Showing posts with label Barcelona scams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barcelona scams. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Secrets of the Pickpockets - Barcelona Version

I've been looking for this for a while. UK TV station Channel 4 has been running a series about the secrets of pickpockets, with some fascinating insights into the differences in the law in the UK and Spain (although this is not the intention of the show, clearly). I watched one episode where 3 Bulgarian men were jailed, yes JAILED,  for ATTEMPTING to steal a wallet from a man during the run up to the London Olympic games last year.

Contrast that against the incredible, unbelievable, ridiculous (I'm running out of superlatives) law in Spain which states very clearly that if a thief steals LESS THAN 400 EUROS,  it is not considered a crime. It's no other wonder that organised gangs from the East are having a field day in the Catalan Capital. I remember watching on the news not long ago that a judge in Madrid had to revoke a ban of the Bosnian Clan of girls in the Madrid metro, and allow them back in. These girls have over 300 arrests between them over TEN years of robbing on the metro. So, what did they do on the weekend they weren't allowed in Madrid? Came to Barcelona of course.

Anyway, for me there's nothing new in the programme, but I still wanted to share it, and had been trying to find a reliable source - youtube doesn't have it. So here's a link to Channel 4 site (UK only). Let me know if it works ok in the comments, and any thoughts you have.

Fancy a trip tyo Barcelona soon ? It's not that bad, honest?! Check out BCN Rentals for an apartment rental instead of a stuffy hotel.

Friday, September 16, 2011

When Will It Change?!

A fairly small news short this morning caught my attention, re-affirming the incredible stupidity of the laws regarding petty crime here. I know I've complained about this in the past so forgive me for going over old ground, but it really annoys me.

The news story reports nothing new - that one of the hot spots for pickpockets in the city is around the Magic Fountains of Montjuic. I've blogged before about my aunt being robbed on the metro just after going to the fountains. This morning's news bulletin details an operation by the Mossos to round up some of the theives targeting tourists while they watch the show. Funny that they've waited until a Thursday evening in September to try this rather than the height of summer when you generally have busloads ( or coach loads literally) of tourists happily distracted by the jets and flumes of the fountain.

So undercover agents are deployed amongst the public to catch the scumbags en fraganti and inevitably find a fair few. These are then taken to a less crowded place, searched and if anything stolen has been found, then rounded up in yet another more secluded location until the fountains have finished. In this particular evening, FIFTY ONE  people were detained - mostly Eastern Europeans including women (quel surprise) - and (here's the best bit) of those 51 people detained, the police arrested ONE person. For drug trafficking. Yes, that's right. And what happened to the other 50 ? Well, they were let on their merry way, of course, once the fountains had finished. This is Spain, you fools!

Yes, unless any thief is caught red-handed (like these were) with MORE THAN 400 EUROS ON THEM, then they are simply given a stern talking to by the police. It's no wonder they laugh in their faces. Of course, they'll be back tomorrow night and will likely recognise the undercover cops now, so it's just become even easier! I mean, who carries 400 Euros around with them?! And even if it's accumulative over various robberies, I've seen footage of thieves immediately dropping any booty in plant pots and the like, for another person to come along and collect, ensuring they never have anything on them other than loose change.

It's the system that's to blame, and what gets Barcelona such a terrible reputation online - something that I think is greatly over exaggerated. There are even metro vigilantes taking things into their own hands (hat tip to robbed in barcelona for that one), however, until there's a radical shake-up in the laws, it's just going to keep happening. Don't worry, this is not me gettng political on the blog or wanting to start petitions and the like cos I don't even think it would do any good. Just me venting a bit of public frustration...comments welcome as always guys...

Barcelona is a great city to visit, and I don't want people to be put off by my posts like these. If you're thinking of visitinjg soon, check out BCN Rentals for some accommodation tips.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Random Warning Posters Spotted

One of the biggest problems in citizen surveys that are published in the press over the years has been security on the streets of Barcelona. Percentages suggest that we're no better off now than the previous years despite clean up operations tackling different areas and degrees of security. I've blogged before on here about many of Barcelona's scams and unfortunately none of these seem to be disappearing.

Warning Poster Old town - Barcelona sights Blog So I know the changing face of graffiti and street art in Barcelona evolves quickly - like scrawls to real art and then the stencils-style, but I've been seeing an increasing amount of fly-postering recently, and thought I'd share this one. This was spotted on a typical Barcelona old town street not one which I would consider to be a particularly high crime area, but guess there'll be more out and about too. Good on whoever is doing this (I could see no means of tracing or identifying the authors) - it's direct, but not shock tactics. Click the picture for a bigger image, but the caption at the bottom says "Look back, there's a pickpocket behind you". Anyone else seen anything similar ? I know these usually crop up in more than one. Let me know in the comments (or take a pic on your phone or whatever).

The Sun is back shining after last night's storm, and May is a great month to visit the Catalan Capital. If you're thinking of coming, why not try a Barcelona apartment as a change from a hotel? And for a quick look at the city sights, see this guide to Barcelona.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Barcelona Scams - The Drunken Hug

This morning's Vanguardia newspaper draws attention to a variation on a well-established scam in Barcelona. As with most of the scams I've written about, this one relies on distraction and usually the mark is someone who has been, or is out on a night out and had a few. It's basically a variation on the Barcelona Dance scam, dubbed the Ronaldinho dance. As my post describes, this is nothing new (it was the Rivaldo dance when I first got here, and in Madrid just a few years ago it was known as the Beckham dance - you can see a pattern emerging) and just uses a different approach. I've seen variations with the nightclub flyer scam last summer, and this has likely been around for a lot longer than today's news article.

