Spainish expat warns 'walk away' from bizarre tourist scam - you can lose £20 on the spot
An expat living in Spain has urged tourists to keep an eye out for an unusual scam.
Some of the world's most popular tourist destinations attract millions of people year after year thanks to an array of fantastic sights, culture and attractions for global citizens to enjoy. However, often these thriving hotspots have attracted a dark practice, with opportunists targeting tourists in a bid to scam them out of money.
Tourist scams occur in busy destinations all around the world, but last year, data compiled by Quotezone.co.uk found that France and Spain were the two worst European nations for tourist scams.
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An American expat living in Spain has warned of one bizarre scam which could catch tourists out and see them losing as much as €20 (approximately £17 at the time of writing) on the spot.
Katie, who lives in Spain and works as a travel influencer, explained what she described as the "rosemary scam" which she said is one of her top "five popular tourist scams you need to be aware of if you are coming to Spain."
She explained that the rosemary scam in her city usually occurs outside of the cathedral.
"Basically these people will stand outside, usually its women, and they will come up to you as you are walking and they will put a rosemary palm in your hand," explained Katie.
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"They will start reading your fortune. They are going to keep talking to you and initially, you are going to think it's someone going up to you and being nice - no. At the end, they are going to haggle you to pay €5 or €20."
She added: "So if you see anyone holding a rosemary palm walk away - do not engage."
Travel expert James Smith from Learn Spanish with James, who spent many years living in Spain, explained the best ways to avoid tourist scams.
"The best way to not get sucked into street scams is to, in all honesty, be a little rude," said James. "If you ignore them long enough or say no very sternly, they won’t waste their time on you."
The expert added that these scammers will typically seek out people who seem "excited to be there and aren’t on high alert".
One of the best ways to ensure you are prepared for your trip is by doing some research into local customs. This way you can tell whether something is genuine or not.
"If you research the top scams in the country you will be visiting, then you will know what to look out for," said James.
"Researching things beforehand will also help you to feel less lost once you arrive at your destination. It helps you to blend in better to your surroundings and look less like a tourist.’
