Locals Pay $0.80. Tourists Pay $5. Why?

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]Scams and tricks differ from the small ones that can cost you just a couple cents to scams that can cost you all of your money. Today, we're going to show you the most common ones and give you tips on how to avoid them.

[00:00:20]Now, we said we're going to start low in terms of how much money you will lose, but I must say that this first example is a shocker. and we're just buying a water bottle. Now, if you go to the store behind me, tourist area, tourist only shop there, you will pay a price of €5.

[00:00:38]But if you go to a small local store that's literally around the corner, you'll pay 80 cents. Now, tourists don't know this. I just witnessed two Americans buying two of these bottles, paying 300 check crowns, which is more than 12, 10 times more expensive than a normal person in Prague would pay.

[00:01:01]I also promised you how to avoid such trick or such tourist trap. Well, do at least a little research so you know that the prices we saw in the store are outrageous.

[00:01:12]All of us have our smartphones that not only take beautiful pictures, but can also look up things. So, if you actually look up this store and you look at the ratings, that should be the first red flag. Also, you can just type in what's the average price for a bottle of water in this country. Boom. I don't even know what the editor is going to put there, but I bet you it's not 129. Let's move on.

[00:01:39]Okay, so we just lost €4 over buying a water bottle. I mean, next time we'll be careful. But what about losing €4 within split of a second? That can easily happen at an exchange office that has a bad rate, like the place behind me. For €100, a place around the city should give you around 24 crowns. I mean 2400 when it's €100, but the place behind me will give you 1,500. You're going to lose 900 crowns, which is almost €40 within split of a second. I know a lot of numbers, but just be careful. Lucky for you, these places are rare, but they are around the city center. More likely, you're going to come across exchange offices that have very good rates.

[00:02:23]Therefore, I hope you will not lose your money. In case you need a map, we do have a map of good places.

[00:02:31]Also, I'm sorry. No, forget everything I said. Just pay with your card. I mean, there is no need for cash whatsoever in this city. I've lived here my whole life. No cash needed.

[00:02:47]I've already said it a thousand times and I'll say it a thousand times more because there are thousands of these places where you can fall into the ATM trick. A couple of wrong clicks can cost you more than €100 on one withdrawal.

[00:03:02]And I'm not even kidding. If you're withdrawing a large amount, you accept the DCC and there is a fee, it will be more than 100 in general in fees for a withdrawal. So, be extremely careful.

[00:03:22]The following is a scam that we filmed about, and I thought that it's long gone and nobody practices this trick anymore.

[00:03:29]Well, boy, was I wrong. When I check the emails that people write to me, it's still living quite well all around Europe.

[00:03:38]>> Do you have some gold rings for sale?

[00:03:43]Hey, hey, hey, sweet. It involves a luxurious car, a man in a suit, and his story that he just ran out of gas as he's driving to Dubai because he's an important businessman on an important business trip. And he just needs €100 um you know to pump up because his carts were blocked. And if you give him €100, he'll give you this golden ring and his business card and he will help you in the future. And he will send you the money uh once he gets home. No money problem in money. No money.

[00:04:25]Police. Police. We are calling police.

[00:04:28]>> Yes, you guessed it. The story is made up. Uh, this guy is a professional scammer roaming Europe and trying it in various locations. How to avoid such scam? If he really is out of gas, you can point him to a gas station. There are many in Europe, usually in a walking distance. And if he's too far, you can bring him some gas. But that is not what he's after. Usually, if you offer him such help, he'll hit the gas and flee away.

[00:04:57]>> Call the cops. Come on. Why don't you call them?

[00:05:03]>> Also, the other way how to check if you're being scammed, pull out your phone and start filming. Usually the people will once again step on gas and flee away.

[00:05:16]>> For some reason the camera just scares people. I love it. I've experienced this myself a couple times here in Europe and Hanza experienced it in US. Uh so beware this happens everywhere.