Drunken Hug images from Vanguardia Website - credit Vanguardia - Barcelona Sights Blog

The article highlights different nationalities being targeted, even Spanish visiting from Madrid with one thing in common - everyone had been drinking. I hesitate to say "had too much to drink" as while this may be true in the majority of cases, after just one or two drinks you can let your inhibitions fall away and not suspect of people. I've seen first hand people been robbed and walk away thinking "those people were really friendly".

The scam usually involves two "actors" and then another couple of accomplices who receive the pass-off. There are variations - spot some stumbling tourists, pretend to be drunk and "hug" them whilst lifting their wallets, offer drugs and then congratulate them (with a hug) even if they don't want any, celebrate the victory of FC Barcelona and marvel at Messi (obviously very easy at this current period of the season!). The lifts are easy, the pass-off lightening quick, and the scamsters even offer to be searched - obviously producing nothing but an innocent smile - then offering to tell one guy where his wallet will have been thrown for 20 Euros. It makes your blood boil, right?

Facebbok I got robbed in Barcelona - Barcelona Sights

Well, it certainly does for a fair few people - at least 500 people, in fact, who've joined this Facebook page I know someone who got robbed in Barcelona, complete with photos, stories and the lot. I say good on whoever had the thought to begin the page, and I dare say after today's exposure in La Vanguardia (and last months, too), the fan pages will rocket.

So, what's my beef with just re-reporting news that's already available elsewhere? Well, as some of the cheeky comments in the article can attest, the law is a joke. Even if the police catch these thieves red-handed (extremely difficult, given the speed of the pass-off), if their loot is LESS THAN 400 EUROS, then it is not considered a crime, rather a minor fault. They will likely be taken to the station for a few hours and then later released. Straight back to "work". So whilst it perfectly acceptable for the police to fine tourists or locals for spitting, urinating or letting their dog do its business on the streets, those who rob are not even given a slap on the wrists, just a cell to rest their legs for a few hours.

Comment on today's article - Barcelona Sights Blog

For those of you who don't speak Spanish, the comment above says:

"You're the ones who need to leave. This neighbourhood is now ours, so now you have nothing to do, I laugh in the face of the police and the judges. Long Live Barcelona and it's laws. Ala uakbar"

Let me ask you, who would carry more than 400 Euros around with them on an evening (without bodyguards)? What a ridiculous law. I have also heard (although am no expert in the codigo penal de España) that many delinquents who are due to be prosecuted after some hard evidence, cannot be deported if they have a pending case, so many simply commit some smaller crimes or faults often in front of the police, so that the loop just keeps going.

Something is seriously wrong with the current situation, and whilst the mayor's office releases figures and statistics that crime rates are down in the city, this is because the poor tourists cannot be bothered to report their crimes at the never-ending queues which form in the police stations. There used to be a 902 number to report the crime from the comfort of your hotel - or hell even a loquotorio - and then collect the report with your crime number, but guess what? That was taken away for the Barcelona area a couple of years ago. Make things harder to report, and things seem rosier, right? This is not my rant at the local cops - they need to be out catching these scumbags, not taking down notes.

What do you think? any suggestions or comments, I'd be glad to hear. Please leave a comment below.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Barcelona Scams - The Foot Step

Every time I think about writing one of the Scams blog posts, I always want to say "well, it's been a while since I've posted about scams..." and to be fair, I think maybe some of the levels of petty crime at least close to me and my knowledge have dropped a bit - but that could also be due to the drop in tourism and visitors to the city, too, right? Either way, I'm not trying to spread doom and gloom within the first month of 2010, but wanted to fill you all in on another technique being used to scam people out of their belongings.

Before I start, I'd also like to give a shout to the mossos (local police) who in late December dismantled a well organised group of 17 Romanian Theives who used the fake Police trick to steal belongings from tourists. I've never blogged about this before as a scam, although I had heard about it. Some of the details the Police divulged were unbelievable, and it confirms my belief that approaching those tourists who are culturally more polite or have a greater respect for authority are easy pickings in the theives' eyes. I could write another post on the incredible things these false Police were able to get out of some of the tourists, but at least something has been done to stop one organised group.

Stepping on shoes, well, kind of - Barcelona Sights Blog

So, the scam I'm going to write about today (I was going to type "new scam" but it's hardly likely to be new) took place at Sagrada Familia, but could take place at any crowded area in the city, and indeed probably does. The only seemingly necessity is for pedestrian traffic to funnel into a fairly tight space - think of any roadworks that force tourists into a smaller section of the pavement/sidewalk, for example.

I was told this story first hand (like the majority of my posts) by some Italians, and while they made a huge error (in my opinion, but I'm sure you'll agree), it could still happen just as easily without the careless nature of these guys.

