Unless you venture into the dangerous suburbs, Milan is a rather safe city. Certain areas near Loreto, Central station, and Porto di Mare Southern end of the yellow metro line can be unsafe in the night. At the station, do not seek help from any random person offering to help with the booking machines / ATMs or under any other pretext. After they have helped, they will pursue you to get as much money as possible for their "help". Or they can pretend to be helpful, cheating instead. A possible scenario: they guide you through the interface of the ticket machine in a metro station, and advice you to pay using notes instead of coins allegedly the ticket machine wouldn't accept coins. If you insert a 20 euro note, the machine would give it back after a few moments. However, before it happens, they will grab your attention saying that the ticket should appear in the bottom of the machine, and simultaneously an old beggar with body odor will appear begging for money. You wouldn't notice it but the beggar will collect the 20 euro note that the machine would give back to you. The "helper" would then show to you that the maximum amount of change given by the machine is less than 10 euros.
Beware of the migrant vendors in the streets: most of the merchandise they sell is imitation/fake luxury goods. Even at a fraction of the cost of the original merchandise, the quality is spotty, and the goods are not well maintained in storage.
They may also try giving you "free" friendship bracelets sometimes calling them 'a gift'. After you take the bracelet, a coloured piece of string, they will hit you up for money and relentlessly pursue you until they get as much as they can.
They will be forceful, physically tying the bracelet to your wrist, or laying it on your shoulder as you try and walk away. This is especially true in the tourist areas around the Duomo and Castello Sforzesco. They usually first ask "Where are you from?"
Just ignore them. In empty places, watch for strangers directly approaching you. Try to be with other people like in a bus station or a shopping mall.
Beware of people hanging around the square outside Duomo: they will walk up to you and forcefully give you corn on the hands to feed the pigeons on the pretense that they are free. All the pigeons in the surrounding area will then fly to you. The people will then relentlessly pursue you and ask you for money.
Stay away from the area around the central railway station at night.
Be careful crossing the street: drivers don't usually respect pedestrian crossings unless there is a red light for them to stop.
