FRAUD "business" in Latvian night / striptease clubs

Be careful when visiting Riga's night clubs, specially striptease clubs, because the consuming business taking its new round.

As I've read in the local newspaper today, at the end of July, on Thursday 31th, there was a case when 3 workers of the local night club of Riga were arrested by police because of racketing German tourists. It is suspected this night club is located in the heart of Riga near "Galerija Centrs" supermarket, on Audeju street, most possibly it is called "Mary". Girls are standing right in the doors and if they see a person speaking non-local language, they are trying to get it in using all their powers.

Tourists have catch on it, they have visited this club and spent just a few minutes in there, however they were suggested to pay 150 Lats (about 215 Euros) just for their quick shot drinks. Tourists were negatively surprised, denied to pay and were slightly hit by club guards. After all they were conducted to the closest ATM, but denied to get their cash as well.

Right after the incident, tourists logically have went to police, the club was closed on this day, and there were no more comments from the club owners.

This case reminded me the story when a Norwegian tourist spent 11,000 Lats for champagne in a Riga striptease club. In 2008, Riga police has received about 35 complaints regarding similar cases. On the first place there was a bar called "Groks" which is hopefully totally closed now (19 complaints). Other complaints are related to the same clubs which "practice" this.

Whenever you become brave to visit Riga's striptease bar or club (I must say in advance local people will never go for it), you must know that the prices are very high in advance. The bottle of champagne may cost about a monthly Latvian salary, i.e. starting from 120 Lats, and this can't be called a fraud, because everybody is free to not choose it. But the girls which will consume you for it, are earning enough even without giving a sexual service, so you better don't even hope to let it to do anything else except drinking with you.

Avoid visiting clubs which already gained a bad reputation amongst tourists: Pink Panter, Mary, Mademoiselle, Nobu.

Here are some advices if you would still like to get in there:

1. Always ask for the official menu price list, mutually they can told you anything, and this can't be a proof if you go to the police later;

2. If you are not sure you are asked for a fake bill, don't pay it. Here in Latvia, we have a special law regulating relationships between the seller (service provider) and the buyer. Such cases may be always investigated by police;

3. Call the Latvian police, the numbers are 112 or 02. On their website you may find answers to some of your questions as well (but it won't work if you write about your case just in their guestbook);

4. Even if something bad happened, don't be emotional, try to calm down and don't show up anything on your face;

5. Additionally to the above said, there is another recommendation which you must always follow: do not pay with your credit card. Use ATM to get cash in advance. When they withdraw money from your credit card, you can't check it right away. You can be surprised later you have paid thousands for a bottle of wine. If they see you have a credit card, they can even mix up your drink with Сlophelinum or other "magical spirit".

And as always, if you are going for such adventures, be prepared to take all risk on yourself only! There are no honest brothels in this world, not just in Riga. In all other aspects, Riga will cheer you with quite nice people!

1000% right!!!!

In order to react to the ongoing bad publicity Riga nightlife is getting in international media, there is a "code of conduct" signed between major Riga nightlife clubs, restaurants, bars and casinos. The best customer is a returning customer.

VGKA members have signed to respect the following principles:

1. The same pricing policy is applied to all customers, regardless of their heritage or language spoken;

2. The menu is available at least in English, Latvian and Russian;

3. The staff is fluent at least in English, Latvian and Russian;

4. Credit cards are accepted as well as cash. When using a credit card as a matter of payment all actions are legitimate and the transaction is executed according to the bill;

5. The customer is made familiar with all costs of the service prior to receiving it. The pricing of the service is not hidden on purpose;

6. If a certain percentage is charged for the service, the amount is noted in the menu and is not hidden on purpose;

7. A drunken state of a customer is not abused;

8. All ingredients used for drinks and dishes have origin and quality approved by the state and municipal authorities;

9. Safety within the premises is guaranteed;

10. If the bill exceeds 250Ls the customer is informed prior to the order;

11. Staff training and service quality evaluation is executed on regular basis;

12. Information about dishonest employees is passed on to VGKA members on regular basis;

13. VGKA communicates both on informational level with embassies and municipal authorities as well as with the police on preventive level.