So, around Sagrada Familia (not inside) pedestrians were passing through a fairly narrow stretch of the surroundings, when the guy was stepped on - a woman walking in the opposite direction to him stepped on his shoe. Naturally in these situations, depsite the fault laying elsewhere, he apologised, and as he turned to face the woman, a guy lifted his wallet from the side pocket of his combat pants (there's the error). They didn't realise this had happened until they reached the tunstyles to pay the entrance fee, as again is completely normal. So the scam works with two people and must be very hit and miss - simply because the thieves cannot guarantee that each time they open someone's pocket or bag, they will find something worth stealing. Although, saying that, it's likely a good days work for them at the hot spots around the city.

How to avoid this happening to you? Well, first off, don't leave your wallet/camera/purse in a pocket which you cannot feel close to your skin - like a side pocket. It's much more difficult to lift a wallet from a front jeans pocket then a back pocket for example. Also, try and be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially when you are forced into a situation where personal space is scarce. Metro stations are a perfect example of this. Having said that, it is extremely difficult to be aware and alert at all times, and the thrives exploit this kind of situation exactly because they know the difficulties involved in staying alert, so don't feel stupid if it does happen to you.

Thinking of visiting Barcelona this year? Check out these self-catering apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great alternative to a hotel. And for a heads up on what's hot and what's not in the city, see this great Barcelona guide.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Barcelona Scams. The Nightclub Flyer Scam.

I suppose it's because it's August, and the typical scams in Barcelona are aimed at tourists, that I'm back again with another Barcelona Scam. The blog is called Barcelona sights, so I'll try and steer back to the sights and not the scams soon, guys, honest!

The reason I'm adding this one, is that like my previous post on the Metro Push scam, this happened to someone I know - a mate who was visiting the city and who used to live here. It was a Saturday night, just off Las Ramblas walking home at around 1am, and he had a beer in hand. He's English and won't mind me pointing out that he looks very English and so perhaps was an easy mark for the scammers.

Las Ramblas at night - photo credit webshots

This seems to be a variation on the Football Dance scam, in that young scamsters try and entice you into close contact, in the same way as the football dance. This is the first time I've heard of this version (although I haven't been out at 1am alone on a Saturday for a while) and involves nightclub flyers. My friend told me that around 3 young northern Africans approached him each from a slightly different angle waving flyers in the air. He thinks that maybe the bait is that you would reach high to accept one of these flyers, and that gives them a chance to quickly skim your pockets or at least have a feel around. These tricksters didn't get half a chance as my friend told them where to go, in Spanish, which was probably something they were not expecting, and they scarpered. Sharpish.

How to avoid this happening to you ? I don't want you to take this the wrong way - there are many people giving out flyers around the city, and you can get some great discounts/happy hours/free entrances to places from picking up these. I also recognise that it's a pretty thankless task. What i would like to point out is that if you think about it, the majority of flyer guys/gals tend to stay in the same place and hand out their flyers. They don't wander streets and then come up to you in a gang, waving them in your face. This is a classic distraction technique, and if you're reading this and it's happened to you, don't feel bad - it's easy to fall for, as it's something you're not expecting. The best thing to do is just look away, uninterested, and keep a hand on your phone/wallet if you took one out. If it looks like you're putting up a fight, they'll move on to easier pickings.

For accommodation in the city, try apartments for rent Barcelona and check out this great Barcelona Guide.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Barcelona Scams. The Metro Push.

Just as I've been writing that it's been a while since I've posted about scams, then 3 come along all at once. This particular scam unfortunately happened to my Auntie and my two cousins whilst visiting this week. As well prepared as they were, there was nothing they could really do to avoid this, as the scam is very well prepared.

Barcelona Metro - Barcelona sights Blog

First hand (or in my case, second) experience always brings more details, so I'm in a privileged position to explain this one. The scam unfolded on a busy Sunday night on Plaça Espanya metro - Green Line, Line 3. My Auntie and cousins had just spent the evening watching the fountains at Montjüic, and hopped on the metro to come back to my place. Time was around 22:40. As you might imagine, the metro was jam packed and as my family got onto the metro, a man pushed in front of them and a woman pushed behind them. My Auntie had a zipped bag over her shoulder, on the front, but also had a camera which she was clutching - already wary of anyone coming close to her.

The couple (who she later realised were in on the act together) were in their 40s and were white - the guy was ginger haired with freckles and had a backpack, worn on the front, like a typical savvy tourist. The woman pushed constantly into the back on them. The man was shielding his backpack in such a way that he was pressing against my Auntie's chest (shorter than he was). As the doors to the metro closed, the man began asking if he was going in the right direction for Sants (the main train station) which is on the opposite side of the platform - he was going the wrong way. He gestured towards the flashing lights of the metro stops above the door of the metro carriage, and my Auntie, thinking she was helping, suggested that she thought he was going the wrong way, and sure enough at the next stop both the man and the woman got off.

What had happened in the course of the conversation was that one of the two, probably the woman, had unzipped the shoulder bag of my Auntie, then taken out a plastic bag with postcards and pen, unzipped a SECOND compartment of the bag, lifted the noted and then managed to ZIP BACK UP the inner pocket, REPLACE the plastic bag with postcards and pen and HALF ZIP the full outside zip back up before getting off. Bear in mind that the distance between Plaça Espanya and Poble Sec (the next metro station) is around 40 seconds.

