europeforvisitors.com

Stringman Street Scam I assume it's more-or-less a sort of social engineering, so could somebody provide a run-down on how this scam works? http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/articles/string-men-of-sacre-coeur.htm Essentially it's called "string-man". A guy approaches you, engages you in conversation, and while talking to you shakes your hand, tying a string-like bracelet around your wrist. This ended up happening to me while on holiday, and I ended up paying the guy an exorbitant amount of money for this crappy thing, despite being alert and aware of scams. I don't have "slow reflexes" either, as the article claims (nor am I a woman). Although the article also says that stringmen will "aggressively" demand payment, I found this guy very genial, he was warmy engaging from approaching me, talking to me, and eventually shaking my hand and tying this thing onto it. I'm still not sure why I just stood there and let him tie it on, and gave him the money for something I basically knew I didn't want. It was mystifying at the time and I'm still no clearer on what was going on. After talking to people I'm none the wiser, apparently stringmen just talk to you, then either make small talk and leave or make small talk and do the wrist-tying thing. Overall just seems bizarre. Ideas?