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Don't fall victim to scams in Budapest. From corrupt taxi drivers and restaurant owners to seemingly lovely ladies – here's everything you need to know before you go to Hungary.
Photo © Getty Images/Francesco Meroni
You may think you are being cautious, but even the savviest of travelers can get caught out. It all seemed so obvious when we think back, were the words of a victim who fell for one of the city's most common restaurant and bar scams.
Budapest bar bill scam
The scam reported by many male travelers is one which starts with an ego boost. Two attractive women will approach you in the street asking if you want to accompany them to a bar. The next thing you know, you are enjoying a meal or drinks, but when the bill arrives, the intention of the new friendship is made evident.
Two frightening sights - a bill of up to thousands of dollars and Hungarian men of barbarian proportions standing over you, waiting to escort you to the nearest ATM.
Taxi drivers can also be involved in the scam. They will suggest bars to take you to, because they are getting a commission from the owners who are waiting to rip you off.
Most of the places that have been reported to be out to get you, are located in Budapest's fifth district, on or near the main tourist street, the Váci utca.
It's best to avoid bars and clubs that can't be easily accessed from street level, for example a place that you can only get to by elevator. Also be wary of places that don't clearly display menus.
If you walk into a club that ticks those boxes and also happens to have its own ATM, you are asking for trouble.
There have also been reports of drink spiking, particularly in strip clubs.
Many tourists have warned about the Milady Nightclub - formally known as Nirvana, for it's corrupt and violent antics. It's located at V. Szent Szent István krt. 15.
Tourist menu
Another kind of scam occurs in many bars and restaurants, not just ones you are led to by women on the street. If you are clearly a tourist, the establishment may swap menus to one with higher prices when you go to pay, or not show you a menu to start with at all. So make sure you always verify the price prior to the purchase and look out for any hidden costs.
If you, unfortunately, experience a scam or personal crime, report it immediately to the Hungarian National Tourist Office. Open 24hrs, 7 days a week with English and other foreign language speaking staff, they will help you with finding your nearest police station and also filing a report. Call them on 438-8080.
Another handy source is the Tourinform Office which provides information in both English and German. Located in one of Budapest's busiest tourist areas, they are open from 8am to 8pm and will point you in the right direction for any Hungary travel-related queries. You can find them at Sütő u. 2., 1052 Budapest.
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93 Comments
Having read about some of the trouble spots in the clubs in Budapest, I was wondering if you could send me some information for decent pubs and clubs. There are six Adults arriving for 3 nights on the 30th of December and was also wondering about tickets on New Years Eve for a decent club. Thank you, Andrew
Nearly got caught. I was walking along Váci utca street and got picked up by a pleasant looking lady who originally approached me for a light for a cigarette. She asked me where I was from, then said we should go for a drink. Since I had been on schnapps and beer a little earlier and I was freezing cold, I asked for a coffee. The lady ordered coffee, some sort of short and a small bottle of something sparkling. All of which I thought was an odd concoction and I immediately thought there was some sort of scam. Was she going to spike a drink, or get me drunk and get me coshed in an alley.
She poured me half a glass of champagne which I immediately poured back in to her glass.
When I finished my coffee, I said to her, we should go to another bar and have a few more drinks, but, I needed to go back to my hotel to get some cash. She acknowledged this comment and before she could say anything else I had grabbed my jacket and was out the door, still wondering what the scam was. It was only when I Googled it on my return it all became too apparent.
I was in budapest a few days ago. this was attempted on 3 times in one evening. I hadn't heard of this scam before, but something didn't feel quite right when 2 girls approached me and asked for directions. which would they ask me? I am an american. Why were they so insistent they needed help to find the place they were looking for? they were quite cute amd friendly. But it just didn't add up. I chatted with them for 5 minutes or so. I could not figure out what their scam was, so I walked away. Maybe they we're not scammers afterall I was thinking.
I got one more block down Vaci Utca and I was approached by 2 more girls asking to borrow a map or gps. they wanted to find a bar with live music. they were quite chatty. they asked me to join them for a beer. again this was wierd and it didn't add up. I told them no thank you and kept walking. I was thinking this is a pickpocket scam.
about 10 mintues later, there were 2 more girls. both quite beautiful. one with black hair and one a blonde. I caught black haired girl staring at the brand of my jeans. she noticed I saw her and her expression changed completely and said hello. she had the nicest warmest smile. it was a complete change from "predator" look she had while looking. I just said hello back and didnt stop walking.
as I was walking back to my hotel, I saw the first 2 girls walking around with a bearded dude with a backpack. looking for the restaurant I wanted to warn him that something was up. but I figured he would think I was scammer or trying to ruin his game. poor chap.
so this scam is alive and well. I am shocked I was approached 3 times in 60 minutes. I really wonder if these girls know they are part of a scam or if they think they are just doing marketing for a bar or restaurant.
I have a request for someone who reads this and is in budpest. when this happens to you, ask the girls how much they are being paid. I am sure they are getting paid little to do this. tell them you know what is going on. offer to match their pay and offer to take they to a bar of your choice. it could be a good time. I am pretty sure they want to party and get paid at the same time. why not cut out the real scammers (the bar or restaurant owners)? please report back. I wish I could go back to try this myself. you could have a nice cheap night with some hot anf friendly girls. so please report back here if anyone tries this technique. good luck
we went to budapest for the formula 1 race. The night before we were walking in the Vaci street when an old lady and a young cute girl approach us asking for a cigarette. We offer them one and they were asking what are doing tonight. Nothing special than visiting the town. Why dont we go in a bar proposed the old lady (about 50 years old).
I was warned several times about scammers, but how can we imagine such old lady and the young one can be scammers? They lied that they came in Buda for a congress of Make up...
They take us the Ice Cube Bar (not the real one...),15 meter from Burger King and we start to have a drink. Feeling that it was a trap i asked for the bill for the 1st round. The waitress just said, dont worry you pay only you finished....The minutes spent and the ladies ordered more and more...Finally we fade up and ask for the bill...which was 225 000 HUF. We havent that cash..and hopefully...there were a cash machine inside this bar, what a coincidence...We were upset and ask the ladies to go out, but being drunk (us and ladies as well) ladies order a last coffee that we cannot refuse...the bill for coffee comes...225000 HUF..unbelievable i refuse to pay, how come coffee can be so expensive...they justify that coffee came with cognac inside, and a small cup of cognac cost 60000 HUF....it was our nightmare night!!! We lost, me and my friend 850 euro each!!!
You are warned guys, every thing is organised with every single detail studied to get you in the trap, even the cash machine inside the bar!!! Avoid Vaci streets bar, and any girls that come to you....a real hungarian girl, you have to make the first step, the rest is scammers
Hey guys, this is a mirror of Hungarian society. How is it possible ??? How corrupted must be Hungarian government, municipality and police !! This dirty bastards are known for many years. And they still exist.. This is big shame for Budapest and hole Country. Stinky bastards !!!
This happened to us on October 30th. We were strolling around the main square when three Czech girls asked if we could take a picture of them. We small talked a bit and they offered to go to a bar.
They weren't too attractive or dressed provocative, and seemed quite innocent. It was a strange dynamic though, one older woman (said she was 42) and two younger girls in their 23. They were a little flirty but not really. Said they worked in a hair/cosmetics salon, and seen a nice little bar just next to a salon round the corner.
We went to YORXUN bar, which was pretty nondescript. They ordered a round of sparkling wine + shot, supposedly a Hungarian tradition which they received free from their hotel.
Aaaand another round, feeling a little drunk now. Conversation was pretty boring and my friend goes up to pay so we can leave. He comes back with a 450 euro bill!!!! We got them to "pay" some of it to bring the price down, but still my friend was escorted to ATM to take out abut 350 euros.
The girls still kept pretending they were surprised and innocent and that they would give us more money and this instilled a weird and crazy doubt in our heads. We weren't sure if we had all been cheated by the bar or if the czech girls + the bar had cheated us. Looking back it seems obvious but at the time it wasn't!
We went back to the bar later and the bartenders looked in our eyes and completely lied about the whole thing, saying we could come back with police, they had cameras we could check...
Next morning we read all these stories, wow these girls are good, they continue to do this every weekend, fucking tourists over. But this type of thing only happens to gullible idiots right??! Well...