14. Customers are offered free information on entertainment in Riga - safe and approved places as well as possible risks.

Check the list of tourist-friendly places in this association under Tourist Friendly Riga website.

Comparing to other EU countries and cities, Riga deserves to be called a "safe place", really...

Hi,

i spend two years in Riga living and working and i never went in such kind of club. They are a lot of other nice clubs where you can have fun for normal prices. In such kind of place you don't get cheat.

I wouldn't pay with a credit card in a restaurant for sure (that applies to all countries). Going to a club in a foreign country if you don't know the local language could always be risky :

Hi,

i spend two years in Riga living and working and i never went in such kind of club. They are a lot of other nice clubs where you can have fun for normal prices. In such kind of place you don't get cheat.

just as the upward

everywhere is the same ....

Well if there are some other good clubs in riga what is the nome of them? will like to know because i am going to start working in latvia from 03-2010

There is a lot of things may change by this time... Better repeat your question in March then

pls be careful wıth your money IN LATVIA.Dont take too much money wıth you.dont count your money on the street. It ıs so dangerous ın LATVIA.

To Guest,

Who will count his money on the street any country? The rule you mentionned is common sense not specific to Riga!

Stop complaining about Riga! If some tourists would be more clever, they will not have problems!

I would agree... if you are stupid, it doesn't mean where you are - you'll get in troubles anyway.

Latvia is a peaceful country compared to most of the Europe BTW. Not so many people even in the Old Town, not saying about districts, specially these winter days...

Latvian girls are making fraud in US already

US charges 17 in South Beach alcohol scam

Apr 6, 3:51 PM EDT

MIAMI (AP) -- Seventeen people have been charged in an alleged scheme to defraud out-of-town visitors by using so-called "B-Girls" to lure them to shady South Beach private clubs where they are charged exorbitant prices for liquor, champagne and other alcoholic beverages, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

The "B-Girls" - short for "Bar Girls" - troll legitimate Miami Beach nightspots for businessmen and tourists who appear wealthy based on such accessories as expensive watches and nice shoes, according to an FBI affidavit. The women, most of them brought into the scheme from Eastern Europe and Russia, then invite the men to private clubs and begin pouring the booze, racking up huge charges on the victims' credit cards.

Sometimes the men are so drunk they don't realize what is happening and can't remember a thing the next morning, the FBI affidavit says.

"Some victims are so intoxicated by the drinks forced upon them by the B-Girls that they cannot stand and are not competent enough to sign credit card receipts," FBI agent Alexander V. Tiguy said in the affidavit. "Those victims are propped up by the B-Girls long enough to obtain signatures."

The clubs aren't open to the public and exist only for the fraud scheme, according to the FBI. Yet they have the requisite exotic-sounding South Beach names: Caviar Bar, Nowhere Bar, Steel Toast, Tangia Club to name a few.

Prosecutors say at least 88 victims have been identified with total losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sometimes if they refused to pay, the scam operators would call local police under a Florida law that requires bar and restaurant patrons to pay a disputed bill first and take it up later with the credit card company.

The operators also sometimes took pictures of the victims with bottles of alcohol to use as proof of the purchase, which sometimes ran $6,000 a pop or more, and one victim lost $43,000. The FBI affidavit says the "B-Girls" kept 20 percent of the business they brought in, with the owners getting 10 percent.

All 17 suspects, a mix of club operators and "B-Girls" mostly from Latvia and Estonia, face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence. The women and some of the operators made initial court appearances Wednesday, despite a delay caused by an unavailable Russian translator.

Court-appointed attorneys for the suspects, who made initial appearances before a judge shackled and wearing bland prison jumpsuits, declined comment. Some were being held without bail and others were trying to come up with bail money. One top manager of the alleged scheme was still at large and believed out of the country, prosecutors said.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said such scams can damage the reputation of South Florida's vital tourist industry.

"This scheme preyed on our tourists and gave our tourism industry a black eye," Ferrer said. "We are pleased to have put this ring out of operation."

By CURT ANDERSON
AP Legal Affairs Writer

The Associated Press