Spanish holiday hotspot plagued by 'dirty scam' as tourists 'lose thousands of pounds'

A Benidorm resident has issued a warning to potential holidaymakers, revealing the 'dirty' scams costing people thousands of pounds in the popular Spanish resort town

Tourists in Benidorm have lost thousands of pounds due to a high-tech scam doing the rounds.

Benidorm resident Lucy recently took to the Benidorm Stuff channel on YouTube to warn about some of the more prevalent scams and pickpocketing ruses in the Spanish holiday hotspot.

"A high concentration of people makes for lots of opportunities for pickpockets to do their thing unnoticed," she said. "Add alcohol into the mix, which is obviously prevalent in Benidorm, it brings people's guards down, ups vulnerability, and therefore these dirty pickpockets are in their element."

Lucy said mobile phone theft is the "most common" problem and suggested tourists swap their smartphones for older models when hitting the town. She also described specific scams she has observed, including one where an "email sent to the phone owner after it's been lost or stolen" purports to help locate the device, but instead grants thieves access to the phone and its contents. "I've heard of thousands being wiped out of bank accounts using this scam," she warned.

Lucy said the most prevalent method used by pickpockets to snatch phones is what she terms the "stealth method", where thieves slip their hands into your pockets in crowded areas such as "markets, shopping streets and bars". She also mentioned that sometimes these crooks will "use distraction" techniques, like those employed by the notorious "Pea Men" in Benidorm.

These scammers are infamous for drawing people into rigged pea-and-cup games, with onlookers who are actually part of the scam ready to pilfer your belongings while you're engrossed. They may even signal other thieves about the location of your valuables, Lucy noted.

Additionally, Lucy warned of an increasingly common ruse in Benidorm known as the "hugger mugger". These individuals pose as fellow tourists, engage in conversation, and might offer a "nice big friendly hug", only to help themselves to the contents of your pockets while embracing you. This tactic is especially rife in bars during football matches, where the thief feigns support and uses the excitement of a goal to commit theft.

Another scam to watch out for is the "lost tourist scam", where an individual will approach you with a map, asking for directions, and then use the map to cover and swipe your belongings while you're distracted. Alternatively, someone might stop you in the street, asking you to check directions on your phone, and then make a run for it with your device as soon as you've unlocked it.