Anyway we didn't let it ruin our trip. Chin up, turn it into a joke, save a bit of money back home, and it's all good.
All I can say is don't let it make you less trusting of people. Most people are good and friendly and would never do this. Just ALWAYS check the price list before you order, and think twice if you get chatted up by foreign girls!
And if you ever get yourself in a sticky situation, don't pay, run!
i have avoided person who are approaching me since the day ive been here in budapest... but since my last night and some ladies approach me, i dont know but i decided why not to talk to them. then they as for a certain place that they are telling that there is a good bar there recommended by the tour guide and that they are celebrating the birthday of their friend that they want to enjoy. so they become to chatty and soon they invite me to join. then i just decided why not, it my last night at budapest. then we went to that bar, have some drinks then when the bill came.. it is more that 300,000 HUF. they put out money but its too little that its only like not even 10,000HUF and they will ask to pay the rest since there is no credit card machine in the bar and they cannot use their credits for paying. they able to 350euros from me but i manage to hide my atms thats why all they can get are what i have in my pocket. still lucky that i did not pay the whole amount or else i will be f***** up. so guys please be careful with ladies who will approach you. f*** this scammers.
It happened to me a few years back just as described: two attractive and seemingly intelligent girls approached my friend and me to ask for directions. We ended up in a nearby bar and had a round of drinks. We started to suspect that something was wrong and asked for the bill: 120,000 HUF with two evil looking bouncers to collect.
My friend went berserk, threatened to call the police, the French embassy (he is French) and more. In the end we left perhaps twice the amount that the drinks should have cost but a hell of a lot less than the initial amount.
My advice: DO NOT PAY. Either leave some reasonable amount and walk out or refuse to pay and ask them to call the police. The bouncers look evil but there is no way they can afford to make good of their threats - this is the business: you lose some and you win some and another naive schmuck will come along soon.
Exactly the same story!!! I drew 161810 Ft from nearby ATM on 25.1.2015.
This happened to us on October 30th. We were strolling around the main square when three Czech girls asked if we could take a picture of them. We small talked a bit and they offered to go to a bar.
They weren't too attractive or dressed provocative, and seemed quite innocent. It was a strange dynamic though, one older woman (said she was 42) and two younger girls in their 23. They were a little flirty but not really. Said they worked in a hair/cosmetics salon, and seen a nice little bar just next to a salon round the corner.
We went to YORXUN bar, which was pretty nondescript. They ordered a round of sparkling wine + shot, supposedly a Hungarian tradition which they received free from their hotel.
I was also hit by the Bar Scam yesterday and had to fork out ~ 116,000 huf. Question - who can you report this too just in case you run into same ladies/ Bar. There must be something that can be done against the bar which is part of this scam?
I was scammed in the Pub in Utca street 11 (Door seems to be in the Douglas shop). I was approached by to ladies (30 and 40+) who were in Budapest for a conference of Toni&Guy. After a few minutes talking on the street, they ask me to join them for a drink. It seemed al so natural.
Even in the bar, which was quite empty it seems to be ok. Friendly conversations but the 30 year old one became nicer and nicer to keep me in the bar as long as possible. Off course it became obvious when the bill arrived. 200.000 HUF which I had to draw from a nearby ATM. I was friendly escorted by a lady from the bar. What I also noted, they won't let me have the bill. Probably because this could be used as evidence that they robbed you off.
After reading other experiences off scamming, I consider myself lucky ;-)
Just came back from a business trip and also fell for the same scam. A friend and I were walking down the Main Street, not sure the name , but the one with planet Hollywood. There were a couple of guys trying to get guys into strip clubs and we just said no. As we walked we to were approached by a couple of girls, average looking, but nice asking for directions, we said no and carried on. Had some beers at planet Hollywood, and a bar close to the cathedral, good tip, go to bars that are full and have an outside area. On our way back after dinner we met one of the guys trying to get us into the strip club, we said no, but just wanted a beer. The guy said ok, there is a bar over there, he walked us in as we went down the stairs there were two girls that trailed in, going through the door I waited and held it open for them, but paid them no real attention. We were seated, ordered, our drinks arrived. We noticed the menu said, "check prices before ordering" quickly we checked... All ok, normal price for beer. The two girls sat away from out, all very normal, until one waved, ignoring her we carried on chatting, they moved and sat on the next table and tried to engage us in conversation, we simply ignored them, thinking it was a scam. They soon got bored and left. We carried on talking and then one of the girls that had asked directions earlier walked past, innocently we asked if this was the bar she was tiring to find, she said yes and carried on, she was with friends. A little later her friends went and she came a sat with us, bringing her own drink. We chatted, she was nice looking, intelligent, polite, friendly, but not flirty. We chatted for about an hour, when my friend and I had finished our drinks it was our idea to get another and asked her if she would like another. She asked the waiter, in Hungarian, for a drink, then they arrived she has a small bottle of fizz and has ordered shots. Thinking this was a scam, I immediately took the shot the bar tender gave her and gave her mine. Hers was coke, the others were a bark, coke like liquid. We complained to the bar tender that he had made an error, he immediately returned with three clean glasses and a bottle, poured in front of us and appologiesed. Nothing was said, the evening continued until we decided to get the bill. The shots were 5k HUF each, the card machine had stopped working. We paid and left, but she followed. We said we were going to get a taxi but she insisted on calling a taxi company, they would be cheaper she protested. We ignored her and went to hail a taxi from the Main Street., she tried to scam us all of the time until we got into the taxi, even playing how will I get home. I Hailey a second taxi and put her in it. We got into our taxi and left. I think in all of this the think that is most painful is that we got scammed, even thinking that we knew a scam. Note always check what they order, check the price. Never let them drink what's put I front of them, switch it. While there we also noticed two young lads with a girl, one was in love with her, she was ordering drinks, looked like whiskey and coke and the same for them, she poured the coke into their drinks but refused it in hers, again I'd think hers was nonalcoholic. When she went to the toilet I told the guy it was a scam, poor bloke was so smitten he carried on. The girl we met was about 28-32. Said she was from South Hungary, near Croatia, visiting her friend. She was well educated, or proffessed to be, stating she has TWO batchelors degrees, it started with diplomas. In tourism and economics. BE AWARE. They are very good and plausible. Just think to yourself, when was the last time a girl walked up to you in the street and invited you for a drink? RIGHT, never.
Hi
Me and my mate got caught by the exact same thing at a very innocent-looking cafe on MAJOS UTCA 26a - near the Opera House. Never thought it would happen to us but - hey- we are both guys who have pulled many girls in more bizarre places than where we met them.
The name of the establishment appears to change regularly - the name of it was Majos Caffee when we were caught like kippers just last week.
Happened last week on our quite boozy holiday and never thought we could be so gullible and naive. We were just a bit tipsy and had too much sun and had not researched enough before going to Budapest. Plus, my mate is so gregarious and chatty with all strangers that he was actually more talkative than the two girls who had stopped us to look at out map. We were heading for one quick drink anyway before heading back to our hotel to wash and change. The girls were late 20s, one blonde, one dark haired. Both pretty good English. Both were very funny and easy going and not in any way out of the ordinary. We more or less asked them to go with us for a drink!
BUT - THERE ARE SOME VERY SUBTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR STORY AND THAT OF THE CLASSIC SCAM THAT I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT SINCE IT HAPPENED. In fact, it's so sneaky and clever that it impresses me.
Firstly, we chose the street to go for a drink. We were right on the corner of the Majos Utca and the Opera House at around 9pm and I suggested walking down Majos Utca to one of the outdoor cafe bars. Everywhere was full outside so we kept walking. There was some psychological coaxing to get us to keep walking along the street until we got to 26a but at no point did the girls (both seeming very normal) shepherd us to a particular place.
Secondly, 26a is a nice-looking normal cafe bar with tables outside. We sat outside, in the sun, tourists walking by. We were sensible enough not to accept the offer of polinka shots and stuck with beer. Also, we were sensible enough not to give any details of where we were staying etc (looking back things could have been far, far worse for us).
BUT THIS IS THE SNEAKY BIT - the cafe started to turn away other customers who wanted to sit down, saying they were closing (by this point it was only around 10pm). The staff said we could finish up our drinks INSIDE because they were packing away the tables. Once inside and behind doors, we were hit with the extortionate bill. The girls coughed up 15,000F. I was protesting and told the staff that we weren't going to pay that amount. My mate said he didn't want things to get nasty and spoil our holiday and was escorted outside to the cash machine and drew out money to cover it (a bill of £150 in all).