It was only when the could got off that my auntie had realised her error, and fortunately the thieves only got away with some cash - they had not taken cards or purses/wallets out with them on any day. However, she felt very duped and guilty at having fallen for such a lame distraction technique and kicked herself the minute she realised her zip was open a fraction.

How to avoid this happening to you? Difficult given the circumstances, as a packed metro is easy pickings for these scamsters, and the added distraction of asking directions, coupled with the fact that the guy looked "foreign" made no suspicion whatsoever. The best advice I can give here is to be cold-hearted and not offer to help anyone asking for directions! Sorry, I know that sounds terrible, as we all get lost in foreign cities, and I myself have been helped in Munich and Amsterdam by extremely friendly locals who (what do I know) may have seen me as easy pickings on my travels, but it's the truth. If you have more than one thing to look out for (i.e. my auntie had her camera and the bag) then just ignore any advances and maybe try and get out of their way/reach.

It's particularly frustrating when things like this happen to close family or friends (on perhaps the only time I wasn't with them), but this is a very well rehearsed scam, and as a comment the other day on this post illustrates, peak times at certain places in the city can be considered "hot spots" for these kind of scams. I hope this unfortunate experience can serve as a warning to others, and that I can be back soon with more Barcelona sights, not Barcelona Scams.

Looking for accommodation in the city this month? check out the Last minute bookings in Barcelona for apartments for rent in Barcelona. And for a great head start to the city, see this Barcelona Guide.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Barcelona Scams. Motorway Flat Tyre - Update.

Unfortunately, I'm back so soon with yet another Barcelona Scam, or rather an update. It seems a shame that just recently I've posted a few in quick succession, and any new readers, please don't be alarmed, Barcelona is a great place to visit!

I've posted previously about the Flat tyre scam and how there are different variations. Well, it seems that a keen eye caught on camera some theives on the AP-7 motorway coming into Barcelona, and then uploaded the video to YouTube.



It seems that the victim is travelling alone, and is probably from the UK, as the drivers side is on the right, and this means his registration plates will also have been a giveaway. I also imagine that the theif crouching to distract the victim at the back of the car is feigning a flat tyre or problems with the wheels. They look organised - possibly Eastern European, and have a very smart getaway car, too. I'm sure the victim would have kicked himself when he realised what had happened, but the distraction techniques used are just so quick it's easy to fall for something like this. How to avoid it happening? My advice from the first post still rings true:

"One way to protect against this scam is to be wary agaianst any kind of alert or unsolicited help. If you feel that the suggestion is genuine and that you may have a flat tyre, find a safe place to stop in your own time, preferably away from the people who have told you about the supposed flat. Of course, the best way to protect against this scam is to not leave any valuables on show in your car. It's also essential that you drive with all the doors locked while you are inside the car, and only open them if you can clearly see around you and have everything inside the car accounted for."

Coming to Barcelona soon? Check out this Barcelona Guide for more details on the city.

Apartments for rent Barcelona

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Barcelona Scams. Gypsy Flower Sellers - Updated.

This week, whilst walking across Plaça Catalunya with my wife and kids, I witnessed for the first time the Gypsy flower seller scam - one which I've heard about before, but had never personally seen - and therefore blogged about here. I immediately knew it was a scam, and despite stopping to watch - and the thieves seeing me - it did not deter them. Here's how the scam unfolded.

Barcelona Sights - Red Carnation

The "marks" were two Japanese tourists who were walking in front of us as we crossed Plaça Catalunya - just near the tourist bus stop. The tourists, a young couple, were dressed in normal summer attire, and the girl even had her backpack on the front, so was obviously wise to the possible dangers of city centre pickpockets.

Two middle-aged Spanish ladies approached them each with ONE red carnation, and proceeded to "pin" the carnation in their t-shirts (no lapels, just a normal summer t-shirt) and then held out a hand with 3 x 2 cent coins in it, suggesting they give them a tip (and a small one at that). One of the ladies also had a white plastic bag in her hand, folded over to the length and breadth of a typical TV remote control (sorry, first thing that comes to mind, but you get the idea).

The embarrassed girl, a few steps away from her boyfriend, then began to look in her bag for her wallet - presumably to offer a few cents to the women to get them away. AS SOON as the girl got her wallet out and opened the zip compartment, where the coins would be kept, the Spanish woman use the folded carrier bag to cover the girls wallet and "help" her look for the other money - when I'm sure her deft hands would have taken some notes. Fortunately the girl became suspicious, took two steps back, returned the flower and walked to meet her partner, slightly flustered but wallet in tact.

This all happened at about 10:30am in the centre of town, and whilst the tourists moved on, the two women stayed exactly where they were, looking for new prey. I could not believe the brazen cheek (only ONE flower, so they expect to be rebuffed?!) and attempt in broad daylight. I expect that the thieves prey on those tourists who for sheer politeness and an inability to communicate would comply - i.e. the Japanese couple were a perfect mark. I kicked myself for not taking a photo, at least on my phone, but will update this post if I see them again, as a warning to others.

How to avoid this happening to you? Do NOT let anyone come close to you offering flowers - or if they do, politely decline. If the flower is placed upon you, take it out and return it. Some of the Indian and Pakistani immigrants do sell flowers on an evening or occasionally during the day, but usually have a full bunch of flowers which are wrapped in cellophane, etc. These women had one loose carnation, cut short, but with no frills. This is one that I had never seen before, but witnessed it in broad daylight in the main square, so be aware. As ever, this post is not to scare, rather to inform, and I also must point out that I've been here for almost 10 years, and that's the first time I've seen it, so don't be put off by my blog posts on Barcelona scams - Barcelona is a great place!

