1. The 'I know where you got them shoes' bet
A stranger on Bourbon Street or around Jackson Square offers a wager: 'I bet I can tell you where you got your shoes.' If you engage, the answer is 'on your feet, on [whatever street you're standing on]' — and because you 'accepted' the bet, he demands payment, sometimes with a friend appearing to back him up. It's the city's signature con, documented in local media and endlessly reported by visitors; the only winning move is not to play.
Warning signs
- Anyone asking about your shoes or offering a bet on the street
- The follow-up: 'and what street you got them on'
- A second person drifting over once you engage
- An outstretched hand and insistence that 'a bet is a bet'
How to avoid it
- Don't engage at all — a smile and 'no thanks' without breaking stride
- If addressed, answer 'on my feet' yourself and keep walking
- Don't stop walking; the hustle needs you stationary
- Step into a shop or bar if someone follows you
2. Three-card monte in the French Quarter
A dealer sets up on a cardboard box, shows a target card among three face-down cards, shuffles them and takes bets on finding it. The game is rigged: shills in the crowd 'win' to lure you in, sleight of hand ensures you lose, and the whole operation is illegal street gambling that can vanish in seconds when police approach. Visitors report being taken for quick losses before realizing the table was never winnable.
Warning signs
- A card table on the sidewalk with a small crowd already playing
- Onlookers who win easily and loudly
- Pressure to 'try one round' with a small bet
- The setup is portable and the dealer keeps scanning the street
How to avoid it
- Never put money on a street card game — it is rigged and illegal
- Don't even stop to watch; crowds around monte tables are pickpocket cover
- Keep walking if invited to 'win easy money'
- Report persistent setups to NOPD's 8th District (French Quarter)
Sources
3. The rap-for-tips and name-spelling hustles
A friendly local strikes up conversation, asks where you're from, then launches into an improvised rap about your name and hometown — finishing with a hand out for payment. A companion bet: 'Tell me your first name and I'll spell your last name' — the hustler then literally spells L-A-S-T N-A-M-E and demands the wagered $10. Both trades turn southern hospitality into a bill you never agreed to.
Warning signs
- An unsolicited 'welcome to New Orleans' that turns into a performance
- Any bet or wager proposed by a stranger
- A service you didn't ask for delivered before payment is mentioned
- Aggression or guilt-tripping when you decline to pay
How to avoid it
- Walk away the moment a conversation becomes a performance or a bet
- Don't give your name or hometown to street strangers
- If you enjoyed a street performance and want to tip, a dollar or two is plenty — you set the amount
- Stay in the well-trafficked parts of Bourbon, Royal and Decatur where hustlers move on faster
Sources
4. Airport 'helpers' and unlicensed ride offers at MSY
At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, unbadged individuals offer to 'help' with luggage or arrange transportation, steering arrivals into unlicensed — and possibly uninsured — vehicles or demanding tips for unsolicited bag handling. The airport itself warns that solicitation of ground transportation is illegal and tells passengers to accept help only from airport employees wearing MSY ID badges.
Warning signs
- Someone without an MSY badge offering transport or grabbing your bags
- Ride quotes given verbally inside the terminal
- No official taxi line, meter or app involved
- Pressure to skip the official ground-transportation area
How to avoid it
- Use the official taxi queue — airport to the CBD/French Quarter is a posted flat rate of roughly $36 for one or two passengers
- Order Uber/Lyft in the app and meet the driver at the designated zone
- Decline all bag 'assistance' from anyone without an airport ID badge
- Ask badged airport staff if you're unsure where to go
Sources
Practical safety briefing
- Airport arrival: At MSY, use only badged airport staff, the official taxi queue (flat rate of roughly $36 to the French Quarter/CBD for up to two passengers) or the app-based rideshare zone; the airport explicitly warns that in-terminal ride solicitation is illegal.
- Trusted transport: Uber/Lyft, licensed taxis, and the RTA streetcar lines from Canal Street (exact cash or the RTA GoMobile app). Pedicabs in the Quarter are licensed — agree the price before climbing in. The Quarter itself is best walked.
- Money & payments: Carry small bills for streetcars, tips and market stalls; French Quarter standalone ATMs levy surcharges, so use a bank ATM during the day. Cards are accepted at virtually all restaurants and bars.
Official travel advisories
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (official) — Official airport guidance: never accept transport or baggage help from anyone without an MSY ID badge; ground-transportation solicitation is illegal and solicitors may be unlicensed and uninsured.
- New Orleans & Company (official tourism board) — The official visitor site notes pedicab drivers are licensed — use licensed operators and agree fares in advance rather than accepting street offers.
Compiled from documented reports and government advisories. How we verify scams. Last verified July 2026.