Yes, yes, all very stupid in hindsight and all the signs were there. But it was done so skillfully and subtly that I can totally see how people fall for it if they aren't familiar with his scam. After all, we had an element of choice where we wanted to go, the girls were very normal, we had chatted to loads of tourists and randoms on our trip, we were sat outside a very normal-looking cafe, we stuck to beer, we were surrounded by quite a few people until they started closing.
Looking back, I actually feel sick at some of the clues that were there and some of the info the girls were trying to elicit. They were trying to find out many times where we were going out for drinks late in the evening. They were trying to get hotel names; possibly find out passwords by asking about films, music etc. The admission from one girl that her favourite film was Hostel and the other that her favourite was Taken really does add an almost comically macabre edge.
THE CAFE AT MAJOS UTCA 26A IS TO BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS.
Amendment to my comment above - it's actually HAJOS Utca, not Majos. Therefore,it's the Hajos Caffee.
D
I managed to evade this scam just last night. Had just walked passed the opera house on Andrassy ut, when 2 girls walked down the street at the side and on to Andrassy ut. A I passed them, they stopped and the blond one started chatting. She said they were looking for a bar they had been recommended and did i know where it was. It was apparently (behind the opera house). To be honest, this didnt arouse my suspicions immediately, as I kinda expected the scam to be 2 girls just trying to get you to come to a specific club which they didnt pretend not to know. It was only when I started thinking about the fact they had just come down from beside the opera house, that I started to suss it. We chatted a bit...where we were from etc, had a bit of a laugh, and they asked if I'd come to help them find the bar and come for a drink with them. I was on my way to another pub to watch the football anyway so just told them that was where I was going. Think they were surprised by my lack of interest in two young attractive girls, as they didnt really protest, so I just walked off!
WWWOOOWWW!!! I travel a lot(80+ countries) and have, sorry had, never been scammed. The two girls asked directions (Aussies aren't that awesome with directions in Hungary) but I told them where the cafe area was and they insisted income with. Went to Hajos as well and we ordered drinks and all was normal until the bull came. 150k HUF!!! Itheyninsisted they'd laynke back but having said they were from Romania I realised they couldn't afford 150EUR each for our drinks I said I'll pay mine and they can sort there share out. Got walked to the ATM and at that point I should have run but I've got a broken leg so it would have been a Benny Hill type chase so I didn't bother. They got 150EUR from me but itbwouldnhave been 3x worse if I had covered until they 'paid me back' !! THEY WEEENT EVEN ATTRACTIVE!! I wasn't intereted in them I was just trying to be nice. CUN75!!! It wasn't even too good to be true, I pull mingers like that for sport so wasn't desparate! If they were hotter IIf have been more suspicious. Anyway - 80+ countries without bejng scammed made me think that you win some and lose ONE is tolerable but fuck...
Just got ripped of on same scam at Majos/hajis cafe. Walking minding my own business totally sober when approached by 2 girls one blond other dark hair with glasses asking for directions and having provided them ask me if I wanted to ho for a drink. They had just arrived on holiday from Romania and dying for a yraditional drink - sounds like the same two next foor type girls modestly dressed snd very intelligent and chatty. Into bar and ask for same as them shot and small sparkling wine drink. Three rounds later barmaid shows bill and its 141,000!!!!
I then realise its a scam and am escorted to the atm to pay by bar staff - in the window is a menu in very small writing and reckon they change the menu when you ask to check. Shot is 10euro and small bottle is 30 euro/bottle!!
Stay well clear. I sm going to report it to my hotel in the morning. I sm a well travellelled and wordly wise person whi can usually spot a scam, these were abslute professionals. Dont make same mistake!!!
I fell part way for this scam last night. I can't remember the name of the street and didn't take notice of the name of the bar.
I was approached by two middle aged, average looking, blonde women in the street asking if I know a street or have a map. I showed my map and they said the place they want to go is too far away. We talked a bit and they wanted to know more about Australia and said lets just go in here for a beer.
We sat and they ordered some things and I was given a shot of wine and a small bottle of sparkling. The conversation was very pleasant and natural and I was having a genuinely good time. They ordered some more drinks for us all and I also ordered a beer. The whole time I was thinking though who is going to pay for these drinks they keep ordering. I was also thinking drinks are really cheap so far in Budapest, the bill can't be too bad.
They even got the gypsy host to play some music for us and dance with us. Their familiarity was sending up flags.
Then the bill came and it was 225 000 HUF. I said to the barwoman I only ordered 3 beers and was quite drunk and feeling generous and put in 20 000. Then the women said they had no cash or cards. It was then I fully saw the scam and told the women off and shamed them.
The barwoman escorted me to an ATM outside. We argued and I demanded to see a bill for the three beers I ordered but she said I had to pay all of it. So I just walked away and she stood there asking me to stop.
I'm glad I only got scammed out of 20k and sorry to read others paid a lot more. The truth is as tourists you should never give in to intimidation. Nobody is going to lay a hand on an international traveler because the embassies take it very seriously, even the local police know this (even if they are corrupt) so encourage the business owners to get the police involved because they know the scams.
This happened to me on Erzsebet Ter. Can't remember the name of the pub.. It was a basement bar. Two girls approach me and ask if I know a pub. I say no I'm from out of town. I think they asked in English right off the bat which should have been a dead giveaway, as they were Hungarian ("from a small town, we are in town for a conference to do with a cosmetics we are beauticians"). One was a blonde with a very washed out look. The other was a small brunette with large cleavage. We got chatting. They both seemed pretty bright, and spoke decent English. They suggested I go with them for a drink. I took the bait. We ended up in this empty basement bar with similar looking-women. They tried to get me to have a "Hungarian drink" and that's when alarm bells rang. I said no and insisted on a beer. They ordered three different drinks each, and the way the order was made in Hungarian, it should have taken longer to say. There were shots of a dark liquid, a small bottle of something fizzy, and tinned beer. I got my beer bottle. Luckily I'd read an article about this very scam shortly before coming to Budapest and it was fresh in my mind, else I'd probably have been suckered. I told the barmaid I wanted to pay for my beer and go. It came to 2000 forints for a small beer bottle. Extortionate for what it was but basically a London club beer price so no great harm done. I can only imagine what the damage would have been had I not been hip to the manoeuvre. One thing I not from the reports of others and which stood out to me is that the girls are very charming and clearly smart and are skilful in what they are doing, so travellers need to be vigilant.
Matei i was there the 13 jan -16 what u described happened to us aswell, 2 girls one blond and one dark hair who were from a small town and were in budapest for a conference some cosmetic company, we went down to this basement bar named PUB they ordered exacly what u describe lol, we ended up with a 180000 bill i got walked by this woman to the atm and paid and said good bye.
I been to almost all big citys in Europe and only place i been scamed is Budapest.
And what have all of the above victims done? Reported to a police or to an Embassy? Or nothing?
Everybody are getting scammed out of their pants and threatened to get killed, but these places continue to thrive, because nobody is doing much.
Each and every one of you should report it to the police. If you didn't get a receipt from the bar you got scammed, that's another crime from them. If the police is too corrupt do deal with these goons, then you go one step higher until the system starts to change.
We run with my partners several restaurants and pubs in Budapest, most of them in the middle of touristic areas. We are doing a decent business, respect all our customers, we have really good prices and the bill is allways ok. We also hate the scammers (there are only a few) also becouse they rouine the reputation of the majority, the many decent restaurants and pubs in Budapest.
So, Hungary is not scamland at all, there are lots of decent places, even in the most tourisctic areas, just do not follow girls who are approaching you...
I hope that scamms can be stopped completly by the authorities soon!
Holly cr...p! I just heard those stories and I didn't believe are true. But now I read those stories, wow! unbelievable. I'm living here for 9 years in Budapest and I like night life a lot and I never had any scam case. My advice just visit very known places, here there is a list: http://ruinpubs.com/index.php Budapest has very good prices and offers for drink and eat. In all those places listed in the link, the list prices are in a menu list printed and some of them even in their website and you will have exactly your invoice not a penny more.
