many many others. Game safely brothers.

[DigitalNomad]

That's a common scam in EE as well. If it seems too easy it probably is. Bounce back to your place or a nearby bar you if you aren't sure, never go anywhere they suggest.. losing $160 is the best possible outcome.

[Wander]

Those of us with experience in Eastern Europe were used to this many years ago. It seems that Americans seem to fall for this stuff the most.

When you go to a country check for popular scams, this also happens a lot in Riga, Budapest, Krakow, and many others

[Investment Bro]

This is common all over Europe. I watched it happen in France more times than I care to count.

[Rocha]

(06-06-2018 01:28 PM)Wander Wrote:  

Those of us with experience in Eastern Europe were used to this many years ago. It seems that Americans seem to fall for this stuff the most.

When you go to a country check for popular scams, this also happens a lot in Riga, Budapest, Krakow, and many others

In Prague as well, at least some years ago. I know a couple Portuguese older dudes who got lured to a strip club, then beaten up and robbed of around 1k each.

This could be a scammers thread in general, not only St. Peter.

[sync]

Say that you have to go to the ATM and than in the right moment outside RUN.

[superschalk]

Agree with Rocha good topic for a general thread.

With $160 you got out of it pretty cheap actually. This is pretty much the most well known scam. If two hot girls approach you out of nowhere anywhere in EE something is too good to be true so be careful. Here are four scams girls tried and did with me in Kiev:

1. Girl earns commission on the restaurant bill scam
This happened on one of the first dates I ever had in Kiev. Went with a girl to a well known tourist place on Kreshatyk street for lunch. Girl starts ordering an outrageous number of dishes. Once I ordered the bill girl disappears and comes back once the bill is paid. A long term sex tourist told me afterwards that this scam happened regularly at that restaurant. Basically the girl went to the bathroom to pick up her commission. The bill was only around €50 so not a big deal but lesson learned.

2. The I need money for a taxi scam
This scam used to be common before Uber. Girls made outrageous claims on the price of a taxi. A girl from Tinder tried to tell me that she needs 2000 Hrivna to get from Borispol into Kiev. Obviously I did not pay. Thanks to Uber this scam is not an issue anymore.

3. The I want to buy chocolate scam
Met one girl from night game at Gulliver for lunch. But instead of lunch she told me that she wanted to buy a bit of chocolate instead. We went to a stand where they sold Lviv chocolate. The girl started ordering tons of chocolate and the final bill ended to be 900 Hrivna. I told her politely that I am not paying for this and left straight away. I am not sure if this should be considered a scam since FSU girls like gifts and shit. Still was surprised about this coz the girl came from a wealthy family and had a very expensive handbag and in general all branded clothes.

4. The I bring a friend without telling you "scam"
Still dont know what the scam there is but as soon as a girl shows up on a date and brings a friend without telling me I am not even bother to go for a coffee. Happened twice so far. The girls might not have any bad intentions to do it but for me without telling me beforehand is a no go.

Most of these scams are happening with online girls but I heard that girls even pulled some scams like the "I know a nice and quiet bar scam" from daygame.
There are a few red flags which you should look out for to avoid scams:

- Online girl starts pushing hard for a date the same day or even within a few hours
- Girl wants to meet very late
- Girl gets very touchy straight at the beginning of the date (FSU girls are not like this - they are very distant)
- Other points which could help is to see what job a girl has. If she says something like freelance worker, translator that is usually not a good sign. Of course not all girls would pull off a scam but that the most dodgy girls are usually the ones with no proper full time jobs while also not being students.

Looking forward to hear about some new scams.

[Beirut]

If a Kiev girl suggest Sayf Cafe run for your life (have fallen for it twice)

[Rossi]

I wrote about this scam about Russia in almost every topic in past 3 months. It's well known scam.

[qwertyuiop]

Pay with credit card, go home, call CC company and dispute charge and report fraud.

Just don't sign or scribble so they cant tell

not sure how legal this is tho lol

[cheezyboi]

(06-06-2018 05:35 PM)Rossi Wrote:  

I wrote about this scam about Russia in almost every topic in past 3 months. It's well known scam.

Shit I guess I should've looked through the forum in advance... seems like everyone is hip to this bullshit. I will have to be more prepared before traveling next time.

Shout out to superschalk for that summary list

[Simeon_Strangelight]

If it happens in a normal bar, you are fucked.
If it happens in a strip club, then you can call the cops - the strip joints are semi-criminal most of the time and cops close down those joints willy-nilly all the time. At least that is what happens in EE - in FSU you are fucked either way.

Aside from that - the iron rules prevail - even if you are a billionaire. Initially you don't spend any money unless it's part of the seduction process and even then in limited numbers. Game teaches you to recognize real attraction vs fake one.

Anything involving 2 girls and some instant attraction should be doubted unless you have kissed all 3 already and there is palpable sexual chemistry.

[choichoi]

(06-06-2018 10:21 AM)cheezyboi Wrote:  

This deserves its own post because it something that Everyone visiting Saint Petersburg, Russia needs to know. There is a scam afoot in the night life that is pervasive. I’d say 70% of the girls I’ve met in the last two nights are in on it. This shit happened to me two nights in a row. Thank god I saw through it the second time.

