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Articles > Europe > Spain > Barcelona > Barcelona Scams and How to Avoid Them
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Barcelona Scams and How to Avoid Them
3 cups. This is usually up and down Las Ramblas (in front of Burger King and sometimes further down) and is actually run by Romanian mafias who work in groups. Stop and look 5 metres up and down to where the action is and they have look-outs who are watching out for the police. It's amazing the amount of tourists that still get scammed. The new one is that that they do actually let you win! It used to be that they would just double or quits, take usually 100 euros (2 x 50 notes) and then all disperse, but the new one is that they swap your notes for other currencies of a lower value. 50 soles from Peru is a very similar looking note/bill, and many have pocketed that thinking it's all gone their way. The council even hung banners to the lines of "it's a trick" on the lamp posts during a time, but it did not deter them.
Advice?! Don't get sucked in to the game! It looks sooo easy – wow that guy just got 100 euros back! But they prey on the gamblers. If you want to watch someone lose their money, look at a distance, cos it'll sure happen. But just don't get involved as they're really good at trying to convince you.
Ketchup squirters. This is apparently a common trick in many a tourist attraction and Barcelona is no different. It happened to my uncle when he visited me about 5 years ago. They were in Parc Guell. Scam consists of the greatest ally of the scamsters – distraction. What happened to my uncle was that the guys hid in the bushes and squirted ketchup/some liquid on their backs as they walked past. Seconds later they arrive with broken English "hello my friend..." and produce paper towels and a bottle of water to help "clean" your jacket/backpack/shirt. Oh, and then they point out that your wife/friend/son has also got the nasty stains, so you clean her while I do you, cos you can't see, it's on your back. This is such an out of the ordinary experience, you're too busy thinking "where on earth did that come from, what did we have for dinner, what a nice man for helping me out" and then your wallet's gone. And maybe the camera.
Advice?! Be very suspicious of any unsolicited help. If someone approaches you offering to clean or dust you down, or whatever, just keep your wits about you and politely decline. There is no danger with these people – it's usually always a crowded place and day-time, so don't panic – they just want easy pickings, not the difficult job.
Map readers. This was actually on the news last year, and is done in groups of usually 2 – often young girls. You need 2 hands to read the map, so one hand each per girl which APPEARS like it's just one of the girls. This leaves 2 hands below the map (good cover) to be able to rummage around in that backpack they saw you just put the camera back into after getting up from the terrace where you enjoyed the coffee or beer you just had!
Advice?! If you're in a particularly crowded part of the city (metro, main streets, bus stop, etc.) then keep your bag on the front of you. You may feel silly, and you may think you look silly, but check out the rest of the people – you won't be the only one.
Gypsy flower sellers. OK, I have no first hand experience with this one, but I've been told about it a few times and have read elsewhere. This is basically usually older women who want to sell you a rose or whatever. They are very annoying and insist and insit that sometimes you think it's just easier to buy the damn rose to get rid of them. When you get out the wallet to pay, they "help" you look for the right coins, and usually take a few more, or sometimes even notes. Now everyone thinks they'd be too smart to let this happen to them, but if you've ever seen a card trick and been wowed, then this is just as easy.
Advice?! Just say no. If you're sitting down at a café (no real escape) just say no a little louder, and then the attention brought to them usually alerts a waiter. If you're walking along, just smile politely and keep walking – if you don't pay them attention, then they'll look for an easier punter.
Flat tyre. OK, so this one is only if you have a car. Usually foreign plates or a hire can be spotted a mile off, so again it's easy pickings for these thieves. Most cars nowadays have central locking as well, which doesn't help. This scam usually happens just as you're entering Barcelona, but I've seen it happen right in the centre of the city too. You stop at a traffic light or zebra crossing and the person who crosses in front of you starts to gesticulate and talk rubbish pointing at the car. Ah, ok you get it, it's a flat tyre. No way! Open the door to crank your neck and they whip out the bag you left on the back seat. Or the phone you left on the dashboard. This often happens simply because people drive around with the doors open anyway – most new cars centrally lock the doors as soon as you drive away.
Advice?! Always drive with the doors locked from the inside. If there are only 1 or 2 of you in the car (in the front) don't leave anything on the back seat that might look valuable, if you have space in the trunk/boot. I know this is not always possible so the last piece of advice is don't open the door when someone suggests you have a flat. Just smile and say thanks, and drive away. If you really feel the need, stop at the nearest safe point (if possible where there are other people, like a garage, or a bus stop) and then get out and check. Even if it is a real flat, what's the worse that can happen? Remember you'd have stopped the car, so won't be going at any speed to do damage or skid off the road? You'd probably notice anyway.
There is a nastier version of this scam, but I haven't heard of this for a long time, so I think it's maybe not occurring anymore. This does involve a real flat – a stabbed tyre with a knife in a moment that you stop. Then later a motorbike pulls along side you, and points, etc. usually accompanied by another motorbike on the other side of the car, who is the grab man. I think cameras installed to aid traffic flow into the city helped eradicate this problem, but it may still be around in other cities. Same advice as above applies – wait for a safe place to stop and stop.
Barcelona dance. This usually always happens to men, and almost always when they've had a few beers – easy pickings for the pickpockets. This has changed a few times since I've been living in Barcelona – depending on who the star player was at the time (it was the Rivaldo dance when I first got here). This involves a man or men approaching you and asking if you like football. General answer is yes. Do you want to do the Barcelona/Ronaldinho dance? Before you have the chance to reply, they say, look, you put your leg here, and I put mine like this and blah blah. This is the scam, the sometimes just blatantly try and trip you up, some have some kind of rehearsed method of an actual dance, but all boil down to the same thing. The contact means you don't feel them rummaging through your (usually back) pockets.