Have fun :)
I disagree with the ppl saying that Hungarian ppl dont scam tourists.
The hotell warn you from taking ANY taxi from the street, as there are alot of Taxis out there that will cheat you. And you cant see on the cab if its a real one or a scamer.
But the reason I write here is that I also lost a little on this scam. it cost me 67.000 huf. Same as all the other, 2 girls, asking for a lighter, then after a little chatting they asked if I wanted to take a beer with them. And I fell for it. But when the sparkling wine came, I stood upp, asked for the tab and paid. (I agree that 67.000huf are a decent amout of money, but Ive heard of thees types of scams before. And when I realised Ive fallen for it, I knew that paying would be the only option any way.)
I will never again come to Budapest, and I will warn others from going there. Hopefully I can get a few ppl to rethink weather they should go to Budapest or not.
I was walking back to my hotel this afternoon when two blonde girls approached me to ask for directions. I'm Asian so I was really stumped when they chose me to ask for directions about a certain bar they were looking for. I mean, do you think the Asian guy would know where an obscure bar is in Budapest? They were really chatty and nice and asked me if I wanted to look for the bar together. It was just too weird so I told them I had other plans and left them. After 5 minutes of walking I was approached by two women again asking if I could recommend a nice bar in the area. Then it hit me. Could it be that in Budapest, pairs of girls are constantly looking for men to hang out with them in some bar they can't find? Either this city is unlike any other city in the world or something was definitely the fuck off. Unfortunately it's the latter. Stay sharp travelers!
These scammers are pretty pathetic, but hilarious. I'm a black guy from the US who travels extensively, and fortunately I read up on this crap before leaving for Budapest. Apparently my friends and I looked like easy targets because we were hit on by two "random" girls every time we made a move near Váci Uta. Sorry for all those who've fallen for this trick...the story is always the same--- two girls from some obscure place in Hungary who've just arrived in the big city and looking for a place to drink. Some of the girls are intelligent and rather attractive, then there are some who are noticeably older (40s+). It's a well choreographed play and the recent tourism is but an extra in the show. It's a real pity that the local authorities allow this type of stuff to continue in the tourist area. It really gives the area a seedy vibe. My recommendation is to go further east to the areas where regular Hungarians hang out and you won't have any troubles! Unfortunately, this scam makes me less trusting of anybody I meet in the city.
I got caught by two almost ugly face girls and they asked me to join them for a pub. One of them Claimed that she is a teacher in austrian boarder and they scammed me for f*** 45000 HUF. This country is bullshit and the police needs to do somehing to get budapest out of this shit..
It really disappoints me knowing this is happening to regular even savvy travellers. Shame on the authorities and scammers alike, it will be a matter of time people will get fed up and stop going to Budapest. There are much nicer countries around the world this is much less likely to happen. I think this ones off my list PERMANENTLY, plenty more fish in the sea. I'd rather spend my money in a country that supports tourism not extortion....
I got scammed by two pretty attractive girls. At least I got some drinks it was pretty much like a night at the stripe club. But this is an awful way to leave an impression for a tourist. I was thinking about coming to this country for a longer stay. Now, it is unlikely.
BTW, the name of the club/bar is Angelo's. Right next to Deak. Look out for two girls, one blonde and one dark hair from the countryside.
DANGER IN BUDAPEST: A TRUE STORY
I was in Budapest on the 14th and 15 th of June 2016. I was walking on the Vaci Utca street alone, the most popular street in Budapest. Then two ladies approached to me. One of them was older, the other was younger and pretty. We chatted a bit. They told me that they were from Croatia, they asked for map to find the pub they want to go. Then they asked what i was doing in Budapest and so on. After 5 minutes talking, they offered to go to pub together!
BE CAREFUL: The ladies are working as a couple and both are friendly and kind people so that one could accept their offer. They don't seem like bitches at first glance!
They brought me to a pub where only 2 desks inside and like a room at an area of 20m2. At first everything seemed normal. We drank 3 shots and 3 sparkling wine. The chat was nice. Then the ladies asked for the bill to go somewhere else to go on drinking. Also it was my fault not to ask the price list before sitting on the desk.But how can i guess what will happen?? The bill was unbelievable: 42500 HUF. Its approximately 156 USD!!!!
BE CAREFUL: The pub has no cash register!The barman writes the bill by his hands!!!
I told that its too much for the drinks. But the barman said that its normal! I told that I had no that amount of HUF! I could make the payment by credit card.
BE CAREFUL: The pub has no POS machine to make the payment!!
After that the barman took my credit card to take money from ATM. I told that its credit card and one couldn’t take money from ATM by that card! After all, i paid by USD on me.
Then, the older lady wanted to drink a bit more. I said "hey, i will not pay anymore, if you want to drink, you pay your own from now on!" then, the ladies became upset and wanted to leave from the pub! They said "goodbye" and left from the pub!
I was very unhappy because I was scammed by the ladies and being ripped off by the pub.I felt that it was a REAL TRAP played by these group.
3 days after that, on the 18th of June, I was in Budapest again walking on the Vaci Utca street. Then, the older one called me accidentally and that time she recognized me! There was another lady next to her this time! And my story starts again from that point!
I shouted at her:" Hey, again you, Don't do this in this area! You are fucking tourists! You are scamming tourists! You bitch!"
She got afraid and said:"No fuck!" Then she left from there quickly with the other lady. I followed them, they were looking back to me . I took photos of them. And then i was looking for a police to report the event. I found a police in that area and explained what happened. He listened to me and told me that he couldn’t leave his registered area and wanted me to go police station which is behind the Parliament Building.
I found the Police Station and explained everything what happened from the beginning and I told that: "These ladies are still in the Vaci Utca area and looking for another tourists as a victim. Please do something to prevent this trap and scam."
The policewoman listened to me and what did she say??? She said: " This is a very common event in Budapest. We receive a lot of complaints about these actions. But it's not a crime!"
I said: "Isn't it a crime to scam the tourists?"
BE CAREFUL: It's not called as a crime in Budapest.
She asked:" Do you have the bill?"
I said:" No, i don't have the bill but it was written by the barman by his hands and the pub has no cash register."
Then the policewoman wanted me to write a letter and send an e-mail to ministry of economy.
I said: " Is it all? Now, they may rip off someone else and you don't do anything! I have also taken their photos."
She didn't interested much more and gave me a paper written the address and e-mail of ministry of economy on.
It was an unforgetable bad experince for me in Budapest: There are women around looking for scamming tourists and police don't do anything to prevent these traps as it is not called as a crime!
Please be careful in Budapest. This trap can find you while you are walking in Budapest.
Take care and have a nice vacation,
Akin.
I fell for this scam yesterday with a mate and worse thing is we knew about them. 3 girls stating they r from another country and asking for directions. They then say they looking for a bar and that they noticed a small bar when they walking around and then inviting us to join them. We fell for it because they were average looking and just plain Jane's. They however ordered drinks by just saying wine. They knew the woman behind bar and we're actually working together and we started to notice this but after a round and half of drinks. We started to realise it was scam so saved ourselves money. We then led the girls outside and they tried to lead us away to another bar but we said we were goin to another bar and then to our room just to shake them. We then followed the girls to see where they would go and rightly they returned to the bar they had taken us to. The Bar is called Angelo's Coffee and Pub and funnily opens after 6 but you need to knock to get in as they have tight security. We came back the following day and confronted the woman behind the bar that I think she would not have slept easy that night, but they are well trained scammers and keep reasonably calm and tried to say she just worked there. I told her that she was supporting criminal activity and of someone told her to be a whore would she be one. She got the best barage I'd ever given anyone. They sold small champagne which sold on the supermarket for 3 dollars for fifty dollars. ANGELO'S COFFEE AND PUB is the name and is a small room set up like a home bar to scam people.Remember it. The Budapest authorities are a joke if they allow these places to stay open the tourist will not return and will tell their friends and this has a flow on effect. The government should threaten these companies with massive fines and if caught be closed down and receive jail terms.
Ditto on ANGELO'S COFFEE & PUB! Beware.
