Browse 24 verified travel scam reports from Spain, submitted by real travelers. Learn about the most common scams and stay one step ahead before you go.
🗓️ Scam date: 14 September 2026
📝 Reported: 21 September 2026
Two men near the Alhambra entrance offered "last-minute official tickets" because the box office was sold out. Paid €120 for two tickets. At the gate the scanner rejected both — they were already used that morning. By the time we went back the sellers were gone. Only buy tickets from the official Patronato de la Alhambra website or machines.
🗓️ Scam date: 22 July 2026
📝 Reported: 21 September 2026
On Calle Larios a teenager held a clipboard with a fake petition over my shoulder bag while asking for signatures "for deaf children". When he left, my wallet was gone. The clipboard hides their hands. Keep your bag in front of you and decline any petition.
🗓️ Scam date: 1 September 2025
📝 Reported: 18 September 2026
A listing near Plaza Mayor with perfect reviews, cheap for the size. The host asked to move the chat to WhatsApp and "confirm" with a deposit link. The listing was cloned from a real one — same photos, different host. Keep everything on Airbnb.
🗓️ Scam date: 14 August 2026
📝 Reported: 16 September 2026
A street seller in Puerto Banús offered a "genuine Rolex from a broke gambler" for €200. It stopped working after two days and a jeweller confirmed it was a €20 fake. Selling counterfeit goods is illegal — buying them puts you at risk too. Walk away.
🗓️ Scam date: 15 July 2026
📝 Reported: 16 September 2026
We took a horse carriage at Plaza de España. The driver said "€40 for a tour" — 40 minutes later he demanded €120, claiming it was €40 per person. There was no price list anywhere. Official rates are per carriage, not per person. Agree on the total price in writing before boarding.
🗓️ Scam date: 19 August 2026
📝 Reported: 13 September 2026
In Plaza de España, a "flamenco" performer invited us to take photos together, then demanded €10 per photo and blocked us from leaving. Her partner got aggressive when we refused. There is no obligation to pay, but be aware they target tourists taking pictures.
🗓️ Scam date: 13 December 2025
📝 Reported: 12 September 2026
Same ring trick at Barceloneta beach: a "found" gold ring, offered as a gift, then a guilt-trip demand for €40 "reward". When we said no he moved on to the next couple within minutes. It's brass and he has a pocket full of them.
🗓️ Scam date: 11 January 2026
📝 Reported: 9 September 2026
A man stopped us to ask for directions with a big map while my girlfriend took a photo of the street. Her phone was gone 30 seconds later — a third person had passed behind her. Las Ramblas is the most pickpocketed street in Europe.
🗓️ Scam date: 21 June 2026
📝 Reported: 3 September 2026
A man in a hi-vis vest guided us into a street parking spot in the Albaicín and demanded €5 as a "parking fee". Parking on the street is free there — he had no badge, no machine, no receipt. We paid to avoid trouble, but locals confirmed it is a well-known scam.
🗓️ Scam date: 27 July 2026
📝 Reported: 3 September 2026
Driver at Granada airport (GRX) refused to use the meter and said the fare to the centre is a "fixed price" of €45. The metered fare on the return trip was €17. He also tried to charge €3 for the suitcase, which is illegal. Always insist on the meter or take the official airport bus (€3).
🗓️ Scam date: 26 August 2026
📝 Reported: 2 September 2026
Outside the Mezquita a "guide" sold us combined entry tickets and a guided tour for €25 each. The tickets were already used and the guide never showed at the meeting point. The official ticket office and machines are right at the entrance — use only those.
🗓️ Scam date: 10 September 2026
📝 Reported: 2 September 2026
A promoter in Puerto Banús invited us to a beach club with "free entry and free champagne". Inside, the bottle was €180, we were seated at a "VIP table" with a €60 minimum per person, and the bill came to over €300. Nothing was free. If a promoter approaches you, ask for the full price list before entering.
🗓️ Scam date: 22 March 2026
📝 Reported: 1 September 2026
Google led me to a lookalike site selling Sagrada Família entry at 3x the official price. I only noticed because the official site had plenty of availability at €26 and I had paid €78. Check the URL ends with sagradafamilia.org.
🗓️ Scam date: 8 September 2026
📝 Reported: 31 August 2026
A well-known budget rental desk at Málaga airport charged my card €350 two weeks after return for a "new scratch" on the bumper — I have photos from pickup showing it was already there. They ignored the evidence until I disputed through the bank. Always photograph the car from every angle at pickup.
🗓️ Scam date: 3 May 2025
📝 Reported: 30 August 2026
A small "agency" office in El Born showed us photos of a flat, took a €600 deposit "to hold it", and gave us an address that didn't exist. The office was empty the next day. Only book through licensed agencies with registered addresses.
🗓️ Scam date: 30 August 2026
📝 Reported: 29 August 2026
A woman outside Granada Cathedral pressed a rosemary sprig into my hand and started "reading my palm" as a free gesture. While she demanded money and held my hand, an accomplice unzipped my backpack and took my wallet. Police said this is a very common routine around the Cathedral and Calle Oficios.
🗓️ Scam date: 5 August 2026
📝 Reported: 24 August 2026
At a chiringuito on Playa de la Malagueta, the menu showed paella at €14/person. The bill charged €28/person for four people, plus a "terrace supplement" of €4 each. The manager claimed the menu was "old". We refused the supplement and paid only the menu prices — know your rights, they cannot charge you for their own outdated menu.
🗓️ Scam date: 12 August 2026
📝 Reported: 22 August 2026
A tout on Plaza Nueva sold us "front row" tickets for a flamenco show in Sacromonte that evening. When we arrived at the address there was no show — the venue was a private house and the phone number was dead. We lost €50. Buy flamenco tickets only from official venues or your hotel.