Sun, sea and scams … one in ten British tourists conned abroad

Published on Sunday 23 August 2009 22:38

BRITISH holidaymakers were warned today to be wise to scams when visiting popular overseas destinations as research highlighted the problem of tourist cons.

One in ten Britons has been the victim of a scam while soaking up the sunshine, according to a poll. Many of the countries identified as hotspots for con artists are places people flock to from the UK.

Tourists can be ripped off by scams such as shopkeepers hiking prices when they see holidaymakers coming, timeshare fraudsters and taxis taking "the scenic route".

The problem is rife across European resorts, with a fifth (21 per cent) of British tourists targeted during the past five years, the survey found.

People interviewed in the research said the average cost of being scammed was 250.

The study by travel insurer LV>, formerly known as Liverpool Victoria, showed Spain, France and Turkey were among the most risky destinations.

Spain was found to be the most likely place for Britons to be scammed, with one in ten holidaymakers saying they had been the victim of a con.

Tenerife (7 per cent of all visitors), Turkey (4 per cent) and Paris (4 per cent) were also singled out as conman hotspots.

The research revealed couples were twice as likely to be targeted as other holidaymakers (43 per cent), but one in five cons targeted backpackers.

LV> said the true scale of holiday cons was underestimated by the authorities because only one in ten holidaymakers reported scams to the police.

The company is calling on holidaymakers to tell the police about scams and offering advice on how to avoid con merchants.

LV>'s tips include asking hotels for the name of a reputable tour operator, getting a receipt for items where a deposit is paid, asking hotel reception to help negotiate before paying a taxi driver who took the long way round, not buying "designer" items from anywhere but a designer shop, walking away if feeling pressured in a market, not letting restaurant staff take credit cards out of sight when paying a bill and ensuring travel insurance is in place.

Emma Holyer, spokeswoman for LV> travel insurance, said: "As the bank holiday approaches, many of us will be looking forward to jetting off. But with one in ten holidaymakers falling victim to scams abroad in the past two years, it's clear there is an industry worth billions based on ripping them off."

Jess Prasad, from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Know Before You Go campaign, added: "Being prepared before you go abroad will lessen the risk of you being scammed.

"If you are a victim of crime, report it immediately to the local police – and get a police report in case you need to make an insurance claim."

LEFT BEHIND

A BLOW-UP sheep and a false leg are among items left in hotel rooms.

A printer, crutches and dentures were also mislaid by absent-minded guests, a survey by Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels found.

Other items recovered from rooms have included 2,000 in cash, a Gucci watch, and a monk fancy dress outfit.

Hotel managers reported that around 2.5 million-worth of items are left behind each year, with phone chargers and underwear the most-recovered things.

Each year, hotel staff find 42,000 phone chargers, 40,000 items of underwear, 14,000 toothbrushes, 11,500 pairs of glasses and 5,000 hair straighteners.

Jane Bednall, from Holiday Inn, said:

"After six months we donate all unclaimed items of value to local charities."