How these girls looking ? Does the blond have long or short hair and the other one too how does she look at least when im walking from there i should reconize them when they want to.do this to me
The same thing happened to me in Vaci utca!!! 2 girls approached to me and started to chat with me, after that they asked me to join them to a restaurant in vaci utca 11 we had like 6 drinks and the bill came out 300 euro!! 98000. The same for all and the guy escorted me to hotel to bring money. This is bullshit. I know the girls and i know what they are doing!!!!! Becareful everyone!!!!
Hi Phil + fellow travelers
I recently experienced such a scam <a href="http://www.richtrek.com/2016/08/avoid-scams-in-budapest-how-to.html"> Ugly Girl as Bait Counfounds Travel-Pro- How to Avoid Scams in Budapest</a>
here is the story and tips on how to avoid! Hope it helps!
Exactly the same thing happened to me today at Angelo's coffee and pub - 2 attractive girls + drinks. Got away with a damage of 20,000 HUF. I searched on the internet after ordering the first drink. This article saved me a lot of money today :)
This angelo's coffee and pub is a scam pub BEWARE!!! Blond girl name evelin will start to talk to you when you approche to the PUB and try to drag you in with her smille and flirting Skills beware !!!!!
Same thing on Oct 3, 2016, probably the same blonde and brunette, decent looking ladies pretending to be on vacation for 2 days. They were asking directions to the place next door then pointed to the coffee house and said, "oh there it is, come have a drink with us." I laughed and said, "goodnight." Rule of thumb, never go to a bar in a dark alley, never order anything without a menu, and if no one else is there, just get out. I didn't go down the alley. I ready about this scam before going out. It was funny that they came to me in my first 10 minutes on the town. I travel the world and the best rule is, if someone comes up to you in the street for any reason, there is usually a scam involved or they are selling shit you don't need. The lady in the Pizza place where I ate told me that there are scammers all over the place in that area. It was Angelo's coffee pub. The area is just creepy.
Oh man. Hahaha. This happened to me in Budapest in 1999. I was just reminscing with my fellow scamee and decided to google it. Glad they're still going strong (not). At the time I was horrified, I think it was about $500 (but I was only 20), now its a funny story, but it seems like the prices are climbing with the times.
I had some girls try to pull this scam on me once in Harajuku Japan, but it still took me by surprise tonight. Luckily i walked away with my wallet intact.
I was walking along Vaci (street?) When 2 women who were standing on the street started chatting to me. Both were blondes in their late 40s. One was ok looking and the other would have looked more at home in the front row of the wallabies. We had a bit of chit chat and then they asked if i knew where a good bar was. I said i didn't and that I'd only been in town 1 night. They then pointed to one behind me and said there's one. Lets go there. How convenient...They were very persuasive, but something didnt feel right. I said no thanks and walked away. Within the next 30 minutes i was approached by several other groups of girls.
I had a look on google maps and found the place they were trying to get me in into. Hopefully the link works, otherwise its around number 99. About 20m down vaci from Burger King. I think other people have mentioned the same place in this thread.
https://goo.gl/maps/DiK56xqhygk
Same scam happened to me and colleague last night....we were walking along and two normal looking women (Dark hair & Blonde hair) stopped us and asked if we could help them find a bar with GPS as they were in Budapest visiting a friend who was working...they came from the south and were on vacation for a few days....we walked we couldn't find the bar they wanted then they wanted to go into ANGELOS COFFEE And PUB... When we said no and tried to continue walking the dark haired one calling herself Evaline said she really needed the loo as they had been out walking all day and she rushed into ANGELOS feeling guilty we followed them in for "just one drink" They then kept ordering Sparkeling wine and shots... We ended up with a bill of €900 for 6 rounds of drinks...After being escorted to the ATM and realising it was a scam we told the girls we were on to them.....they pretended to be hurt and said that they didn't realise !!!! We also believe that the drinks were drugged as after leaving neither of us remember anything. I also managed to loose my mobile phone in the process.
BE WARNED : The Blonde and the Brunette from the country are still very much at work and ANGELOS bar Behind the Ritz Carlton is to be avoided at all costs.
I really hate this F**king country and City now !! And feel very stupid to have fallen for this....But they are very convincing.
Mb what happend to you yesterday is a scam from this 2 girls
This girl working there in angelos and they been liying to you
The blonde one her. Name is Evelin
The brunette is petra and have other one is caroline
Petra is a little black girl but i guess caroline testerday was with the blond one
All this information i know from a girl works inside her name is csenge one day i was getting a scam from them but she gave me my money back and told me about all this stuff
Somebody go and report these bitches
This evelin can offer you for a quick sex for 100€ if you want in the. Bathroom of the pub
Really excited to be going to the city in a couple of weeks - will make a beeline for the area and report back. Maybe even get one of mates to surreptitiously film them in action!
The Angelos scam continues! 27th November, same drill as mentioned, blonde about 30 called Evelyn, brunette, also 30 called rode?, both beauticians from near border with Austria but with strong Italian accents. After 3 rounds of drinks (shots, small sparkling wine) the bill arrives for 180000 huf. As this looked odd, especially as it was literally written 1,800,00 I asked what it was in euros to which barlady replied that it wasn't possible to convert! Got escorted to cash machine as only had 10000 huf (30 euros) but once there did the sum in my head again and realised it must be a scam. Insisted on going back to the bar to inspect price list but didn't have my glasses so couldn't read it anyway! Told them it was a scam, dropped my 10000 huf on the table, forcibly pushed the girls out the way and fled screaming "police"! Stopped running about 400 yards down the road when realised I wasn't being chased. Don't remember seeing any bouncers so maybe got lucky as a pleasant night out only cost me about 30 euros. Plus I left my hat there in the rush to escape.
Same happened to me yesterday in pub, i met two women and chatted a little, we came to the pub in vaci utca,they instantly dressed off and danced, ive been later escorted by bouncer to atm, this cost me around 800000 huf! Drinks were heavilly drugged since i dont remember anything as well as why i withdrew cash several times within hour. Police told me they can do nothing since i have no paper. Seems i am a recordman here.
Why you never took pics of these scammers and and put it in internet with a link where all we can see
Im going to budapest december 27 im sure I will met someone try to make a scam on me but i will take a picture of them and put them in internet so everybody can see even i can report it and she could go to jail im planning to use a hidden camera and maybe ill go and join them and film it all and put it in YouTube
It is surprising, that nobody do anything about it in the city. Day after my story i was approached again by another two women. I told them I know they wanna rob me, they where like what? But they certainly knew what, after that they disappeared. I thought it cannot be worse than in my country, but it is. This forum helps me feel better, that i am note alone and therefore totally stupid. Life goes on. Finally i am at home!
Well, thank you to everybody who has posted about this very obvious organised racket.
I run a company and was about to do tours into this city.
After reading these reviews and also doing further research I have decided against doing tours to this particular city.
Tourists should be able to tour freely without the worry of being conned by the local community.
Max
First of all i didnt know that she is such a girl like that
Second of all i still dont want her to go to jail cause even marriage is finish i still dont want the bad for her so all i said is take care in the street and dont get easy with going with them cause there is not cat fishing for free
My wife is a good girl but she met bad friends who changed her that way i feel sorry for her cause one day she will end up in Jail for commiting scam or frog or as u like to call it but i dont want to be the guy who threw her in jail after all i still care about her and dont want bad for her my problem that i am too good and dont want bad for people
But all i say to you tzke care of Angelo's coffee and pub thats all
And try to avoid the method when random girls stopp you innstreet. And ask about a lighter
Or a city map
Or she lost a friend and need help
When you listen to that be sure that's a Frog
Thats all i can help
very nice local place ! i recomande everybody for this place! local hungarien wine and shot and food!
Budapest was great. Just don't be an idiot. Bathhouse was wonderful, food was good, everyone was nice!
