New Orleans, Louisiana, is known for its intriguing architecture, great food, and exciting nightlife. But like in many other popular tourist destinations, NOLA isn’t immune to tourist scams.
While mostly harmless, these tourist scams might trick you out of your hard-earned money and leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. To avoid this from happening, check out some of the most common tourist scams you can expect to encounter in New Orleans.
Where You Got Your Shoes
This is probably the most popular scam in NOLA. A stranger will approach you and bet you he can tell you where you got your shoes. If you accept the game, they will tell you that “you got your shoes on your feet” and will demand you to pay up for losing the bet.
Name Game
Similar to the previous scam, this one will see a scammer playfully betting you $5 that he can guess how many letters are in your last name. Some tourists play along out of curiosity, but they will receive an answer that there are 12 letters in “your last name” and be asked to pay up the bet.
Haunted Places
You might be offered to take a tour of New Orleans’ haunted places. While the prospects of it might seem intriguing, it is nothing more than a classic scam. The tour guide will simply take you to some isolated part of the city, show you some abandoned buildings, and tell you some silly story.
Mardi Gras Tickets
Mardi Gras is arguably the biggest event in New Orleans. It includes a big parade through the city and lots of costumes, music, and dancing. Around the time of the event, which takes place 47 days before Easter, scammers will look to trick clueless tourists and sell them tickets for the parade. However, the main events and parades are always free to attend.