Strip Club in Krakow, Poland - AVOID AVOID AVOID - FINANCIAL SCAM

[Absolutman]

This is a typical EE scam. Have been to Krakow on and off for nearly 20 years but spotted these dodgy places quite easily. Locals look fabulous but free out of reach for me, over 50. Massage parlours are legit. But what you describe, I have seen in Riga. Being approached / accosted on the street at night by a pair of likely lasses, one posing as a local, the other her Russian friend, meaning a Russian speaking Latvian. ‘Would you like to have a drink with me and my friend, we know a nice bar near hear’. What they do not say is that their big friend will empty your pockets or March you to an ATM. Best bet in Krakow and other Polish cities is to stay in a high end hotel (Radisson, Marriott or similar) and either pay high prices or ask a taxi driver outside the hotel to take you to a burdel. The latter will involve a trip outside the centre from where you need to figure your own way back. Alternatively use the Roksa website and you will find plenty but recommended to have a local simcard and a few words of Polish.

[Bobbins1973]

Last time in krakow - some time ago mind, we got talking to young guy serving drinks and he told us to goto a club called pussycats so on stag night got a taxi to the place. Was a little bit outside city centre past a housing estate and pulled up at this place looked like that brothel on xxx film with guards and folk walking around with guard dogs
Ushered inside - I swear they looked like the had guns ffs and led into a converted house - got some beers 🍺 (straight from a kitchen sink) and the guy clapped his hands and 20+ women came out of what looked like a sauna. I was a lot younger and only clicked what sort of place it was but being a poor student only had petty cash on me so blagged that’s we were having a reccy for a huge stag party and would come back next night with lots of cash and extra friends
We were put in a taxi and sent back to city centre so no harm done and beer was just normal prices
2 other guys similar age had also been told to go there so don’t know if they stayed but place was pretty busy with the locals so obviously a knocking shop
Taxi took us to another place called club gold which had the most amazing girls but only had enough coin for 1 drink each and a dance for my mate who was the stag

Not been duped since and tend to find somewhere to go where the locals visit as to not get ripped off but imagine it’s easy done

[lpopo]

Update - after doing a chargeback with the bank....

I've got all £8000 back !!!

That is fucking brilliant news well done for keeping at it and following through.
This is one of the oldest scams in the game though and before travelling anywhere i always check for well known local scams and hustles.
I took 150 euros off the 'cup game' hustlers in paris last year which very nearly got my head kicked in and had a near miss with a taxi in prague because id read about the exact scam whilst i was on the plane there!
National geographic and other travel sites have sections for scams and tricks to avoid.
Again, made up you got the money back hope you enjoy spending it again!

[cotton]

Last time in krakow - some time ago mind, we got talking to young guy serving drinks and he told us to goto a club called pussycats so on stag night got a taxi to the place. Was a little bit outside city centre past a housing estate and pulled up at this place looked like that brothel on xxx film with guards and folk walking around with guard dogs
Ushered inside - I swear they looked like the had guns ffs and led into a converted house - got some beers 🍺 (straight from a kitchen sink) and the guy clapped his hands and 20+ women came out of what looked like a sauna. I was a lot younger and only clicked what sort of place it was but being a poor student only had petty cash on me so blagged that’s we were having a reccy for a huge stag party and would come back next night with lots of cash and extra friends
We were put in a taxi and sent back to city centre so no harm done and beer was just normal prices
2 other guys similar age had also been told to go there so don’t know if they stayed but place was pretty busy with the locals so obviously a knocking shop
Taxi took us to another place called club gold which had the most amazing girls but only had enough coin for 1 drink each and a dance for my mate who was the stag

Not been duped since and tend to find somewhere to go where the locals visit as to not get ripped off but imagine it’s easy done

So how were you duped exactly ?

Sounds like the guy serving drinks gave you a good lead to a knocking shop used by the locals and if the beer was normal prices the girls probably were aswell so dont quite see where the duping happened.  You just didnt have any money 

[bhudda]

So how were you duped exactly ?

Sounds like the guy serving drinks gave you a good lead to a knocking shop used by the locals and if the beer was normal prices the girls probably were aswell so dont quite see where the duping happened.  You just didnt have any money 

And if you have little money why spend most of it on trip to krakow then have nothing to spend when you get there? Makes more sense to stay at home and save the airfare

[Bobbins1973]

And if you have little money why spend most of it on trip to krakow then have nothing to spend when you get there? Makes more sense to stay at home and save the airfare

Stay trip - wasn’t exactly super but we only wanted to goto a strip club not a brothel
Taxi was expensive both ways and took most of the cash

[Golden Hind]

A friend was on a stag do in Krakow maybe 10 years ago and a couple of them found themselves off the beaten track drunk at night and a guy on the street convinced them to go to a bar he knew which was just a set up, nobody was in there they just locked the door and made them empty their pockets.

Never had anything similar but been worried about it happening at times when travelling and walking into random bars and clubs. I have another friend with a similar story in Buenos Aires a few years ago. I'm researching Instanbul at the moment and seems the same trap is popular there to lure you into a bar, bring over girls and drinks and hit you with a huge bill with threats of violence if you don't pay. The same in all major cities I imagine, just need to be switched on and some of it's luck.

[The_Don]

Update - after doing a chargeback with the bank....

I've got all £8000 back !!!

Good news and a story many could learn from.

These types of places offer very little value for money and will try and rip customers off.

I've been to a few strip club's, in the UK (every time I've been a guest of other people and the only reason I've gone) strip club over charge for drinks and other things on offer. Never taken a card into one as it's to risky, IMO. I only take ca$h in with me and that way, I can only spend what I have. To this day I've always come out with ca$h, much to the dismay, of that strip club or it dancers. I prefer to spend that ca$h on a punt.

I remembered being a guest and one of the party, left his card behind that bar to pay for drinks. Bottles of J/D £110 etc, not what I would do.

Places people are not sure about but have taken a cards into. Should really consider, using low limit credit or pre paid cards that are not linked to bank account (often don't have a name on it). Most banks these days issue debit cards with current accounts. No reason not to, have several that have a set amount of money in. Thus if a scam happens, its not a massive loss, if you can't get it back.