NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

Tourists in Paris warned over scammers and thieves dubbed the 'hotel rats' who try to steal luggage

Daily Mail
11 Jul, 2018 03:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Tourists in Paris are being warned about scammers dubbed the 'hotel rats' who try to steal luggage and other valuables. Photo / 123RF

Tourists in Paris are being warned about scammers dubbed the 'hotel rats' who try to steal luggage and other valuables. Photo / 123RF

Tourists in Paris are being warned about scammers dubbed the 'hotel rats', who try to steal luggage and other valuables.

The French capital is gearing up for one of its busiest summer seasons in recent years, which is set to bring in an unprecedented amount of tourists, MailOnline Travel reports.

But police are warning that this will attract thieves and pick pockets to the city who prey on visitors both in the streets and even inside their hotels.

They are known as the "hotel rats" because they manage to make their way into some of the city's top hotels and blend in with tourists.

However, when nobody is looking, they then swipe luggage, bags and other valuables.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tony Mariet, the commissioner of the capital's anti-scam police unit, told Le Parisien newspaper: "Some of them mingle with groups of tourists and leave with their luggage and others book rooms in hotels under false names and tour the rooms looking for safes.

"We are dealing with international professional criminals.

"They work in teams. They carry out raids over a few months in Paris, before leaving for other foreign capitals like Rome."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Mariet says he and his team will be doing all they can to deter criminals who target the so-called "Golden Triangle" around the Champs Elysées and the surrounding upmarket shopping district.

Last week, it was revealed that an extra 5000 French police would be patrolling the streets of Paris this summer in a bid to protect tourists from pickpockets and scam artists.

City authorities admitted that keeping all tourists safe from being robbed or sold fake goods can be difficult.

The French capital is on course for one of the biggest influxes of visitors in recent years during the peak season to late September. Photo / 123RF
The French capital is on course for one of the biggest influxes of visitors in recent years during the peak season to late September. Photo / 123RF

And now they have deployed extra officers at seven different sites across Paris in a bid to crackdown on crime.

Discover more

Travel

Fiji: Four under 4

11 Jul 01:00 AM
Travel

What you can — and can't — pinch from your hotel

11 Jul 08:00 PM
Travel

Thai 'Wild Boars' cave rescue celebrated in cryptic cartoon

10 Jul 11:00 PM
Travel

Disneyland deserted as temperatures soar

11 Jul 04:24 AM

Places with the extra police presence will include the Louvre, Montmarte, the Champs-Elysées, the area around Trocadéro and the Eiffel tower, the Latin Quarter, Châtelet and Opéra.

Paris is one of the world's most popular cities for tourists and attracted 18 million visitors last year.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Travel

World

Qantas launches domestic sale with over 1m discounted seats

Travel

Skiing, scorpions, tantrums and family fun at Falls Creek 

Travel

The Bali resort worthy of its own passport stamp


Sponsored

Swap winter blues for that holiday feeling in Tropical North Queensland

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Woman says she was left with collapsing nostril after being 'upsold' unnecessary surgery
Healthcare

Woman says she was left with collapsing nostril after being 'upsold' unnecessary surgery

Chinese vessels collide while pursuing Philippine boat in South China Sea
World

Chinese vessels collide while pursuing Philippine boat in South China Sea

Beloved Play School star and jazz pioneer dies at 89
Entertainment

Beloved Play School star and jazz pioneer dies at 89

Female Auckland education worker charged with grooming, sexually abusing boys
New Zealand

Female Auckland education worker charged with grooming, sexually abusing boys

Heartbreak as woman found dead in apartment block
New Zealand

Heartbreak as woman found dead in apartment block

New poll: Luxon’s popularity drops to lowest in two years, Labour rises
Politics

New poll: Luxon’s popularity drops to lowest in two years, Labour rises



Latest from Travel

Qantas launches domestic sale with over 1m discounted seats
World

Qantas launches domestic sale with over 1m discounted seats

Fares start at $105, covering over 60 destinations, including new routes.

11 Aug 01:45 AM
Skiing, scorpions, tantrums and family fun at Falls Creek 
Travel

Skiing, scorpions, tantrums and family fun at Falls Creek 

10 Aug 02:29 AM
The Bali resort worthy of its own passport stamp
Travel

The Bali resort worthy of its own passport stamp

09 Aug 09:27 PM


Swap winter blues for that holiday feeling in Tropical North Queensland
Sponsored

Swap winter blues for that holiday feeling in Tropical North Queensland

06 Aug 12:00 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search