As households across the country start to prepare for their annual summer holiday or perhaps a welcome spring break, Brits are being warned to take care when relaxing in foreign climes. Usually savvy travellers may let their guard down when relaxing overseas, but tourist are being urged to stay vigilant in light of a long-running scam operating in Spain.
According to reports, some tourists lose thousands of pounds by falling for a tech scam. Birmingham Live has reported tourists going to Tenerife are being caught out by scammers who offer the travellers a great deal on a piece of tech.
The scam involves an 'amazing' deal being offered on a laptop, iPad, phone or a similar device. However, the report continues saying the store owners then distract the buyers while they either clone their card or charge a far higher fee than agreed.
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According to a case reported by the MailOnline, one tourist revealed how she was secretly charged more than £2,000 for a tablet device that was supposed to cost her just £150. Another tourist, Andy Evans, 64, from Doncaster, lost a staggering £1,676 last year after buying what he thought was a £14.50 upgrade for his device.
It was reported that whilst enjoying a drink at a bar with his wife in the resort of Los Cristianos, Andy decided to buy some t-shirts and souvenirs for their grandchildren. The former businessman said they went to the shop next door, where they were approached by the owner, who also happened to own the adjacent bar.
He said: "He struck up a conversation and was asking us about property and tobacco and all of this before he eventually said he had tablets for sale at a great price". Mr Evans said he paid for the tablet with €50 cash before the store's 'software engineer' approached him and insisted it should be upgraded with a subscription package that would allow them to watch UK television while abroad.
"It was only €14.50 per month and I could cancel it at any time so I thought nothing of it,' he added. But when Mr Evans put in his PIN to pay for the amount, the merchant said they were having 'internet problems".
Mr Evans said he viewed his account when he returned to the UK and saw the sum of £1.678.76 as pending, prompting an urgent call to his bank Halifax to ask them to stop the payment. Mr Evans believes the scammers use the bar adjacent to their store to scout for unsuspecting victims and to gauge who is on the final day of their holiday.
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