If you’re ever approached by a sketchy-looking guy trying to sell you hashish and wonder why the police don’t do anything about it, it’s not because we’re an extremely progressive country.
The “drugs” are actually pressed bay leaves, so, technically, since they’re not engaging in illegal activity, the police can’t arrest them. Most people who fall into this trap and buy the “hashish” most likely won’t go to the nearest police station to press charges.
Another famous scam were these groups of kids raising funds for charities, most of which were organizations no one had ever heard about. After these groups were outed by a reporter, I haven’t seen any more of these around. That doesn’t mean they won’t come back one day.
When the public television channel broadcasted the piece, these organizations simply disappeared into thin air. I don’t think most of those kids even knew they were working for an inexistent charity.
I was approached by them many times. Most of them would go away the minute I replied to them in Portuguese (they were instructed to target foreigners only). Those who still insisted on talking to me didn’t know the answer to basic questions like their official address if I wanted to volunteer directly with them. And when they called for a supervisor, the person in charge would usually tell them to let go and move on to another person).
I doubt this scam will come back, but others could. Try to understand if these charities are real, are only targeting large crowds of tourists, and asking for a specific amount in exchange for a gift.
Be aware of scams in Lisbon. The latest one is a bunch of kids dressed up as if they were part of a NGO asking tourists for donations to assist poor people. It’s all fake and it’s a big scam. Also be aware of pickpockets because they are very professional and they are pretty much everywhere in Lisbon. Hate to say this but unfortunately my city is no longer the nicest place to visit.
That one is the scam that comes and goes. They lay low for a while, then return. I haven’t spotted the fake NGO kids for a while. Maybe I haven’t been paying close attention! Thanks for the heads up Maria!
Thanks for sharing! These tips are super helpful and I will keep them in mind for my upcoming trip.
Thank you Daniella! I hope you have fun in Lisbon 🙂