Areas to avoid, Athens

Pickpockets in the public transportation.
Central Metro stations and bus-lines are infested by foreign pickpockets and they target mostly elder people and tourists. They operate usually in groups of 3-5 persons. At least one of them is robust and ready to "give a lesson" to the victim or to another passenger who might come to help the victim. The others create a local congestion, they encircle the victim, the push and everything to distract his attention, while the one, possibly a woman or a smallish man, niks the wallet.
You can possibly recognise them if you are ethno-savvy. They are mostly Albanians, Romanians (some of them gypsies), Bulgarians, Georgians. While waiting the train or the bus they stay separate, so don't expect to see a group of crooks. When the train/bus arrives they all come together to the same door, usually last, after the other passengers. They push and quite often the go again without entering the train.
Avoid bulky wallet. They detect it (or your mobile, camera etc) by touching you "accidentally" or watching you while you pay your ticket. Separate your money from passports and other valuable documents.

There are very often questions about Omonia square and the round area.

Many tourists think that this area is dangerous but I can tell here that it is not so dangerous as some people want to claim.
In the day time it is full of people and it is a very interesting spot where Greeks come to make their shopping. There are big malls, and many shops in the round area.

I just want to advice to avoid Omonia when you are alone and try not to be out of the hotel after midnight. If you are in a hotel it is quite safe and you don't have to worry.

If you happen to retrurn to your hotel in this area after midnight, just be alert and try to avoid staring at people. Walk with a fast pace and don't panic.

On April 5, 2011, my mother in a wheelchair had her purse stolen by a thief in mid 40s, dressed in suits and tie, right in front of 14 (yes, 14 and less than 30 meters away) Athens Municipal Police in black uniforms, white crash helmets and on enduro motos. This happened in pedestrian zone Aeropagitou at 2:30pm, between Makrigiani and Makri. This thief came out near the 1st restaurant on right side (coming from Acropolis Museum) introduced himself to be restaurant manager, inviting us to read menus and come in to eat. Policemen did absolutely nothing when we reported the theft. Ditto with a police van that showed up later. They only told us to go to Police station on Veikou to file a report. Clearly Athens Police know the heads of gangs operating in these areas. When I described the thief, I can see on Police's faces they know given this thief's age, he operates alone and passes himself as restaurant manager. We have traveled the world, defeated many thefts but this is our 1st encounter with this scheme. 2 Japanese tourists were subjects of theft in the same area around the same time (we met at Veikou). My mother losts 500 euros and her papers (ID, etc.). Few restaurants and even hotels in Athens and at islands (Santorini, etc) accept credit cards, they all want to be paid in cash. Tourists must exert extreme cautions and if possible avoid Acropolis/Aeropagitou as long as Athens Police chooses to do nothing with rampant crimes since 2009.

3 more images

There is this gang of hobos dressed in yellow everytime i went to omonia square!
the hobo started gabbing at me and saying im a putz!
i was likei dont even know u and he is like you are my girlfriend from last year!
and i am like i wasnt even here last year i was in canada enjoying my time!
and so if you are heading to omonia square just beeeeeeeeeeeeware!~~~
he is one freeeky man..........
IF u come back and the same thing happens to u.... then write on here and tell me all about it!
call me!

Around the entrance to Evangelismos metro station. If you walk alone, especially if your face is japanese because Asian tourists are considered SHY, soft, and WEAK to be BULLIED. This FAKE policeman will pretend first to greet you 'Hello', 'How are you', etc. and then when you're not interested and try to walk by he will approach you saying that he is a police and will ask you some questions. When you ask him to show you his badge he will not be ready to show it to you but rather only flash you a folded piece of unknown paper (no visible writing of ID at all), but he will insist to see your passport and ask how long have you been in Athens, etc. If you look weak enough or show something that is not sufficient with papers he would try to extort from you as much belongings of yours as he can by manners of bullying and terrorizing. See this man does not look typically greek (likely foreigners, too, with dark skin), he does not speak greek well and his accent is certainly sure NOT greek. Make sure you are not alone. Don't hesitate to yell out HELP if necessary (VOITHEIA in greek).

People no longer find this entertaining, with the HIV danger around.
In addition the town planning authorities have changed Athens quite drastically in the early eighties, from what it used to look like before.
Given the dangers with sex-tourism, for the reason explained, it is only a myth continuated for obviously political purposes.
The "kamaki tip" writer is -probably- a member of some hostile group.

When in Athens avoid going after 11:00 pm near Omonoia square. The square at that time is full of drug addicts , who may become aggresive. Also , i would advise you to stay away from Athinas Street at night (Athinas street connects Monastiraki with Omonoia) , as this is the street where prostitutes hang.

Your story of the lost tourist and the fake policemen is exactly what happened to my husband and I last Sunday, Nov. 18th 2007.
We were on Vouli Street walking toward the Electra Palace Hotel when a small man asked us for directions to the Acropolis. Out of nowhere, two "policemen" appeared, dressed in leather jackets and who flashed a badge.

The routine was the same. I handed them 1200 dollars and some euros. The big one handed me back my money, while keeping 9 one hundred dollar bills. I caught on to his scheme and grabbed him, while screaming "you are stealing my money, help, help." He dropped the money on the ground, saying "you dropped it, there it is".

The "lost tourist" stayed behind acting as though nothing happened.

I have been having nightmares ever since, wondering if they were really policemen.

I wonder why they didn't run off with my money. What scared them off? It was Sunday morning and there were no people around.