Really antonio you recommand everyone to that place? How much ur bill coasts! How convinient i'm sure you are someone who works there like the boy said about his wife or probably you are that bitch-wife using fake names to get good reputation for the place !! Fucking Scammers
Budapest is gr8 but people like your kind makes it bad
Guys - you'll find these sorts of scams in every major city in the world, your own included. Don't be vain: unless you're a damned good-looking guy, and I mean quite exceptional, girls will not simply go up to you and ask you straight away to take them to a bar or anywhere else for that matter. You have to make the effort, and even then, you need to be on your guard. If you're vain enough to think you're that gorgeous, you almost deserve to be scammed. Avoid Váci utca for bats - it's a notorious trap - stick to the Gozsdu Udvar, the ruin pubs, and the 9th district down from Kálvin tér, plus the bars and restaurants around Astória and opposite the main synagogue round the corner from there. You'll have a great time and it's very cheap by e.g. London standards. By the way, the same tricks are pulled on dopey looking foreigners shuffling around the streets of Soho in London, and let's not even start talking about Paris and Rome...
yesterday we went to bar with my friends it was good not bad !! we drink hungarien beer it was not so expensive! it was like 3euro actually we from north italy we have almost same price! so we had nice time there!
hey i have same problem i went to bar in vaci utca pub near to burger king ! twoo girls ask to me about lighter them like not from the city! so Budapest many place like that! even happend with me in America same sitoations!! dont go to the vaci utca !!!
Gusepphe
If you using a fake name you sould look after how it written! Because it really thy name is written Giuseppe!
This place shame everything is true! I had that kind of experience there.
Mauro, I look forward to the film! I hope you put youtube!
Same thing happened to me few days as described below in the Angelo's coffee & pub.
Two girls approached in the street. It was early in the evening, they were pretending to be from the countryside and after small talk asked to join for a drink.
Blonde girl and dark haired girl, late 20s. They were professional, not flirty or suspicious and I didn't suspect anything!
In the bar they started to drink like sailors and waitress was all the time asking for more rounds.
The waitress was very violent and threatening.
Less than hour and three rounds of drinks later the waitress presented a bill to me of 160.000 ft! It's like 540€!
BUT! I won the scam b*$tches since I started to complain and the waitress and the blonde girl took me to outside ATM to get some cash. I didn't want to use the machine.
I waited for the right moment. Then I started to run like hell and left them in the street yelling after me.I paid was 20.000 ft that I paid inside before going to ATM.
STAY AWAY!!!!
“Horrible scam! Stay away!! DON'T PAY IF YOU GET TRICKED!”
Now this page started to delete comment!
Why are you protecting them ! Let us take our revenge from them
Milton write me your email and im going to send you some pic of girl and you tell me if it is them cause i tooked them when they wsnted to scam me
Same happened with me yesterday with twoo dark haired girls! they are was friendly and pretty and after we went to bar together we drink 4 shot and 4 wine ! it was 400€ terrible price ! scam!
hey milton ! it's done check ur email !
I do not understand those people who unfortunately were so badly do not have to publicly unload images if any of the victims are on it! Everyone can fall mistake! But at least then the police show you the pictures that they know whom they have to close the police! I feel if these girls are so nice by anyone victims fall! Luckily repeatedly visited Budapest but I never interested in one company! However, this can not be left! I read this site a long time and I can see is his video is, it does not publish for the people! Someone just print closing such a bringing shame on location in this beautiful city!
Hello Mauro thanks alot your mail I have already answered !
Yesterday I also fell victim! A blonde and a black-haired girl stopped a large room and I did not think that this is a scam! The beverages 150000 HUF had to pay for and since I have my card only 120000 HUF was so glad that the remaining money these lovely girls I have been there myself ashamed! and then I found out today that this amount is very high and I began to start looking and I am very disappointed that even I felt bad when call shenanigans! caffe Angelos never go to this place if you do not want to pay a lot of money !!!
We were scammed at FOXTROTS, strip club.
6 mates had arrived at strip club and me and two others joined. Me and another lad asked to use the toilet but were told to sit down and order drinks first. He then came over and told us we had to spend a minimum of 20,000HUF (£60). The three of us said we didn't want to spend that and were told to leave.
Our mates inside, one of who had a dance, were frog marched to an ATM and told to pay 120,000HUF for the dance and the others 70,000HUF each for all their drinks including their and our (three lads that left) "entrance" fees.
4r$eh0le$
Ran into the blonde lady and her friend saying they were from Vienna and Croatia earlier this evening. They said they were looking for a place and asked if I would go with them...that they were going to have drinks with some friends and that I should join them. My first thought was, "why the hell would I want to go have drinks with either of you?" I told them no thanks and left. Something was off and learning of this crap makes me sick. The law enforcement authorities need to clean this crap up asap. I'm not kidding. Angelo's should be shut down immediately. It is not about whether this "happens all the time" or in whichever cities. It is about an organized swindling of innocent people visiting Budapest of their money...and that most certainly is a crime.
A few weeks ago my two friends and I got scammed very bad by Foxtrot Gentlemens club.
We've had an awesome night at a club and was about to go home when we all agreed upon that is was time to see some naked ladies. We approach a standard taxi and ask him to go to the nearest strip club.
We arrive outside Foxtrot Gentlemens Club with a sign that says 'free entry'. While my mates were paying the taxi I go and ask the lady that's standing outside if they have room for three guys when a man comes out and he's looking a bit upset/angry and he says something to me in Hungarian that I of course cannot understand. This got me to think about the situation a bit so I tell my friends that we should go somewhere else but then we are told by the lady outside that the first beer is free of charge so we go inside.
Inside we find a table to sit by and the barman shows us the menu for about 1 sec and afterwards brings us the ''free'' beer. Ladies were all over us and when the girls sitting next to me asked if I was going to offer her a drink I said maybe later but a bottle of sparkling wine was on the table in a matter of seconds.
I think we were in there for maybe 20 mins or so before I asked my friends if we should go home - they agreed so we asked for the bill which was 450,000 HUF for three beers and some wine that we never should've paid for..
One of my friends started discussing the bill with the barman who actually agreed that it was a scam. After maybe 30-40 mins of discussion the barman was about to lose his temper and we agreed with him that we give him all of our withdrawn money and they let us go. Afterwards we counted how much we might have given them - approx 100,000 HUF.
We all lost faith in Hungarian people from that time - such a shame but it's their own fault prior to the above stated comments about the police not doing anything to shut the places down.
We were yesterday in strip club called Venus. Girls were giving free entrance tickets on street. We went in and ordered beers, in menu perice was 1500HUF. Then girls strated to come closer and did some lapdance without ane questions. Suddenly they got vine bottles and started to drink that. In hour we got the chek and it was 107 000HUF each (4 guys). We said we don't pay that much (vine was priced 60000HUF, beer 4500€, lapdance that we even never ordered was 20000HUF and minimun charge 18000HUF and rest were supposed to be tip. We wanted to get cops and bar guy said ok but never called them. In the end after long discussion we needed to pay all together 100000HUF (more than 300€). I wanted to see the video recording they had and they were saying that video can proove we accepted prices. In video they have no sound so they canno't prove anything. Quality is also bad so you can't say did you approved vines, lapdance etc. Really shitty place and all scam! Never go there or you get trouble for having one beer.
Please avoid writing such a thing "Hungary is home to many sneaky scammers. ". No, it means Budapest and a few West-Hungarian cities, mostly around the Balaton lake. Why try you spending time e.g. in Miskolc, instead of seeing a typical European capital?! You can see a beautiful and cheap city in the foothill of the Bükk! Try it, you will love it!
Miskolc is the city, you are searching!
What could i say from a hungarian perspective? If it looks to good to be good then please use your common sense. Why on earth do you think some good girls would come to you for free?When they shit on you in your own country? A 40 year old average Joe with two 20 year old bombshells ? LOL..
Also you only mention hungarians, you dont see the reality or you brainwashed with liberal media, there are gypsy crimers in those clubs or bars, or lead by them.You dont need to be politically correct , you only calling out hungarians not the gypsies, if i would go to Sweden or France and would got robbed by muslims i wouldnt say that the Swedish and the French guys robbed me i would clearly say Arabians or muslims robbed me.Btw the same shit happened in Paris to us , overcharging bars with tough bouncers,and taxi drivers overcharged as well.
A few advice: nowhere on earth a nice looking girl will come to an average Joe, all of us wants love and beauty in our life but i never seen a good girl on the side of the average Joe, i believe it can boost your ego but NO please be suspicious, if you go to Thailand and you are over 40 and a nice looking girl come to you .... then seriously what do you think? Are you a supercharmed guy or you think this girl have daddy issues?No, they want your money, and you are a fool if you fall for it.
If you go to a bar , restaurant you should check the price list first of all, it is available in every bar and restaurant, if they dont want to give it to you before you order then you better to leave, you have nothing to do there.
