Travel & Nomad

Prague Scams 2026: 6 Tourist Scams to Avoid, from Exchange and ATM Tricks to Taxis

Prague's scams are mostly about money changing hands: the exchange board, the ATM screen that offers to 'convert' for you, the taxi meter. Six patterns, the Czech rules that protect you, and the October 2026 taxi fare-cap U-turn.

Quick answer: As of November 2026, the three Prague scams visitors meet most are exchange offices whose boards hide the rate you will actually get, ATMs that offer to convert your withdrawal into your home currency at their own rate, and taxis that overcharge, a risk that flared when Prague dropped its fare caps on 1 October 2026 before restoring them on 21 October. Choose CZK at every ATM and card screen, keep the exchange receipt (you can cancel within three hours), and take the official Uber Airport service or a ride-hailing app with a price shown upfront.

Key takeaways

Exchange offices cannot charge commission. Czech National Bank rules ban exchange fees, require a receipt and let you cancel within three hours, for up to the equivalent of €1,000.
At the ATM, decline the conversion. Choose to be charged in Czech koruna (CZK); the machine's own conversion adds a margin you can avoid.
Taxi caps are back. Prague scrapped metered-taxi maximums on 1 October 2026, then restored them on 21 October: CZK 42 per km and CZK 7 per minute of waiting.
Real Czech police never need to see your cash. GOV.UK: officers posing in plain clothes who ask to check your foreign currency are criminals.

You walk across Old Town Square, see an exchange board promising a great rate and 'zero commission', hand over €200 and get noticeably fewer koruna back than you expected. Then the ATM round the corner asks if you would like to be charged in your home currency, 'at a locked-in rate'. Prague is a safe city, but its classic scams are financial, and they rely on you not checking the numbers.

Checking the numbers takes a phone with data: a live CZK rate, the ride price in an app, the address of a bank ATM, the hotel's number. Fizen's Europe eSIM connects to Vodafone on 4G/5G in Czechia (Fizen catalogue, 2 November 2026) and installs before you fly. Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: in a new Fizen programme, US$10 of eSIM credit comes off automatically at checkout in the Fizen app, up to 30% of each plan, paid with USDT or card. Prefer the web? fizen.io/esim works too.

What are the most common scams in Prague right now?

1. The exchange-office rate trick

How it works: the board shows an attractive rate that applies only to large sums, or only in the other direction, and you find out at the window. The tell: 'no commission' in big letters and the real rate in small print. What to do: ask in writing how many koruna you will get before handing anything over, compare with a live rate on your phone, and insist on the receipt. Czech National Bank rules: exchange fees are banned (except for coins and cheques), the public board must show the least favourable rate, and you can cancel free of charge within three hours at the same office, for up to the equivalent of €1,000. Never change money with people in the street; GOV.UK warns the notes are often counterfeit.

2. The ATM that 'converts' for you

How it works: after your PIN, the screen offers to charge your card in euros, pounds or dollars 'with conversion'. That is dynamic currency conversion: the machine's operator sets the rate and margin. Fees often appear only on the final screen. The tell: wording like 'without conversion: no guarantee of exchange rate' designed to make the cheaper choice sound risky. What to do: pick CZK or 'without conversion', withdraw fewer, larger amounts, and prefer ATMs at bank branches. Forum regulars name independent machines, most often Euronet and Travelex-branded ones around the Old Town, as the ones to skip. The same rule applies at card terminals in shops and restaurants: pay in CZK.

3. Taxi overcharging

How it works: a car hailed in the street, or a driver approaching you with an 'Official Taxi' badge, runs a fast meter or names a price at the end. Prague removed metered-taxi caps on 1 October 2026 and restored them on 21 October after complaints: the maximum is again CZK 42 per km and CZK 7 per minute of waiting (Expats.cz). App rides sit outside those caps but show the price first. At the airport, Uber Airport is the official service with contractually agreed fare limits; the airport puts a typical ride to the centre at about CZK 800. What to do: book in an app or at the Uber Airport kiosk, ignore anyone touting inside the terminal, read the card terminal before you tap, and ask for a printed receipt. If the fare is clearly excessive, the airport advises not paying and calling the Municipal Police on 156. In May 2025 a tourist found CZK 202,202 taken by card for a short ride from Melantrichova Street; police traced the driver, who refunded it and called it a mistake.

