Spain's Guardia Civil has issued fresh warnings to tourists as well as residents over two euro coins, with people falling victim to a popular scam involving physical currency.
Scammers in the popular holiday hotspot are said to have been swapping the coin itself for a Turkish Lira - which is of a similar shape and size, but holds a severely reduced value.
The Lira itself has a value of just 32 cents (the equivalent of 30p) while two euros amount to around £1.74.
The Daily Express reports that at a first glance, the two coins look almost identical with their gold centre and silver outer ring - but there are in fact a number of ways of telling the two apart on further inspection, to avoid being hit with the holiday scam.
The Turkish currency holds the face of Turkey's first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on the back, with an embossment of a half moon and star on the front above the value. Whereas the two euro coin clearly shows its value on the front, and shows an image of a Spanish figure on the back.
And it's not the first time that tourists have been hit with coin related scams on Spanish soil, with the Guardia Civil also issuing a warning about one-euro coin swaps in the past. In-turn, Britons are being urged to check their change before departing a business to ensure they are receiving the right amount of money and/or currency.
Unfortunately, tourists are often the target of scammers, who believe that unsuspecting foreign parties may not be aware of their tricks of the trade. A popular scam in some tourist destinations is to claim that a top attraction is closed and then push the tourist to pay for an expensive tour.
Tourists can avoid this scam by checking information for top tourist attractions online before setting off. This can also help travellers save money as some attractions offer discounts if people book tickets online.
Some tourists were recently targeted with a ‘bird poo’ scam while they were on holiday in Spain. Scammers working as a pair will spray the tourist with a liquid and then claim a bird has pooped on them.
While the conman pretends to help the tourist clean up, they will try to steal items from their pockets. It’s a good idea to purchase a flat money belt which can be easily concealed under clothing while on holiday.
Tourists can also leave any valuables in their hotel room safe to avoid being targeted by pickpockets. British tourists who think they have been a victim of a scam while on holiday should contact the police.
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