For planning your trip against any possible mishaps, see this detailed Barcelona Guide and check out my other recent posts on Barcelona Scams:

The Walking Tours Scam
The Restaurant Overcharge
The School Questionnaire
The Postcard cover up
The Reverse Parking Scam
3 Cups Scam
The Map Readers Scam
The Football Dance Scam
The Flat Tyre Scam
The Ketchup Squirt Scam
The Dancing Dollies Scam

For your accommodation needs in the city, try apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great alternative to your typical hotel room.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Barcelona Scams. The Walking Tour

An article in this week's Vanguardia draws attention to a new scam involving the many fantastic walking tours of places such as the Gothic Quarter and Park Güell. Apparently the easy targets are the cruise passengers, who routinely pull up in minibuses from the Old Port docking area to the area around Via Laietana and the Cathedral.

Gothic Quarter - Barcelona Sights
The scam involves men and women, although primarily women according to the two qualified tourist guides interviewed by the Vanguardia in the article. These scamsters dress exactly like tourists - complete with maps, bottled water and cameras, and follow the tour guides around their walking tours, blending in with the rest of the tourists! It is in this "camoflagued" state that they prey on their victims. The scam has even led to those regular tour guides recognising the thieves, and occasionally having to stop a tour to avoid a robbery - only to be confronted verbally by the thieves and onlooking "henchmen" there to protect the pickpockets.

As always, wallets, purses and anything else of value are "lifted" in the particularly narrow bottlenecks in the Gothic Quarter's streets, and rapidly passed off to avoid suspicion. While there have been occasions that the thieves have been caught, one guide claims to have wasted a whole morning then going to court to testify against the woman in order for them to be prosecuted.

This is a particularly clever way of robbing the tourists, and is extremely difficult to give advice against - how can I say "watch out for the ladies with maps, cameras, sunglasses and bottled water" ?! I suppose the best advice I can give is to always be aware of your surroundings and try you best to keep your belongings close to you at all times. If there is a particularly narrow stretch of pass, or a crowd gathers, ensure you hold on tightly to the bag you're carrying or the zipper.

Have you seen this scam happen, or has it happened to you? please let me know - or if you have any other tips or hints as to how to avoid something like this happening to you, again, please chip in with ideas!

Looking for accommodation in the old town of Barcelona ? Try Apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great altwernative to a hotel - or a cruise ship?!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Barcelona Scams. "¿Que hora es?"

This one is not really a scam as such, but more the initiation of a possible scam. It actually happened to me the other day, which is why it's jogged my memory. I've also read reports on other websites (there is unfortunately a wealth of information about Barcelona scams and other such upsets) which confirms this as an easy tactic to employ.
Blank Watch Face - Barcelona Sights blog
I was waiting in a central location for a friend just the other day, and on the opposite side of the road a seedy looking character was walking in my direction. As he clocked me, he then walked into the middle of the road (without looking) and made a beeline directly for me. This obviously caught my attention, but for all I know he was looking at someone behind me , or taking the next street, just to my right. As he approached within earshot, he asked me for the time, in Spanish (he wasn't Spanish) "¿Que hora es?". Without evening thinking, I replied that I didn't know as I wasn't wearing a watch (and couldn't be arsed to look at my phone). So he veered back onto the opposite side of the road again and continued his rumble where he met up with another seedy looking character, and this second man obviously told the first guy that I'd followed his with my eyes, as he spun around to have another look. That's when I remembered that it's usually used as a trick to see if you're a local or a tourist - i.e. the majority of tourists might be able to understand the phrase but probably not answer the question, so would mumble something in their own language, thus giving away the fact that they're a tourist.

This all happened in a very busy location, in broad daylight and I have no idea what the guy/s would have tried if I'd replied in English that I didn't understand for example, but it just goes to show that some people will try anything at any time of the day!

What to do if this happens to you? My advice would be to look the other way, as if they aren't talking to you, and not bother replying. They will probably assume that you're a local and are wise to the scam-opener. There may be variations on this question, so keep your eyes and ears open. I must also point out that this is the first time it's happened to me in almost 10 years in Barcelona, so don't be alarmed!

For planning your trip against any possible mishaps, see this detailed Barcelona Guide and check out my other recent posts on Barcelona Scams:

The Restaurant Overcharge
The School Questionnaire
The Postcard cover up
The Reverse Parking Scam
3 Cups Scam
The Map Readers Scam
The Football Dance Scam
The Flat Tyre Scam
The Ketchup Squirt Scam
The Dancing Dollies Scam

For accommodation in the city, think about apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great alternative to hotel rooms.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Barcelona Scams. The Restaurant Overcharge.

This is actually quite a serious post and one I read up on a well respected travel forum. All my previous posts about scams have involved getting duped or pickpocketed, but unfortunately this one involves violence.

The marks were 4 girls in their 30's and the scam takes place last New Years Eve in the Olympic Village, so I know for a kick off this is a very specific scam to be writing about, and not necessarily something you think might happen all the time, but I still think it's worthy of a heads up.