If you go to some quality bars,restaurants , then you could meet with quality prices, i guess most of these stories didnt happen in quality places but scammers only. Btw some quality products could be very expensive in an any places, for example when i went to London to Fortnum and Mason shop i seen hungarian wines for Ł1300 a bottle, sorry guys this is not for us, this is the price of the quality, i seen Armand de Brignac champagne for $66.000.
The quality restaurants with michelin stars are expensive in hungary, the quality bars also expensive, the striptease bars will charge you expensive for a bottle of coca cola too you will not drink a coke for $2.
I also agree with that the police will not be really helpful , because they can do nothing with it, you are just one more customer scammed in this or that year , you are just a number from thousands victims noone ever will do anything. They cannot do anything coz of the european liberalism, you simply cannot do anything with those gypsy bar owners, YOU(the european union) did cut our balls off so the police not able to anything and not allowed to do anything or else the gypsy crimers will run to the ombudsman, or they run to the european court because the police discriminate them.Enjoy your liberal rules, this is the result.Most of these bars belongs to the gypsy mafia, or organized crime group.
Next time i will go to London then Stockholm , i will play the dumb tourist rule then i willl get robbed or scammed by blacks and muslims, then i will come to cry to some sites on the internet about how bad are the English and the Swedish people.
Guys please have your common sense anywhere on the earth, you are not that cute or handsome that a decent hungarian girl would fall love with you on sight. Ofc you have chances just because you are foreigner, and they think you have better quality of life. Good luck fellas.
I know that this article in hungarian, but I just want to inform all of you, that the hungarian police is working now! This is one of the place "Pub" what you reported!
The link is here:
http://www.police.hu/hirek-es-informaciok/legfrissebb-hireink/bunugyek/fogyasztas-utan-tulszamlazas-videoval-kepekkel#
This scamming has existed forever in Budapest and really tourists, especially male tourists should have realised by now that you have not suddenly become a magnet for attractive women for the first time in your life once you leave the airport. A bar with no price list, you are persuaded in by attractive women, big guys standing by the bar, cash machine outside, what do you think will happen? Seriously?
A more relevant question is why do these places stay open year after year when they are obviously criminal operations and bad for the city`s tourist operations? Why are the police uninterested?
Partly incompetence and laziness on part of the police but also there is high level corruption between the district authorities (in this case the district 5) and the various mafias (Hungarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Roma, Chinese) that control these places. As long as it is only drunk western guys (who are considered a bit of a nuisance anyway) being targeted and not families and as long as the local mafias keep buying the local government high enough bribes, it will continue. Sorry guys, maybe don`t get so drunk and start acting a bit more clued in.
I withdrew money from an ATM and there was a guy coming and asking me to help him change money. I did for him (I didn't know the new money), thinking I helped him but eventually the money turned out to be strange money that the bank didn't know what it was.
When I travel, I look up possible scam situations frequent at the destination BEFORE I travel there. Also, you don't know these people that come up to you, why would you accept their invitation in less than 5 minutes? That's suspicious n its own... Then, if you do accept, THEY should pay, or agree to pay the first round and that's it. Never open a tab, most -honest- pubs make you pay after each drink, that way you also see how much you pay each time. If you don't use the organ situated in your skull, you deserve to be scammed. This happens in every country, not just Hungary, so those of you who belittle it and claim to never return, and telling others not to come either, just research your own damn country and then tell me, that Hungary is the only place one gets scammed at!
Sure, you can't prepare for every situation, but it is your interest to research and travel responsibly, noone else's!
Share your experience, have caution, warn others, list the problematic places, there's no problem with that. But don't claim that Hungary as a country is dirty and don't lump others into the same category either! That's what makes me mad!
With that, stay safe, everyone! ;)
This happened to me this evening, by the Opera House returning to my flat. Two women, about 50 years old and blonde, the other brunette named "Elisabet" and "Andrea", one slightly attractive stopped me for directions to a specific bar. I offered some directions to bars nearby and they walked with me, chatting me up. I have never had women approach me in my life in such a manner, so I knew something was up. We 'magically' wound up exactly at the bar they were looking for, even though I had never intended to take them there. They requested I join them for a beer, so we entered. I excused myself to the restroom and promptly left. No harm, no foul--but evil nonetheless.
Just to add to my previous post, the place was Hajos Caffe... also listed in previous postings here. Be wary.
Must say I'm lucky, as an expat/resident I get approached by beautiful Hungarian women all the time, haven't been scammed yet (except maybe into a few relationships..). That said, I am well traveled and a hacker, so I have a keen eye for bullshit + I have local friends who helped to push me in the right direction and identify the best hangouts.
attenzione al pub chiamato ANGELO'S COFFEE & PUB è una truffa il tipo perfetto di truffa
After reading these comments and other websites, I have a very bad feeling about Budapest. It seems its a cesspit full of corruption and criminals. I need to do some good research to convince myself I still want to go. Maybe there are other cities in Hungary with beautiful architecture and culture, entertainment and food and drink. Cheers.
Listen guys. If a LOCAL person asks a TOURIST where something is, it sounds fishy from the start. If unknown females approach you for a drink, cigarette etc. and they suggest going out for a drink, they are either prostitutes or consumer girls (I would lock my daughters up in their rooms for years if they ever did so, such behaviour is absolutely inappropiate). And let's face it, very few people are irresistable at first sight, so if girls seem to be crazy about you in an instant, you should find it strange. Look, I'm not blaming the victims and I agree that the police should crack down on tourist traps but please don't let your egos ("ooh, these local girls love me because I'm the best guy in this hellhole") get in the way of your commonsense.
It's not only girls approaching guys, but also guys approaching girls. I just stepped out of Zara taking out my phone to look up the way to my restaurant, when a guy run after me. He started off with how I looked so different etc. tried to get some info from me, tried to make some conversation. Pretty fast he said that he was thirsty and knew a nice bar.
I told him that I had reservations and that he should look for a different girl. He tried to get my number, and when that didn't work he turned around without a word and run after the next girl.
He operated like the tea-house scamer in China... pretty sad.
Budapest police please do something about these dodgy bars! I just got scammed $195000 HUF. Same story. Escorted by an ugly girl. Free entry. Once inside no other patrons. Grab a drink and the two ugliest and oldest strippers came and sat next to me. Get them a drink each to be nice. Two threatening men come when you complain about the bill. Escort you to the ATM. How is stuff like this happening in this day and time? It makes no sense. Prior to this I loved Budapest and now I hate it. I’m so hurt and torn. This ruined my entire trip that I’ve planned for so long. It’s not fair that the Hungarian Police do nothing about this!!!!!!
You also need to be careful using dating apps and websites (such as Tinder, Seeking Arrangement etc) in eastern/central Europe. The scammers are now using these apps and sites to do the bar scam. If you use one of these apps or sites in eastern/central Europe you might get a contact from a profile with a photo of a pretty girl. (The photo is probably fake, e.g. a stolen photo of a model). The girl will chat with you for a little while on the site or app. They might claim to be interested in either a casual hookup or a long-term relationship. They will then meet up with you, maybe in a restaurant or cafe at first. Later they might try to take you 'shopping', getting you to buy expensive clothes or luxury items for them. Sooner or later on your 'date' they try to get you to go to a place where the 'bar scam' will be done to you. I almost got caught out by this scam on a recent visit to Kiev (fortunately I realised what was going on in time and walked away).
I have got caught in this scam also, but indeed the girl was from Tinder, but then she run the same routine as described many times (i.e. few shots of palinka + champaigne).
Probably, the best idea is to not visit Budapest again at all, as it indeed seems appaling as such scams are wide and popular despite tons of reports over the years...
Really interesting to read all this,
Actually, there are two sides of Budapest. The described girl scam happened to me too, but with a surprising twist. It was pretty long ago, I think 1997 or '98. I was in Budapest for a week leisure, and I think it happened also on Vaci utca. I had some iced wine in a street cafe, was already a bit tipsy and headed for a walk along the street,
As described two nice girls, fluent english, obviously educated, started to accompany me chatting. It was not at all annoying and I really enjoyed the company. Well, at first I am certainly not the George Clooney looking guy with the black credit card attracting beautiful girls like moths at a light bulb. Second, I had read the warnings about scams in Budapest in some trip advisor (Internet wasn't really there at that time).
