Scam in MoroccoTours and guides
False guides and shop detours in Morocco
How it works
An unsolicited guide offers sightseeing, accommodation help or a visit to a handicraft warehouse. The walk leads to shops or other businesses where you face sales pressure or requests for payment.
Warning signs
- Someone approaches you offering help you did not request.
- They keep walking beside you after you decline.
- The route leads into a shop.
How to avoid it
- Decline firmly and keep walking.
- Do not start a long conversation or argument.
- Ask a busy shopkeeper for directions.
- Arrange any guide and price before starting.
If it happens to you
End the walk. If followed, head into a busy shop, a tea shop or a taxi.
- Get to a safe, busy place. Do not chase a thief or physically resist a robbery.
- If you are hurt or suspect drugging, seek medical help immediately.
- Freeze missing cards and contact your card issuer about unauthorised payments. Lock a stolen phone remotely if possible.
- Save receipts, booking messages and payment records. Write down what happened, where and when.
- Report theft, threats or fraud to police. Ask for a report or reference number for your insurer.
- Contact your insurer, booking provider or embassy as needed. Use the evidence you saved when requesting help or a refund.
What travellers report
Posts about this scam on other sites, summarised in our words. Open one to read the original.
- TripadvisorFez ForumBeware of the tour guide scam! - Report. - Fez ForumA traveller reports that a guide spent much of the tour taking them to affiliated shops and a restaurant instead of explaining historical sights.Read on Tripadvisor
- Redditr/travel2024My experience going to Morocco as a first-time traveler: the good, the bad and the ugly.A tourist says their guide delivered the group to an argan-oil shop where staff were waiting with an overpriced sales pitch.Read on Reddit
- News2024Tourist claims to be blackmailed by fake guide in Fes Medina, police arrest suspectThe report describes police arresting a suspected fake guide after a foreign tourist alleged exploitation in the Fes medina.Read on News
Questions
What is the false guides and shop detours scam in Morocco?
An unsolicited guide offers sightseeing, accommodation help or a visit to a handicraft warehouse. The walk leads to shops or other businesses where you face sales pressure or requests for payment.
How can I spot it early?
Someone approaches you offering help you did not request. They keep walking beside you after you decline. The route leads into a shop.
How do I avoid false guides and shop detours in Morocco?
Decline firmly and keep walking. Do not start a long conversation or argument. Ask a busy shopkeeper for directions. Arrange any guide and price before starting.
What should I do if it happens to me?
End the walk. If followed, head into a busy shop, a tea shop or a taxi.
Where in Morocco does this happen?
Medinas, souqs and tourist areas; especially around Casablanca's Old Medina It has been reported in Fez, Marrakech, Casablanca.
How common is this scam in Morocco?
Very common. Morocco is generally safe, but tourists often face persistent touts, false guides and inflated prices. Marrakech needs extra care, while Fez has elaborate guide and tour scams; pickpocketing and taxi overcharging also occur in several cities.
Are there similar scams in Morocco?
Yes: friendly stranger on a train or bus, free tannery tour with a forced payment, expensive desert excursion that goes nowhere.
Who can I report it to?
Police: report theft, robbery, threats or fraud. Give the location, time and any receipts or messages. Ask for a report or reference number. Tourist police at Djemaa El-Fna, Marrakech: approach a patrol for help with harassment, intimidation or a disputed food-stall bill. Airport security at Marrakech-Menara Airport: ask for help if an airport ATM retains your card. Bank or card issuer: use its official app or verified contact number to freeze a card, report unauthorised payments or question undisclosed ATM fees. Accommodation, booking provider or tour business: report the problem through the official reception desk or booking channel. Provide the agreed price and evidence of what was delivered. Travel insurer: use the claims or assistance contact in your policy. Keep police reports, receipts and medical records. Your embassy or consulate: use its official contact details if your passport is stolen or you need consular help.
What number do I call in an emergency in Morocco?
Police — listed for Marrakech: 19, Ambulance / Fire — listed for Marrakech: 15.
Reviewed by @snuck