These girls will come in to you in twos. Never more. They will talk to you till late then suggest a new bar to go to. The next bar has astronomical prices per drink but they just keep bringing you drinks (that you did not order) the girls will take them making you liable to pay. At the end, you get a massive bill that you have to pay under threat of them calling the police. This is all very slick and you will not notice till the end. After the girls will find a reason to leave you and you will have paid crazy money for nothing.

Bottom line, at 3-6am the only place you should be going with a girl in Saint Petersburg (or anywhere for that matter) is to get food or to your or her place. If you do anything else in this city, you are in danger of getting robbed.

You can avoid all this shit by never buying drinks for a girl or by having some principled stance on when and how much money you will spend on a girl. If you don’t have these standards well defined in your life, be very fucking careful. I got fucked out of 10k rubles ($160).

Old town bar is the name of one of these places but there are many many others. Game safely brothers.

Only $160? The first time I went to SP and hit up one of these cabaret bars. I was trying to have sex with the dancers so I decided to do one of the "erotic massages". My dumbass kept buying drinks and cigarettes. Well the bitches never gave me the pussy so I finally got tired of the bullshit and walked the fuck out. I kept letting them swipe my card like a goddamn dumbass.

I checked my account the next morning and I had blown about $1500 that night in that bitch.

Lesson learned.

[Rossi]

(06-06-2018 06:32 PM)qwertyuiop Wrote:  

Pay with credit card, go home, call CC company and dispute charge and report fraud.

Just don't sign or scribble so they cant tell

not sure how legal this is tho lol

This doesn't work much unless you're American and having a credit card from United States.

If you have a credit card in most of European countries, your credit card has a pin number, just like Debit cards in USA. So, if you go to restaurant/bar, bill comes up $250. You have to enter your pin.

When you go back home, you can't dispute a charge and report it fraud because you've entered your pin number correctly, so you were aware of the amount. 95% of the time, European banks won't give your money back.

It happens to my family all the time, my dad has a hotel and restaurant in Rome.

[inostranec]

Last time 2 girls approached me I was daygaming myself. I immediately felt something fishy and as soon as they told they are Jehovah's witnesses I told them to gtfo.

[jordypip23]

(06-06-2018 10:21 AM)cheezyboi Wrote:  

This deserves its own post because it something that Everyone visiting Saint Petersburg, Russia needs to know. There is a scam afoot in the night life that is pervasive. I’d say 70% of the girls I’ve met in the last two nights are in on it. This shit happened to me two nights in a row. Thank god I saw through it the second time.

These girls will come in to you in twos. Never more. They will talk to you till late then suggest a new bar to go to. The next bar has astronomical prices per drink but they just keep bringing you drinks (that you did not order) the girls will take them making you liable to pay. At the end, you get a massive bill that you have to pay under threat of them calling the police. This is all very slick and you will not notice till the end. After the girls will find a reason to leave you and you will have paid crazy money for nothing.

Bottom line, at 3-6am the only place you should be going with a girl in Saint Petersburg (or anywhere for that matter) is to get food or to your or her place. If you do anything else in this city, you are in danger of getting robbed.

You can avoid all this shit by never buying drinks for a girl or by having some principled stance on when and how much money you will spend on a girl. If you don’t have these standards well defined in your life, be very fucking careful. I got fucked out of 10k rubles ($160).

Old town bar is the name of one of these places but there are many many others. Game safely brothers.

Sounds like a scam tactic that was famously highlighted in the movie Hostel in 2005. Ok, maybe not as demented an outcome, but you're still getting robbed in the end. A lot of strip clubs operate based on similar premises as well.

[Barron]

Never heard of this scam before.

Why would any man accept a drink from a random woman?

[Rossi]

(06-07-2018 05:56 AM)NomadofEU Wrote:  

Never heard of this scam before.

Why would any man accept a drink from a random woman?

Girls don't buy you a drink.

They start talking to you like it's a coincidence, could be at coffee stop, could be at the mall. And then, they say "Let's have a drink, I know a great bar right here."

Once you go there, they keep ordering in drinks in Russian. When it's about time to go, they either say "I need to go to bathroom and then disappear" or they fake a phone call, they say my mom has an emergency, i'll call you tomorrow I have to go and leave.

You're left there with a big bill. It's not just about Russia. I've seen this in Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine and so on. I've even seen this in Miami few times.

[Bikal]

(06-06-2018 06:32 PM)qwertyuiop Wrote:  

Pay with credit card, go home, call CC company and dispute charge and report fraud.

Just don't sign or scribble so they cant tell

not sure how legal this is tho lol

It's a bit harder with Chip & Pin cards but I'd agree, try and swipe whenever but don't sign or make a random signature, call up CC and dispute afterwards (when it appears on online banking obviously).