Barcelona Sights Blog - Restaurant Scam

The scam unfolds in a restaurant (in this case a restaurant in the Olympic Village which I won't name) and when the bill is brought, a credit card is given. Don't get ahead of yourselves thinking it's a card cloning. The waiter takes it away and returns with the bill which has been overcharged by 100 Euros. So they ask you to sign, apologise and give you the 100 Euros in cash - their mistake. The girls leave the restaurant with 100 Euros cash that they wouldn't ordinarily have, and have their bags snatched very close by - but only 3 of them.

So the victim who posted the warning suspects that the waiter is the instigator of the scam, and then communicates their description via a mobile (or whatever) to his cronies outside who then lift the bags - this is why they only take 3. Maybe 3 were brunettes and the other a blonde, so they knew it wasn't her for example.

How to avoid it? If you're ever overcharged, then insist on the amount being credited back onto your credit card, and make sure you get the receipt to verify that. Most restaurants have battery powered TPV machines for credit card transactions (chip and pin is not huge in Barcelona) so the machine could be brought to your table and swiped.

For planning your trip against any possible mishaps, see this detailed Barcelona Guide and check out my other recent posts on Barcelona Scams:

The School Questionnaire
The Postcard cover up
The Reverse Parking Scam
3 Cups Scam
The Map Readers Scam
The Football Dance Scam
The Flat Tyre Scam
The Ketchup Squirt Scam
The Dancing Dollies Scam

For accomodation in the city, try these apartments for rent in Barcelona or if you're travelling with a family look at these apartments in Barcelona for families.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Barcelona Scams. The Postcard Cover Up.

I'm ashamed to admit that this is the only scam that I've fallen for in my time in Barcelona (hence the image below of Homer). However, for my 9 years here, and considering the only thing the thief got away with was 500 pesetas and a cheque in my name (which was cancelled within the same 5 minutes it happened) then I think that's not bad going. Like most scams it's opportunism which caught me out.
Barcelona Sights - Do'h
I had just been paid from my old teaching job, and sat outside a cafe on Rambla Catalunya for a coffee with a friend on a terrace. As is commonplace with the terraces, you pay when the waiter brings you the drinks. This sounds like such an easy scam to fall for, but as we were deep in conversation it was difficult to realise it was happening. As I paid for the coffees, I left my wallet on the table, between our coffees. After a minute or so, an old tramp came over to our table with one of those free photo flip albums, but with postcards inside. He asked us (in Spanish) if we wanted to buy a postcard. Being able to speak a little Spanish, we shooed him away, rather uncomfortable with his presence. Obviously, he flashed the postcards over the table and lifted my wallet from under my nose, but as we were so deep in conversation, and eager for him to leave, this was the perfect distraction technique.

It was literally only seconds before I realised what had happened, and I didn't even comment to my friend, but leaped out of my seat and at a crossroads, took the busiest street - figuring that at least the thief would need an easy getaway. There are a few open shopping malls and a few shop entrances to hide in, but this savvy trickster was long gone. As I mentioned, I was fortunately able to cancel the cheque and get a replacement, but I felt (as I'm sure many do) so stupid at being duped so easily. Let this be a lesson to you all! Keep all valuables in sight - NOT on the chair next to you or on the floor in between your legs, but on your lap, or at least in full view. It's difficult to be vigilant at all times, but if you have any unsolicited help, or anyone offering anything for you to buy or charitable donations (I'm aware of a similar scam exploiting the real deaf aid workers offering key chains), then be alert!


For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide.

I'd also like to mention Barcelona apartments for groups as a great alternative for hotels for group bookings, too.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Barcelona Scams. The School Questionnaire.

This is a fairly recent addition, and I have to confess that I've never seen it happen or heard of anyone falling victim, but I've read about it on Barcelona forums and thought it might be worth adding.

On the occasions that the scam has unfolded, it's been a Sunday morning, fairly early (so that's like 10am for those of you yet to get to grips with Barcelona lifestyle) and involves children and a supposed questionnaire.
Barcelona Sights - Questionniare
It seems that those targeted were usually couples, although I suppose the scam could work for a small group, too. This scam relies on Innocence. The children were alleged to be around 12-13 years old, which is smart enough to scam but also innocent enough to be believable. Here's how the scam unfolds...

Lazy Sunday morning, and a couple deciding what to do for the day are mobbed at the bottom of Las Ramblas/Christopher Columbus monument/streets around Carrer Ample but a group of young teenagers, asking them to fill in a school questionnaire complete with clipboard and pen. They speak a foreign language (some reported that they didn't seem Spanish), and are very in-your-face.

It's all very confusing for the holiday couple who try and explain that they don't understand, while the circling youths seem to insist and even look offended that they willingly want to damage this terms grades. The couple lose sigh of each other, and then the children run off, in the easy access of the Gothic Quarter nooks and crannies. Tourist couple dust themselves down, annoyed, and realise that their backpack is open/wallet has gone, etc. Clever little pickpockets.

Now this is not your usual distraction technique, partly because it's the LAST thing you expect from young kids, and I think this is all part of the success of the technique. As a consequence it's a little damning to offer advice "to stay away from little kids in the Gothic Quarter" as this will be virtually impossible and also may ruin your holidays and turn you into a paranoid maniac! I suppose the tell-tale sign to sit up and take notice would be the clip boards, and if you see them, to try and shoo the kids away without looking like 100% unfriendly tourists by the onlookers!