Advice? NEVER leave your wallet in your back pocket – it's the easiest pocket to pick. This goes for all the time! Metro, walking around, supermarket, etc. even your own home town – get out of the habit! The best thing to do is just say "No" when they ask if you like football.
Advice?! Don't get sucked in to the game! It looks sooo easy – wow that guy just got 100 euros back! But they prey on the gamblers. If you want to watch someone lose their money, look at a distance, cos it'll sure happen. But just don't get involved as they're really good at trying to convince you.
Ketchup squirters. This is apparently a common trick in many a tourist attraction and Barcelona is no different. It happened to my uncle when he visited me about 5 years ago. They were in Parc Guell. Scam consists of the greatest ally of the scamsters – distraction. What happened to my uncle was that the guys hid in the bushes and squirted ketchup/some liquid on their backs as they walked past. Seconds later they arrive with broken English "hello my friend..." and produce paper towels and a bottle of water to help "clean" your jacket/backpack/shirt. Oh, and then they point out that your wife/friend/son has also got the nasty stains, so you clean her while I do you, cos you can't see, it's on your back. This is such an out of the ordinary experience, you're too busy thinking "where on earth did that come from, what did we have for dinner, what a nice man for helping me out" and then your wallet's gone. And maybe the camera.
Advice?! Be very suspicious of any unsolicited help. If someone approaches you offering to clean or dust you down, or whatever, just keep your wits about you and politely decline. There is no danger with these people – it's usually always a crowded place and day-time, so don't panic – they just want easy pickings, not the difficult job.
Map readers. This was actually on the news last year, and is done in groups of usually 2 – often young girls. You need 2 hands to read the map, so one hand each per girl which APPEARS like it's just one of the girls. This leaves 2 hands below the map (good cover) to be able to rummage around in that backpack they saw you just put the camera back into after getting up from the terrace where you enjoyed the coffee or beer you just had!
Advice?! If you're in a particularly crowded part of the city (metro, main streets, bus stop, etc.) then keep your bag on the front of you. You may feel silly, and you may think you look silly, but check out the rest of the people – you won't be the only one.
Gypsy flower sellers. OK, I have no first hand experience with this one, but I've been told about it a few times and have read elsewhere. This is basically usually older women who want to sell you a rose or whatever. They are very annoying and insist and insit that sometimes you think it's just easier to buy the damn rose to get rid of them. When you get out the wallet to pay, they "help" you look for the right coins, and usually take a few more, or sometimes even notes. Now everyone thinks they'd be too smart to let this happen to them, but if you've ever seen a card trick and been wowed, then this is just as easy.
Advice?! Just say no. If you're sitting down at a café (no real escape) just say no a little louder, and then the attention brought to them usually alerts a waiter. If you're walking along, just smile politely and keep walking – if you don't pay them attention, then they'll look for an easier punter.
Flat tyre. OK, so this one is only if you have a car. Usually foreign plates or a hire can be spotted a mile off, so again it's easy pickings for these thieves. Most cars nowadays have central locking as well, which doesn't help. This scam usually happens just as you're entering Barcelona, but I've seen it happen right in the centre of the city too. You stop at a traffic light or zebra crossing and the person who crosses in front of you starts to gesticulate and talk rubbish pointing at the car. Ah, ok you get it, it's a flat tyre. No way! Open the door to crank your neck and they whip out the bag you left on the back seat. Or the phone you left on the dashboard. This often happens simply because people drive around with the doors open anyway – most new cars centrally lock the doors as soon as you drive away.
Advice?! Always drive with the doors locked from the inside. If there are only 1 or 2 of you in the car (in the front) don't leave anything on the back seat that might look valuable, if you have space in the trunk/boot. I know this is not always possible so the last piece of advice is don't open the door when someone suggests you have a flat. Just smile and say thanks, and drive away. If you really feel the need, stop at the nearest safe point (if possible where there are other people, like a garage, or a bus stop) and then get out and check. Even if it is a real flat, what's the worse that can happen? Remember you'd have stopped the car, so won't be going at any speed to do damage or skid off the road? You'd probably notice anyway.
There is a nastier version of this scam, but I haven't heard of this for a long time, so I think it's maybe not occurring anymore. This does involve a real flat – a stabbed tyre with a knife in a moment that you stop. Then later a motorbike pulls along side you, and points, etc. usually accompanied by another motorbike on the other side of the car, who is the grab man. I think cameras installed to aid traffic flow into the city helped eradicate this problem, but it may still be around in other cities. Same advice as above applies – wait for a safe place to stop and stop.
Barcelona dance. This usually always happens to men, and almost always when they've had a few beers – easy pickings for the pickpockets. This has changed a few times since I've been living in Barcelona – depending on who the star player was at the time (it was the Rivaldo dance when I first got here). This involves a man or men approaching you and asking if you like football. General answer is yes. Do you want to do the Barcelona/Ronaldinho dance? Before you have the chance to reply, they say, look, you put your leg here, and I put mine like this and blah blah. This is the scam, the sometimes just blatantly try and trip you up, some have some kind of rehearsed method of an actual dance, but all boil down to the same thing. The contact means you don't feel them rummaging through your (usually back) pockets.
Advice? NEVER leave your wallet in your back pocket – it's the easiest pocket to pick. This goes for all the time! Metro, walking around, supermarket, etc. even your own home town – get out of the habit! The best thing to do is just say "No" when they ask if you like football.
About the Author
David Brydon is an Englishman living in Barcelona, Spain. He is married and has 2 children. He has been working in the vacation apartment rentals business for 7 years. See some great examples of apartments for rent in Barcelona at BCN Rentals.
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Word count: 1381
Character count: 7586
Article rating: none yet
Number of votes: 0
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