22-07-2025
Brits in Benidorm are warned to be on guard for heartless charity con as local reveals trick scammers use to strip tourists of their holiday money
British tourists flocking to Benidorm this summer are being urged to watch out for a growing scam on the town's beaches.
Fraudsters posing as charity workers reportedly try to distract and rob unsuspecting holidaymakers.
A British bar owner and travel agent who lives in the resort shared a viral video revealing how the scam works.
Frank 'The Stag Man', as he is known online, filmed a group of men roaming the beach with clipboards, claiming to be collecting signatures for a petition.
In the clip, which has been viewed over a million times, Frank says: 'They're jumping on everyone. Once they've done that, they'll be looking at what's in your wallet to rob you later.'
The men are said to often claim they are collecting for blind or disabled people or campaigning for local causes.
But according to Frank and his wife Jade, who also appear in the clip, it is nothing more than a con.
He adds: 'What you've just seen there is one of the scams that runs along the beach. It's kind of out of sight, out of mind.'
He continues: 'Once you sign it, then they start pushing you for a donation.'
Jade, who is said to be Benidorm's 'most legendary stripper', says: 'They'll say it's for the blind, it's for the disabled, for petitioning to get something sorted here in Spain – it's all a load of rubbish.'
Frank describes a cunning tactic the alleged criminals use to determine whether tourists have cash.
He says: 'Some people even get their wallets out and give them a few quid. Then they know you're carrying cash.'
He filmed several beachgoers being approached, including himself.
In the clip, he is seen brushing off one of the scammers who tells him it is for a petition.
The video has sparked a strong reaction online. One viewer wrote: 'Benidorm is getting bad now, that's my opinion.'
Another added that the same tactics are being used in Tenerife as well.
A third added: 'I had this scam done to me and my partner. Luckily, we had no cash on us.'
