Residenza Il Barone in Tropea, Calabria, Italy. Watch out!
byDon’t be fooled into booking the “apartment.” Ahhh, Tropea! that’s what all the Italians said when they heard that beach town would be the…
Don’t be fooled into booking the “apartment.” Ahhh, Tropea! that’s what all the Italians said when they heard that beach town would be the…
Scooter scammers illustrated. This isn’t exactly new, but great to see scammers busted. Especially idiot scammers. Watch the setup, the hit, the fall, the…
My sister had the most terrifying experience in Nairobi a few weeks ago. “As you know,” she said to her jet-setting family members, “flying…
If you’re even a little interested in the explosion of gypsy beggars across Europe, and particularly in Sweden, you must see this documentary. It’s Bulgarian…
A year ago, psychic swindler Rose Marks was sentenced to more than ten years in federal prison for fleecing clients of her fortune-telling business…
Closing up our Stockholm house, I’ve been selling things on the local version of Craig’sList. Many items sell in the first day, even in…
Steal. Drink and snack from the hotel mini-bar, the unethical blogger advises in his unethical December 10, 2014 article. Go ahead and have a…
I recently wrote about beggars on the streets of Stockholm. I observed that an abundance of beggars are now stationed in the streets, and…
Beggars in Stockholm—everywhere! Just a few years ago, one never saw beggars in Stockholm. Today, one never sees Swedish beggars, but beggars from Romania…
They’s ony three kinda men I won’t play with: That’s a po’ man, a blind man, an a police-man! Rod the Hop, my Las…
Devil’s Breath drug, aka burundanga Hard to tell fact from fiction when researching “the world’s scariest drug” called Devil’s Breath, burundanga, and scopolamine. The…
The Pigeon Poop Pickpocket Ploy as perpetrated in Barcelona is devious. We discover the original Pigeon Poop Perp, who pretends to offer goodness. In…
I’m ready for lousy treatment from airlines. I expect it. Even from U.S. Airways, a member of the Star Alliance, of which I’m a…
The Pea Game Shills and Shells “It’s the talk that’s important,” Serge insisted, about the pea game. Each forceful word sent a curl of…
How the 3 shell game works. Video tape is a wonderful diagnostic tool when it comes to sleight of hand. In slow motion, we…
Pavement wagers. Copenhagen’s pedestrian shopping street is an ideal venue for the three-shell game, also called the pea game. Several competing crews set up…
On the set before filming this live segment for ABC News, Bob Arno stole a wallet from one of the camera operators. The producers…
Pickpockets prefer women! It’s not that we’re any less savvy. It’s the darn handbag. It’s simply easier for a pickpocket to slip his fingers…
Theft-proof vacation Just about now, millions of people are thinking about summer travel. For many, it will be foreign travel. Novice or expert, it…
NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. Leaving our hotel at 12:30 to meet Michele for our 1:30 appointment with Luciano, we pass by the…
All this talk of stolen credit cards and “skimming.” Then what? What happens after you’ve swiped your card through a tampered-with ATM, gas pump,…
Are you going to London for the Olympic games this summer? Are you going to Europe? Are you going anywhere? Bob Arno urges you…
An archeologist acquaintance just told me an outrageous story about corruption in Egypt. I had asked him what part of the world excites him—professionally—most….
Huffington Post picked up an interview of Bob Arno from over on JustLuxe.com a few days ago. Here’s a reprint of the question and…
A postcard from Naples! I recognized the image of the thirteenth century Castel Nuovo right away. It was an old postcard, but lots of…
“I, too, was a victim of Barcelona street scams…” said more than a hundred people. And they described their own thieves, con artists, fake…
Buy-a-Brick (continued from Part 3) (The making of ABC 20/20: Bait-and-Switch) The lawlessness of Naples stunned us all. Even Bob and I, who have…
Souvenir Sucker Our friend Russell, a magician, works a considerable amount of time each year in Asia. A streetwise New Yorker, he knows pretty…
Buy-a-Brick (continued from Part 1) Our first clear capture of the actual swap occurred on a sidewalk. The partners were running after their customer,…
Your greed + a deal too good to pass up = bait and switch: Buy-a-Brick “Pssssst. Come ’ere. A brand new video camera with…