Istanbul Travel Forum

I just got back from a great trip to Istanbul, I'll put together a report soon.
I need to pass along a recent scam that seems to be going around Istanbul.

There were 2 Dutch ladies in front of us in the line to the Harem who were turned away at the ticket booth because they had photocopied money.
The ladies showed us a 20 YTL and 50 YTL bill that they had gotten in change from a taxi driver the night before. Both were color copies of the same side (with the face)- one side looked good but the other side was copied a bit off center.
The quality looked great and I could see how in the evening they took it as real money.
We were next at the booth and the ticket guy told us he had been seeing a number of these fakes.
Beware.

Not just the notes, 1 Ytl coins also but the fakers will target the tourists as they are unsure of the money like anywhere else in the world. When you receive it, look at it carefully as you count it. It is a world problem, not just Istanbul.

Hi Tom,

Yes ypou are right, taxi drivers in old city do it not seldom. I am embarrassed to mention but it even happenned to me as a local. One night I received a 5 from a taxi driver I took from old city but I noticed that it was fake next morning, cause I was drunk that night :)

Good luck.
Alper