For planning your trip against any possible mishaps, see this detailed Barcelona Guide and check out my other recent posts on Barcelona Scams:

The Reverse Parking Scam
3 Cups Scam
The Map Readers Scam
The Football Dance Scam
The Flat Tyre Scam
The Ketchup Squirt Scam
The Dancing Dollies Scam

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Barcelona Scams. The Reverse Parking Scam.

This one invloves a few scammers, an empty car parking space, and a tourist in a car - the locals don't fall for this one. Like the flat tyre scam, this involves theft of something left visible on the back seat, on the dashboard, or on the back shelf, for example. Here's how the scam unfolds - I've seen it happen in broad daylight, just near the bottom of Las Ramblas.
Barcelona Sights - Reverse Parking Scam
A car approaches a free car parking space, and lines up to reverse park into the space. There may or may not be a few people hanging around on the path/shop fronts nearby. As soon as the car reverses in, an angry member of the public approaches the driver, to complain that they've just bumped their car/stolen their parking space. Of course this hasn't happened, and any driver will know that you can almost always tell if you've hit another car whilst reversing into a space and that even if you did it would be bumper to bumper, so shouldn't cause much damage. As the person is so insistant, you get out the car to either confront the person or see what they are jabbering on about. As the door opens, the accomplice takes whatever it was you left on view. In the confusion, the victim often is unsure that the scammers are together, and usually gives chase to the theif - giving the perfect window for the angry protestor to slip away.

The same rule applies - if you have nothing on show, then this scam will probably not happen to you. If it's impossible to have everything squashed in the boot/trunk, then just try and keep your less valuable things, or things like food you might have in the car on view, rather than say the laptop or portable DVD! And if anyone does come up to you angrily, claiming you have taken their space, drive off. If they claim you've bumped them, then be aware if you need to step out to check.

For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide.

Barcelona apartments for groups

Monday, November 10, 2008

Barcelona Scams - 3 cups.

This one is not really a Barcelona Scam and is practiced all over the world - I once saw it on the back of a bus in New Orleans with 3 draughts pieces, a draughts board and a pea.
The one in Barcelona had disappeared for a while and the local council even went as far to hang notices up on the lamp posts on Las Ramblas with "It's a trick!" and an image of 3 cups and a ball. However, walking recently through town and I saw the unmistakeable crowd with the usual suspects. This scam invloves various people, although it's not necessarily apparent at the time.
Barcelona Scams - 3 cups on las ramblas
One guy is on the floor with the usual follow the ball/pea, and there are a few others who step on the box and appear to be winning. These are the ones in on the scam, and they usually convince the "mark" to have a go - it's easy! Once the mark falls for the trick, they usually offer them a double or quits option, which again is more often than not taken and the game ends. However, recently I've seen a variation on this move, and foreign bank notes are used to make the mark "win". I have seen the guys with a 50 Soles from Peru held in such a way that it looks exactly like a 50 Euros note. There are a few look outs above and below where the scam is happening, in case the police arrive and they are also easy to spot. Next time you're near to the group, just take a step back and observe for a few minutes, it's really easy to see the ones in on it, and the look outs. I sometimes want to interrupt and tell people "Don't do it!" but some of the guys are huge!

The lamp post warnings came down and the scammers came back. The annoying thing is that according to the civil code, if they have less than 300 Euros on them it's only considered a minor occurance by the police and they are given a warning! If they have 400 Euros (almost all of them), they receive a fine. Easy, they pay the fine and continue when the Police have gone.

For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide.

Cheap Barcelona Apartments

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Barcelona Scams. The map readers.

Time for another heads up on some of the common scams in the city. This one is a clever little trick and involves a map, usually two girls, and someone wearing a backpack. When I was a teacher this happened to 4 of my students in 1 month, so again it's not just the tourists who need to be aware.

The success of the scam relies on the fact that the people performing the scam look perfectly innocent. I've seen it mainly performed by young girls of around 10-13, who seem to fit in with the touristy look - they have back packs on themselves, and are carrying a map. The thing is that they are BOTH carrying the map with one hand (one left one right) and then their other hands are used to lift a clasp or unbuckle a bag, whilst the other takes anything inside the bag on top within reach - all under perfect cover of the map.
Barcelona Scams - Map cover
This sounds like it would be so easy to spot, but the scam is always performed in crowded areas, where it's not uncommon to see people carrying maps and consulting them. It's also performed in an area where pedestrian congestion is perfectly normal - an escalator, or the path/sidewalk of a busy street, for example. I've seen it done in broad daylight on a Sunday morning for example, and they are very very good at it. The Police often catch them as they know them but as they are minors, they are let off with a slap on the wrist and a don't come back here again. Which of course they do.

For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide.

Barcelona apartments for groups

Monday, October 27, 2008

Barcelona Scams. The Football Dance.

This is a continuation of my recent post, informing you of some of the Barcelona scams to watch out for - not all are for the tourists here. Today's post is a classic pickpocketing scam. It has been around for a long time, and I remember it being tried on my friend and I a couple of times when we first got here - problem was that we always got it on the way home, so never had any money left, and neither of us carried a wallet.