[Tail Gunner]

This scam has been discussed in many other threads. But I am not sure why no one in this thread has discussed the obvious solution (aside from screening the women more carefully): Every time you enter a new bar always ask to see a written drink menu that lists the prices of all drinks. If the bar does not have one, then walk away (unless the prices are clearly identified verbally). Be especially wary of a woman ordering an entire bottle of wine or champagne. This is where the huge ripoffs occur.

[zatara]

(06-07-2018 03:46 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

This scam has been discussed in many other threads. But I am not sure why no one in this thread has discussed the obvious solution (aside from screening the women more carefully): Every time you enter a new bar always ask to see a written drink menu that lists the prices of all drinks. If the bar does not have one, then walk away (unless the prices are clearly identified verbally). Be especially wary of a woman ordering an entire bottle of wine or champagne. This is where the huge ripoffs occur.

Even if a bar shows you a written menu its very easy for them to add on various "service charges" and "taxes". Or else to claim the drinks menu prices changed after midnight or X hour, that what you originally saw was a happy hour special etc. Having seen a menu doesn't achieve much.

Its far better off just bringing the girl(s) to a bar of your choice instead.

[Tail Gunner]

(06-07-2018 04:57 PM)zatara Wrote:  

(06-07-2018 03:46 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

This scam has been discussed in many other threads. But I am not sure why no one in this thread has discussed the obvious solution (aside from screening the women more carefully): Every time you enter a new bar always ask to see a written drink menu that lists the prices of all drinks. If the bar does not have one, then walk away (unless the prices are clearly identified verbally). Be especially wary of a woman ordering an entire bottle of wine or champagne. This is where the huge ripoffs occur.

Even if a bar shows you a written menu its very easy for them to add on various "service charges" and "taxes". Or else to claim the drinks menu prices changed after midnight or X hour, that what you originally saw was a happy hour special etc. Having seen a menu doesn't achieve much.

Its far better off just bringing the girl(s) to a bar of your choice instead.

My point, and I may not have been clear, is that you always check the written drink menu (or at least ask about the prices), even when you visit a bar of your choice (because you are in a foreign land and do not know the lay of the land). If you are new in town, simply going to a random bar of your choice will not necessarily prevent a scam. All it really takes is a holistic approach of exercising basic common sense to avoid these scams.

Let's face it, a scam bar will not have great TripAdvisor reviews, so choosing the place yourself is a great first step. But also check the drink menu because a lizard may still order a $200 bottle of wine in a legitimate bar without consulting you.

[Rossi]

(06-07-2018 05:08 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

My point, and I may not have been clear, is that you always check the written drink menu (or at least ask about the prices), even when you visit a bar of your choice (because you are in a foreign land and do not know the lay of the land). If you are new in town, simply going to a random bar of your choice will not necessarily prevent a scam. All it really takes is a holistic approach of exercising basic common sense to avoid these scams.

Let's face it, a scam bar will not have great TripAdvisor reviews, so choosing the place yourself is a great first step. But also check the drink menu because a lizard may still order a $200 bottle of wine in a legitimate bar without consulting you.

It doesn't matter if you check the menu or not. Let's assume: you ask the the price of mojito, since they're not native English speaker, they will say 13 euro to you. When bill comes up, you'll see 30 euro. If you ask them, why they charged 30 instead of 13, they usually say: I said thirty, not thirteen.

What are you going to do especially if it's late hour like 11 pm or 1 am? Going to cops? Don't forget, you're in some foreign country like in Russia or in Ukraine. This bar is there forever, they're local, you're not the first one they scammed. So, police get their cut every month and they're well aware of their scam. There's nothing you can do, really.

As a restaurant owner in Rome, I know a lot of people in Venice, doing this kind of tricks to tourists.

Only way to not fooled into this trick is that if 2 girls approach you anywhere and suggest to grab a drink with you, you should tell them you know a place, not go with their suggestion. If girls come with you to place where you want to go, they're honest girls, if they make excuse when you suggest a place, that means they're in the fishing game.

[Tail Gunner]

(06-07-2018 06:31 PM)Rossi Wrote:  

(06-07-2018 05:08 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

My point, and I may not have been clear, is that you always check the written drink menu (or at least ask about the prices), even when you visit a bar of your choice (because you are in a foreign land and do not know the lay of the land). If you are new in town, simply going to a random bar of your choice will not necessarily prevent a scam. All it really takes is a holistic approach of exercising basic common sense to avoid these scams.

Let's face it, a scam bar will not have great TripAdvisor reviews, so choosing the place yourself is a great first step. But also check the drink menu because a lizard may still order a $200 bottle of wine in a legitimate bar without consulting you.

It doesn't matter if you check the menu or not. Let's assume: you ask the the price of mojito, since they're not native English speaker, they will say 13 euro to you. When bill comes up, you'll see 30 euro. If you ask them, why they charged 30 instead of 13, they usually say: I said thirty, not thirteen.

If you check the menu and it says 13 Euros in writing, then how do they later claim that the price is actually 30 Euros?

WTF. Now I am in the mood for a mango mojito.

[Mekorig]

Its funny, in some weird way, that kind of scams are soo extended around the world. I recall the same scam in the Buenos Aires downtown when i was a teen. Heck, i belive they still were doing it until a decade ago!