[00:05:33]How much is your phone, your wallet, and the stuff you have in your backpack worth? Well, let's say €400. That's why in a crowded location, you put it up front, right? You see tourists all around the world because they beware of pickpockets. And the minute they sit down at a restaurant, oh wow, yeah, let me let me order some food. Yeah, I'll have I'll have this and that and yeah, I mean, my stuff is safe. I'm in a restaurant, right? Point here being is that people really worried on crowds, on crowded trams, and they hold on to their belongings, which is good. But keep in mind that most theft and pickpocketing happens when you leave your belongings somewhere where you believe they're safe. And that is usually a restaurant or a coffee place. Yoink.

[00:06:18]>> So yes, even if you're in a space where you feel safe, always hold on to your belongings. And as my dad taught me, front pocket is always much harder for a pig pocket. And last tip from the honest guide, don't carry cash around because usually that's something that cannot really be replaced.

[00:06:36]The following scam trap can catch you anywhere, even on your couch at home.

[00:06:43]And wait, I know this guy. Seems like a legit offer to invest into. No, do not fall for this because that can cost you hundreds of thousands. I mean, even I was personally involved in this. No, I don't mean that I lost money on an online scam, but they used me to scam other people. These online scams are literally everywhere that you are present. So, doesn't matter if you're watching a YouTube video. I mean, the ad next to me may be a scam. These tricks are always changing and the scammers are usually step ahead. So, there's no uh specific warning I can give you. But always remember, slow down, think twice, and if the offer sounds too good to be true, it is probably not true. Most recently, I've seen this video from Jim Browning where he's on a phone call with a person. And halfway through the video, I realized, oh, wow, it's an AI scam.

[00:07:38]Unbelievable. Even I believe, >> you know, is there not some way of telling whether you're real or not? Can you like hold up three fingers in front of your face or anything?

[00:07:48]>> Oh, come on. That's too much.

[00:07:50]>> Oh, you don't want to do that?

[00:07:52]>> Well, I'll do that here.

[00:07:54]>> In front of your face.

[00:07:56]>> What do you mean? I mean, that's too much. Come on, Ronnie.

[00:07:59]>> You know, if you were real, you would put up three fingers in front of your face. Yes, I thought so.

[00:08:04]>> And when these scammers get you, we're not talking 4 you're going to lose on a water bottle. We're talking all the money that you have in your accounts and even money you do not have. So be extra careful when it comes to this and educate not only your parents but friends around you that may be vulnerable to these things. So was this the top? I mean there's no bigger scams than this, right? There are.

[00:08:29]We started with tricks that can cost you a couple euros. Then we moved on to the thousands and thousands but we can still climb up. There are scams and tricks in this world that can not only cost you but the people you work for millions.

[00:08:47]We are inside a bank. A bank that we actually worked before on warning people to beware of scams where they can suck your account and get all your money.

[00:08:57]Well, they reached out to us and they said, "Look guys, I mean that is still an issue, but you know what's even bigger?" And we're talking billions of crowns being lost. It's when you make a mistake, not on your personal account, but where you work, the company you work for. Maybe you work at a school or an airport or wherever. You can make a mistake and suddenly it's not your money that's being lost. It's the company's money. And we're talking billions. I mean, there are cases where a charity organization lost millions of crowns just because an accountant made a mistake or was scammed. So keep that in mind because it takes a lot of effort to get your wallet in a crowd, but it just takes one mistake in terms of a click where you can lose your company a lot of money or even in a worst case a lot of valuable information. So ending here, I just wanted to illustrate where we were starting, you know, with a water bottle where you get tricked for a couple of euros, but you can make a wrong click and lose everything. So please beware.

[00:10:02]Uh, I'll be more than happy to hear your stories that you can share with us in the comments below. This was the honest guides. Uh, and I'll see you next week.

[00:10:11]Let me teach you a check word at the end, and that's how to say a billion.

[00:10:14]So, in Czech, that would be millarda.

[00:10:17]Millarda is a billion.