Mexico City: What to Expect

SIHASO · FIFA World Cup 2026

Most people heading to Mexico City worry about muggings and violence. For tourists, though, that risk is rare. What you'll actually face is quieter and more predictable – you'll be robbed on the metro, in a crowd or on your way back from a bar, and you'll be picked out by how you look and how much attention you're paying. The good news is that this kind of risk can be read and avoided.

Pickpockets and phones

The most common risk of all. Pickpockets work the metro, crowds and nightlife, and a phone can vanish straight from your hand or off a table. Keep your phone and money out of sight, in a front or inside pocket, your backpack turned to the front and only the essentials on you. If you're robbed, don't chase the offender – block your phone and card and report the theft.

Getting around

You're most vulnerable on the move. Ride with Uber or DiDi, not a taxi hailed on the street – that's the most common start of trouble, express kidnapping included. Check the plate and the driver's name and sit in the back. On the metro watch for pickpockets, and on match day allow a big time buffer; plan your departure from the stadium in advance.

Express kidnapping

A short, violent detention in which the victim is forced to withdraw cash and is driven from ATM to ATM. The risk rises with street taxis and at night. Don't resist and cooperate – your life comes before money. A low daily card limit keeps any loss small.

ATMs and money

Two things can go wrong at the ATM: card cloning and a forced withdrawal. Withdraw inside banks, hotels and shopping malls, not from street ATMs, and keep a low daily limit; a separate travel card with a smaller balance is handy (you need a physical card to withdraw in Mexico). Turn on payment alerts in your banking app, pay by card and in pesos, and put the cash away while still inside.

Distraction tricks and scams

The pattern is always the same: one person draws your attention, another acts. A spill and “help”, a staged argument, a fake helper at a turnstile or a great exchange rate on the street. When someone suddenly occupies you, reach for your belongings first, not for whatever they're showing you. Exchange money only officially.

Police and fake police

A genuine fine in Mexico is never paid in cash on the street – a written ticket (infracción) is issued. A demand for cash on the spot is therefore a warning sign. Stay calm and polite, carry a copy of your passport instead of the original, and ask for the official ticket and to settle it at the station; when in doubt call 078 or 911.

Altitude

The city sits at 2,200 meters. The first days expect fatigue, headache and a stronger effect from alcohol – and above all dulled alertness, which makes you an easier target. Give yourself a few days to acclimatize, drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol after arrival, and don't tackle the altitude and finding your way around an unfamiliar city all at once.

Crowds and crushes

The worst crush isn't at the stadium, but on the metro and at large gatherings. In a dangerous crowd you can't breathe while standing, so it's crucial to spot the density building early: keep your hands at your chest, stay on your feet and move with the waves toward the edge. Leave with a margin, not in the biggest surge after the final whistle.

Demonstrations

Protests are frequent in the center and on main avenues and can block traffic from one day to the next. Don't walk into the march – go around it via a side street, stay at the edge and check the current situation before heading into the center.

Virtual kidnapping

A phone scam in which no one is actually held. The callers keep you on the line, make threats and pressure you to pay immediately – by transfer, with prepaid or gift-card codes, or by withdrawing cash from an ATM. In Mexico it also has a hotel version: they call your room directly and push you to move elsewhere – not for the money itself, but to cut you off from the people around you and from any chance to verify anything. Real kidnappers don't call ahead, so the call itself is proof of a scam. Slow down, verify from a second phone, pay nothing and hang up; agree a safe word with your family in advance.

Before you go

A few things are worth sorting out before you leave home:

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Prepared by SIHASO – security technologies. This material is informational and does not replace official sources or instructions from authorities on site.