4. Fake police who want to see your money

How it works: plain-clothes 'officers' ask to check your foreign currency and passport for counterfeits, then return the wallet lighter. The tell: any request to see your cash. GOV.UK: genuine Czech police do not have this right. What to do: do not show money, offer to walk to the nearest police station, or call 112.

5. The club bill and the lost consumption card

How it works: some clubs hand you a card that records your drinks; lose it and you pay a heavy penalty, and drinks can be spiked. What to do: GOV.UK warns about high consumption charges and drink spiking: check prices and the penalty before you go in, buy your own drinks and keep them in sight.

6. Pickpockets on trams, airport buses and the Castle route

How it works: crowds on the airport bus and metro, trams to Prague Castle and busy tourist areas are the stages GOV.UK names. What to do: bag in front, phone zipped. Report a theft in person within 24 hours for an insurance crime number; the police station at Jungmannovo náměstí 9 is open around the clock with English-speaking interpreters. Lampposts carry a six-digit code you can read to the police to give your location.

What do people who have been there say?

Use a bank ATM on arrival and take out koruna; search the map for a bank name rather than 'ATM', which mostly returns independent machines.
Pay in koruna, not euros: places that accept euros often do it at a poor rate.
Uber or Bolt works well in Prague and is often cheaper than a street taxi, with occasional surge pricing.
For a small starter amount, an exchange office is fine if you check what you will receive before paying.

How does staying online help you avoid scams in Prague?

An eSIM will not stop a bad exchange rate on its own. What data on landing gives you is the means to check before you agree:

Look up a live CZK rate and work out what an exchange office should give you.
Find the nearest bank-branch ATM on the map instead of the closest machine.
Book Uber Airport, Bolt or Liftago and see the fare before the ride, instead of hailing in the street.
Translate a bill line, call the hotel, and block a card in the bank app within minutes.
Skip open Wi-Fi in squares and cafés for banking, and never scan a QR code stuck on a pole to pay.

Fizen eSIM covers 150+ countries. In Czechia, the 33-country Europe plan connects to Vodafone on 4G and 5G (catalogue checked 2 November 2026), so one install covers Prague and the rest of your route. If a Fizen eSIM fails because of a fault on Fizen's side, the 1:1 Trip Guarantee gives a free replacement for the whole trip, handled by a real person in chat. It is data only: keep your home SIM on for bank codes.

Frequently asked questions

Is Prague safe for tourists?

Yes. Violent crime against visitors is rare. The risks are financial scams (exchange, ATM conversion, taxis) and pickpocketing in crowded tourist areas and on public transport.

What is the most common scam in Prague?

Money-changing tricks: exchange boards that hide the real rate and ATMs or card terminals that offer to convert into your home currency. Always choose CZK and keep the exchange receipt.

Should I avoid Euronet ATMs in Prague?

Many travellers do, preferring bank-branch ATMs. Whatever the machine, decline the conversion offer and choose to be charged in CZK, and check the fee shown before you confirm.

Can I cancel a bad currency exchange in Prague?

Yes. Under Czech National Bank rules you can cancel free of charge within three hours at the same office, for up to the equivalent of €1,000, if you have the receipt.

Are Prague taxis safe from scams in 2026?

Safer with an app or the official Uber Airport service, which show the price first. Metered taxi caps were restored on 21 October 2026 at CZK 42 per km. Ask for a printed receipt and call 156 if the fare is clearly excessive.

Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: US$10 of eSIM credit

Land in Prague already online: check the live koruna rate, find a bank ATM and book a ride with the price shown before you trust anyone. Fizen eSIM covers 150+ countries, with Vodafone 4G/5G in Czechia on the Europe plan. New Fizen programme: US$10 of eSIM credit comes off automatically at checkout in the Fizen app (up to 30% of each plan), pay with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain or by card via Stripe. Prefer the web? fizen.io/esim works too.

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Patterns, not accusations. Scams are described as patterns reported by authorities, press and travellers. Naming an ATM brand reflects traveller preferences about fees and conversion offers, not a finding of wrongdoing. Fares, rules and figures are as published on the dates given and can change.
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Sources

Checked 2 November 2026.

Prague Scams 2026: 6 Tourist Scams to Avoid, from Exchange and ATM Tricks to Taxis