Brit living in Benidorm issues warning to holidaymakers over 'scam'

Daily Mirror

a day ago

A 'scam' is rife on the streets of Benidorm according to a British man who has lived in the resort town for 13 years – and others have admitted to falling for it and ending up losing money
If you plan on travelling to Benidorm this summer, you may wish to heed the advice of a Brit living in the Spanish resort who has sounded the alarm over a new "scam" said to be sweeping the region. Frank moved to the Mediterranean coast 13 years ago, and as well as hosting parties as 'The Stag Man', he also offers advice to fellow Brits heading to the coastal city.
Taking to TikTok on Tuesday (June 10), he said fraudsters have a new trick that you "probably won't be aware of". In video recorded on the streets of Benidorm, Frank pointed out a number of people holding clipboards who are approaching passers-by. And after turning down the opportunity to fill out a "petition" himself, he explained: "As you've seen there, this is one of the scams that runs along the beachfront."
‌
But how does it work? Frank claimed that holidaymakers are asked to sign petitions, which once completed, they are pushed into making a donation.
‌
His partner interjected, stating: "They'll say it's for the blind or the disabled and that they are petitioning to get something sorted here in Spain."
However, she slammed: "It's full of a load of rubbish and illegal to do this here in Spain." Frank added: "They're illegal, scamming, and they will take your money. Some people even get their wallets out and give them a few quid."
Proving that some Brits are falling for the trick, one TikTok user responded: "My husband fell for this in Old Town. A guy claiming he was deaf, my husband being deaf, we didn't realise the scam till after."
A second praised: "Thank you for the heads up. We are coming next Monday. I got scammed with the potato game three years ago."
A third revealed: "I had this scam done to me and my partner luckily we had no cash on us."
‌
A fourth detailed: "I got caught in Old Town, he wanted €10 from me, when I said no he was so rude until my husband showed up."
Whilst a fifth TikTok user recalled: "I had the same guy do it at Placa del Castell last Wednesday. Told him no three times for him to go away. Felt bad for the ones who stop and listen to him that don't know any better."
In a separate clip last week, meanwhile, Frank pointed out another "big problem" with holidaymakers having their phones stolen. He explained: "Generally, what happens is, someone comes up to you and they'll say to you 'oh, I'm with some friends, and I'm lost, and I don't know where I'm going. Can you do a Google Map search for me?'
"What you do, because you're a nice person, is you whip your phone out, you get your Google Maps up, and as soon as you get your Google Maps up, they grab the phone and run off with it."
Benidorm sits in the middle of the Costa Blanca and according to an index from online holiday provider, Travel Republic, British tourists accounted for 45% of overnight stays in this city alone in 2024, totalling over 600,000 visitors.
The city boasts 32 British pubs, many of which stream live sports daily and are known for their very low beer prices.