So I just continued talking with them, and of course they started to try to cax me to some suspicious bar, but I was surely not falling for that. Moreover, not in the early afternoon.
Suddenly I noticed that they had disappeared from my side, i stopped and looked around.
Two policemen in civil clothes had literally picked them from my side, now interrogating them and checking their IDs.
So: not all of the police there is corrupt and does nothing about it.
Taxi: yes, do not take a parking taxi in the evening or night. It will not bankrupt you, but they surely will rip you off, Did it once recently this year, and a trip that normally costs 5 Euro was about 20. Too little to really fight about, but enough to be pissed off,
Restaurants: also this spring, I was with 2 colleagues there for business.
In the evening we looked for a place to eat. It was freezing cold, so we entered some door where they offered Italian food. Not what we wanted, but we were already too frozen to go further.
Well, it was not a scam or a trap, but it was highly overpriced for mediocre quality. About 9000 HUF for a meal and two beers for each of us.
This was also this area, around Ferenc tér.
Last year I had a exceptionally good dinner on a restaurant ship, just had to look the nam up, it was the SPOON.
Ok, it was expensive, but worth every Cent. Friendly, perfect service.
Ah, I forgot, somewhere along the Vaci utra, opposite of the Hilton Budapest city, the small Patkó Bandi Söröző és Étterem Resturant. Priceworthy food. Not a 3 star restaurant, but very ok.
I thought Palinka was a dessert!!! They got me last night!
Perhaps this will all change with Orban's proposed economic incentives for people who breed. Not the most auspicious reason to have a child, but it could be worse.
I've heard of "have four before forty and pay no tax for life!" Wow, that's LOVE!
We walked in the restaurant called Meat Boutique in Budapest due to the rain, the atmosphere & lighting were good, the waiters were friendly. 3 of us ordered a raw beef, a rib eye steak, a pork chop & 2 drinks, the waiter asked whether we will have some bread & potato paste. We accepted his suggestion & guested that they might be included or cheap in price. After a while, the food came & it shocked us that the raw beef was a cooked thin layer of 10 cm on a big plate! The rest of food were cooked in ordinary technique. After the meal we asked for the bill. It came & the total amount was scared us to death. It was Euro 95.xx, how come bread and potato were listed & price were more expensive than meat! The waiter even asked for additional tips. Be save not to argue at the moment, we paid Euro 100 & leave. During our 10 days stay in Eastern Europe, we experienced to eat in different restaurants in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest, the value of this meal should cost around 25-30 Euros in other place⋯⋯
Guys, I'm Hungarian and you just have to stick to the basic rules what you have to stick to all around Europe. Sorry but you have to be a usual victim to fall for scams and you will fall for them despite the authorities are seriously hunting for these places and closing them for one single issue.
First of all, a place has to display its prices openly. Most busy bars and music clubs, usually the crowded ones where people go, do not even have an option to not pay over the counter right away for what you drink. At these places you have to see some huge board behind the bartender with the prices on it. At calmer places, cafés, restaurants, they still have to display the prices. At a restaurant this usually happens right at the gate before you enter to let you check is this the kind of food and price range what you're looking for or not. But when you're in, they still have to start with bringing you a menu. Never order anything without knowing the price, right?
There are no hidden taxes like in the US or anything like that in Hungary (or actually whole Europe), so you pay exactly what was the displayed price. Plus tip but tip isn't mandatory, though a nice thing, indeed.
The check-tills are 24/7 online with NAV (the National Tax Office) and you have to get a proper bill. If it's hand-written or something like that, it isn't okay.
When something goes wrong despite all of these, just call the police. They will be on your side. I guess even mentioning that you are about to call the police will make them back of as it will mean the end of their whole business.
Another generic rule in the busy party districts that when you find a mostly empty place in the middle of crowded clubs and pubs, there must be something fishy about it. I don't say they are scammers but there must be some reason behind they aren't popular, right?
The girls. Well. If you aren't the most handsome man in the universe and attractive young women approaching you to take you to places, you can be pretty sure they are either hookers or scammers,
like anywhere in the world, right? Hungarian girls are basically prouder than that. They will smile at you if they fancy you or show some other sign but you will have to make the move. They won't just pick you up, that's your part in the game.
Taxis. The fees are even printed on the side of official, registered taxis because of tourists. An unofficial taxi is just a stranger's car, just like anywhere in the world, again.
I regularly go out with my friends abroad - so we do not look Hungarians - but nobody ever tried to scam us. Sure, I know it exists but with a bit of common sense you can avoid it. And if not, you can always turn to the police.
Hi G,
thank you for you comment. I am going there this late Oct. and after reading all those comment I was starting to get a bit afraid going there with my wife. We want to go out and maybe check out some clubs and nice restaurant. Do you have any suggestion ?
I had similar situation at last night.i met with two girls from tinder at andrasy utca aroun 11 pm.they were around 40 years old .they wanted to drink wine and they said that there is a wine bar very close to us so we went there .the bar was a bit small and it was almost empty.i thought that it was too late thats why it is empty.anyway i dont want to write down hole story ,we started to talk then i realized that they are ordering more and more drink.i asked the bill the lady on the bar write down the bill and finally i recieved 62000 frnt .it was too late to refusr i should have asked the price list but i didnt so i paid the amount.i asked to give me the invoice and they talked each other then they brought me the invoice.i am travelling to budapest more than ine year and this was the first time such thing happened.i will go to police today and i hope i can make something with the invoice.
This happend to me a couple days ago 03/17/2020, the only difference I met my 2 girls from tinder,
Okay so I arrived in Budapest for a week vacation this would make it my second time visiting, I figured since im alone I'd go on tinder to try and find some company maybe someone who can show me around this beautiful city, I got match with this blond who immediately message me, she said she was also visiting and was looking for a bar buddy and suggest we meet up, with the whole corona virus thing going on all locals were staying in so the streets were very empty I felt lonely, this was my chance finally someone in the same boat as me, I ask if she was alone she said she was with her cousin who was at their hotel and didn't feel like going out, she told me to meet her at the Opera House hotel I immediately put my shoes on and ran through the door, we met up she suggest we go to this bar I forgot the name but it was a basement bar I remember going down steps right off the street, we got inside immediately she ordered a round of some Hungarian traditional whiskey we had a few rounds 3 to be specific my 4th round was a drink of Hennessy and she had wine, I then told the waitress to bring the bill to my surprise it was $250 USD I yelled out 250 what the hell did we ordered!! her excuse was that I ordered Hennessy VS and Hennessey VS is a bit price, at that time I'm I was not aware of this scam and all I was thinking about is getting this girl to my airbnb so I can blow her back out thinking at least I'll get my money's worth I pay the bill and we left.
We got outside that bar I invited her to my airbnb she asked if her cousin could join us I said sure thinking to myself how how better can this night get, we made our way to my airbnb where I had a bottle of vodka so we continue drinking after that battle was done the girl cousin then went and got another bottle of vodka, we laugh talk and dance thinking the night couldn't have been any better.
At this point I had drank so much I felt like I was seeing 4 women, well at least I thought I was drunk for all I know my drink could have been spiked, she started kissing me we then got intimate while her cousin watched after a few failed attempts to have her join, her excuse was that she didn't feel comfortable getting intimate with her cousin involved at that time it made sense.
We carried on our intimacy for awhile moving from the living room to the bedroom, her cousin then decided she was ready to leave we said ok but I wasn't sure if she left immediately, we continued until we was finished, I fell to my face on the bed super tired as if I just ran the longest marathon of my life so drunk and possibly drugged before you know it I was knock out that was about 4:30am.
Next morning I woke up at around 9:45am she was gone I think to myself OH NO!! what have I done i immediately ran to my wallet which was in the living room right we are left it after taking out that condom only to find out that $700 was messing, and $100 left back as she felt bad, wow she's has a conscience, I grab my phone to give her a call her NUMBER WAS DELETED, I went to tinder her TINDER ACCOUNT WAS ALSO DELETED, NO WAY!!! I said to myself, she deleted pictures, conversations she deleted everything, everything was gone, it's like that never happened, then I remembered I gave her my pin # after I got tired of unlocking my phone for her to pick music
I was so shocked never thought this could have happen to me lesson learned never again, moral of the story never let your guard down no matter how nice people seems there's always people that's looking for an opportunity, stay safe my brother's.