These are all the worst case scenarios, if you apply common sense you should not have issues.
Pro tip: If you are traveling in any country and someone comes to you and asks for something most likely it is a scam.
These tips apply to big cities and especially Bucharest. And you just need to be aware of them for other large cities. The further away you go from the capital usually the safer it is.
When using a bank machine never get distracted by anything around you, take your money out, card back in and then react. It could be a distraction. This applies to every country you go to.
The parking scam
This one is common in Bucharest and is complicated to avoid. You park your car someone shows up and asks you for money, they are not dressed up in an uniform and they do not have ID. You refuse to pay that person and you might risk getting your car scratched with a key.
What you could do as a tourist is download the app Am Parcat and tell the person that you do not have cash and will pay online. The person will try and trick you, you just have to pretend that you do not understand. It is important to play dumb in order to sell it properly.
Buying perfume (or any expensive product)
Random sellers offering you original brands for insanely cheap prices. If a product is too good to be true, it rarely is. Maybe it will have a receipt, or it will look exactly the same, or the box will be sealed the way it is supposed to be. Don’t trust a random person showing up to you and offering you the deal of your life.
Oh, I am a student and just lost my money and need some help (variations)
A random person shows up and tells you a sad story and they just need your help. There is a movie Philanthropy (Filantropica 2002) with a memorable quote: “An open hand that doesn’t tell a story doesn’t get the offering”. It is easy to say no, and if you really think it helps out you can give some spare change. But the next one is worse.
The pushy stalker
This is the type of individual that makes you feel unsafe or makes you feel so awkward that you feel that you must give money. This is the person who makes you feel like your only solution is to give your hard-earned cash just to get rid of him. These individuals are the worst and should involve the police in one way or another.
Pro tip: get 5 lei, drop it on the ground and leave towards places with more people, or go in the first bar you can find and ask the bartender for help if the person follows you.
Avoid: Euronet Bank Machines
Just google “Euroent ATM “- the first thing to pop up is: “The ATMs look like regular bank ATMs but charge high fees (up to 13 Euros) and offer terrible conversion rates (you get up to 20% less than withdrawing at a legitimate bank)”.
You can read more about it here. Use instead any ATM attached to a bank, some examples are Reiffeisen, CEC Bank, First Bank, Banca Transilvania, BRD (Societe Generale) and BCR.
Taxi is one of the oldest scams, especially for tourists
Since Dracula was a little baby he remembers how taxi drivers would charge extra. Airports or touristy places are risky for those who don’t speak the language or have an accent. This rule applies to Bucharest especially. We wrote an article on the topic:
Follow this advice and you shall be safe. How safe is Romania?
Dracula's Guide to Romania 
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