Rose warned tourists to walk away and not pay scammers. Photo / TikTok
According to Rose, people put paintings down in busy streets. Then, when tourists distractedly step on them while looking at the surrounding architecture, the scammers demand they purchase them.
"No matter what, do not pay them. What they're doing is illegal," she added.
Instead, the influencer suggested you say you'll only pay with a police officer present. Often, this will prompt them to leave you alone.
The video has received more than 1.4 million views and resonated with many people who had experienced similar scams around Europe.
"This happened to me in June," one viewer commented.
"He started yelling at me and I was like 'dude if you don't want feet on your painting don't put it on the f**kin ground' and walked. I ain't paying for that mess."
Another said they didn't realise the paintings on the ground were a scam.
"I didn't realize it was for stepping on them, I just thought they tried to aggressively sell them lol," they wrote.
Others shared similar scams travellers should also watch out for.
"I once had one of the wee men with the flowers shove one in my hand on Rome and demand payment. Had to scream at him in my angry Scottish accent until he left me alone," one said.
"Or the bracelet one – I was like YOU JUST TOUCHED ME WITHOUT ASKING, GET AWAY FROM ME and then I walked away," another commented.
Helpful tips for avoiding scams
• Things are never free, so avoid anything that is being offered for free or as a gesture.
• Always keep a close eye on your bags and belongings, especially if something disruptive/distracting breaks out around you.
