British tourists heading to Benidorm are being warned about a common beach scam that tricks holidaymakers into handing over cash. Visitors have reported being stopped by groups of men holding clipboards, claiming to collect signatures and donations for charity. But local experts say it’s not real, and the money goes straight into the scammers’ pockets.
Frank, a travel agent and bar owner from Tottenham known online as The Stag Man, shared a warning video after spotting the scam in action. He appears in the clip alongside his wife Jade, and shows men approaching tourists and Frank himself on the beach. “They’re jumping on everyone,” Frank says in the video. “What they do is say it’s a petition, and once you sign it, they start asking for a donation. Some people even get their wallets out and give them a few quid. Once you do that, they know.”
Jade, who filmed the video, adds: “They’ll say ‘it’s for the blind, it’s for the disabled, for petitioning to get something sorted here in Spain’ – it’s all a load of rubbish.”
Frank also warns the scam doesn’t stop there. “Once they’ve seen what’s in your wallet, they might try and rob you later,” he said.
The video has now been seen over one million times, with many social media users thanking the couple for speaking out.
One man said: “Benidorm is getting bad now, that’s my opinion.” Another posted: “I had this scam done to me and my partner, luckily we had no cash on us.”
A first-time visitor added: “Coming tomorrow with the missus. I’m more clued up thanks to this.”
Others shared their own experiences. One wrote: “I fell for it and handed over money for the blind. He grabbed it and ran off.”
Another said: “We were stopped in the old town outside a shop. He wanted us to sign something, then asked for money.
“I offered a couple of euros, but he demanded ten. A Spanish man came out shouting and the scammer ran off.”
One holidaymaker added: “I’ve had them come to me at the hotel pool saying it was for the deaf community. He was very pushy but we just told him to move away.”
However, some commenters pointed out that scams like this aren’t unique to Benidorm.
“It happens everywhere,” one wrote. But most were grateful for the warning.
One person said: “Keep letting everyone know about these scammers, we wouldn’t know if it wasn’t for you two.”