I got scammed near the Central Market Hall. Watch out.

Today I was at the Central Market Hall in Budapest. The market was about to close. Just inside the entrance, on the left, there’s a small currency exchange booth. I planned to exchange my euros for Hungarian forints and take a quick tour. https://preview.redd.it/tyvbbkaptbbf1.png?width=1919&format=png&auto=webp&s=c71063f3b5fa2d67871a18c7e1d5c20683046fba As I entered and mentioned “change” to my family, a man nearby overheard and said in broken English, “The change office is over there.” Assuming he was being helpful, I asked him something, but he gestured that he didn’t understand and told me to go there and ask. I approached the booth, where an older man with a cigarette in hand was stepping out. He had locked up because it was closing time. He asked what I wanted. I said I wanted to exchange 60 euros. He asked if I had €100, and I said no. I assumed that either minimum amount for transactions is 100€ or he didn't want to re-open the booth for smaller amount. I said no, just 60. He took out his phone, typed something into a calculator app, and told me I’d get 24,000 HUF. I asked if I can exchange Turkish liras since it was not there in the rate board. He did another calculation and said “4,000 HUF comes from there.” Then he said, “I give you 30,000 HUF for both,” referring to my 60 euros and 500 Turkish lira (about 10.6 euros). It seemed a bit strange, but I’d seen small rounding differences before when paying with euros instead of forints at supermarkets. I thought that maybe he calculated it differently because of the different currencies. He handed me 30,000. I hadn’t even handed him my money yet. I asked him again to confirm how much I was getting. He repeated “Euros and Turkish lira.” I gave him the 60 euros and 500 lira. As I was leaving to go back to my family, he asked if I would come back again, because he was closing for the day. I said I wouldn't be coming back. I went over to my family, and when I tried to buy something and handed the salespwoman the money, I still hadn't realized anything. https://preview.redd.it/qvj14ehstbbf1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6c1ba82f80f644eb2b9786ef139b97b8f340fe6 The money he gave me was not Hungarian Forint. It was the old Venezuelan Bolívar Fuerte from 2017, a currency that is no longer in circulation and is completely worthless. I had effectively paid €71 for a stack of collectible paper. I ran back, but of course the man was gone. When I told people nearby, they said, “You should’ve done it inside the booth. These people operate like mafia.” I suspect the man who directed me earlier was in on it too. It's a very frustrating situation, and I realize how foolish I've been. The man’s behavior was strange. All my senses were telling me something was off. But when you don’t think about evil, it doesn’t come to mind. I thought he worked there, maybe even was an old cabin crew member or something official. Most likely, the booth had been closed for a long time and the man just acted as if he had just stepped out of the booth door. And the language barrier made it worse. His broken English and odd behavior caused a lot gaps in the communication and I filled them with good intentions and touristic shyness. His leaving behavior and closing market created a sense of urgency. Since I was converting a currency I had never encountered before, I didn't examine the money in my hand at all. I realize that this is very obvious when explained later and thought about in detail. But what's done is done. There doesn't seem to be much that can be done about it. I doubt anything would come of it even if I reported it. But maybe I’ll try anyway. I may go the same place next day, try to find the man and call the police. I don't know. Is there anything to be done? Just wanted to warn others. Don’t exchange money outside the official booths. Take your receipt. If you have a feeling that something is wrong, back off. There is an exchange office at the each corner anyway.