It is usually performed in and around Las Ramblas and Plaça Reial, and usually to men who have had a little to drink. It's almost always the cocky young North Africans performing the lift. The scam involves them approaching you and asking if you like football. The most common answer is yes, and even if it isn't they can continue with the scam. They then ask if you want to "Dance the Ronaldinho dance?" (when I first arrived it was Rivaldo, for example). This is a simple distraction technique and they proceed anyway. Whilst they are saying "ok, you put your foot here, and I hook my leg around here, and then we jump 3 times" or other such rubbish, they are in fact fleecing your back two pockets and taking your phone and wallet, or anything else you might have left in there. I've seen it done a copuple of times, and the victim has even walked away, happy to have met such "friendly locals" showing them the "funny dance"! There was also a documentary filmed from the balconies of Las Ramblas about 3 years ago highlighting the ease and apparent lack of action by the local cops. It looked sooo easy, it was freightening!

For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide.

Barcelona apartments for groups

Monday, October 20, 2008

Barcelona Scams. The Flat Tyre.

This is another scam that has been going for decades, and there are numerous variations. Car rental compaies in France, Spain and Portugal often alert drivers of rental cars to this scam, but foreign number plates are often a giveaway for this scam to kick off. This scam also relies on the fact that most modern cars have central locking.

The worst case is that your car tyre is slashed by someone - usually on a motorbike - at a traffic light or roundabout just comng into the city. The same motorbike then alerts you to the fact that you have a flat tyre, at an appropriate place (for them). As you open the car door, to crane your neck and have a look, you are also unlocking all of the other doors. This is the perfect opportunity for the robbers to open the back door and take off with anything you happen to have left on view, on the back seat or on the parcel shelf. You are then stuck with a slashed tyre, and lost belongings. The motorbike gives a perfect and speedy getaway, and often people can't even give an accurate description, as it all happens so fast.

I must insist that the actual slashing of the tyre is obviously very very rare, as for this scam to work, you don't even need to have a flat tyre. Very often the simple suggestion that you do have one is sufficient for anyone with common sense to stop and have a quick look.

The variation usually happens very cheekily in the city centre, at a relatively busy pedestrian crossing or traffic light again. As your car stops at the front of the queue, a pedestrian crossing the road in front of you grabs your attention to alert you that it looks like you have a flat tyre, or that your headlights/indicator are not working. The same procedure occurs - the accomplice is cunningly waiting by the back seat or even the passenger door, and runs off with a bag or a phone.

One way to protect against this scam is to be wary agaianst any kind of alert or unsolicited help. If you feel that the suggestion is genuine and that you may have a flat tyre, find a safe place to stop in your own time, preferably away from the people who have told you about the supposed flat. Of course, the best way to protect against this scam is to not leave any valuables on show in your car. It's also essential that you drive with all the doors locked while you are inside the car, and only open them if you can clearly see around you and have everything inside the car accounted for. The reason for the success of all of these scams is that they are so easy to fall for, as they use a series of distraction techniques, and you always feel so silly after it has happened, and even as you read this you may be forgiven for thinking that it would never happen to you, but believe me, it's easy to fall for - I've seen it a few times on busy streets like Via Laietana, for example. Hopefully my tips will help it from happening to you next time!

For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide.

Barcelona apartments for rent

Friday, October 17, 2008

Barcelona Scams. The ketchup squirt.

This is another clever scam, and a variation was also featured on BBC's the Real Hustle a few years ago, same as the Barcelona Dancing Dollies scam. My uncle fell victim to this scam around 8 years ago in Gaudi's Park Güell. It's often known as the bird poo scam, the mustard scam, etc. So I'll give his version.

Whilst walking in Park Güell with my young cousin, 2 men aproached him, and in very broken English, drew attention to the fact that my uncle had what appeared to be bolognaise sauce on his shoulder (his words, not mine). This gives you an immendiate distraction, and makes you wonder where have you been, where could this have come from, etc. Out of nothing, this helpful citizen produces a bottle of water and some serviettes, and at the same time points out that my cousin has a similar stain on her backpack and along her shoulder. So hey, here's an idea - I'll clean your back and you clean hers - considering that neither of you can reach.



You can guess where this is going, and yet again, is seems soooo easy to spot now, but this has been going on for years, and is still a killer. The scammers have been hiding behind bushes/wall, etc. and usually squirt whatever the substance is from a distance, and then approach you. As you can imagine, in the "cleaning and rubbing" of jackets and backpacks, wallets were lifted, and the guys make a speedy escape. My uncle even incredulously told me that he thought the guys were so kind and helpful that he thought to at least tip them for the bottle of water they had used to help clean the mess! As always, there are many an escape route, and as soon as my uncle realised his mistake, the theives were long gone.


As I mention, variations have been seen on Las Ramblas, for example with the mayonnaise and mustard sachets from the fast food chains, and salted water being used as saliva. etc.


Rule is: if someone approaches you to attempt to "help you clean something off your person" or any kind of unsolicited help, be aware of those others around you - these people rarely work alone, and the pass off is the key to the scam working. Often even if you catch up with the real pickpocket, the goods have been passed on maybe once, maybe twice - leaving you no cause for reclaiming or making a scene.

For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide.

Barcelona apartments for groups
 
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