Common tourist scams in Spain and how to avoid them

Spain is a low-risk country for violence but a high-reward one for thieves. The pattern is almost always distraction plus a quick hand: a bumped shoulder on a packed metro, a squirt of something on your jacket, a dropped coin, a football scarf waved in your face. The target is the phone in your hand, the wallet in your back pocket or the bag hanging off one shoulder.

Pickpocket teams work the obvious places. In Barcelona that means Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, the metro (especially L3 and the airport line), Sagrada Família queues and Barceloneta beach. In Madrid: Puerta del Sol, Gran Vía, the metro and the Retiro. In Seville, Granada and Valencia the old-town alleys and market halls are the hot spots. Beaches across the Costas and the islands see bag thefts while people swim.

The fake-police scam is the one that costs the most. Someone shows a badge or a lanyard and asks to check your wallet for counterfeit notes, or to see your passport. Real Spanish police do not inspect your cash on the street. Ask to walk to a police station, or call 112 in front of them; the scammer leaves.

Around food and drink, watch the bill. Bread or olives put on the table without asking can appear as a charge; a 'terraza' supplement for sitting outside is normal in some cities but should be on the menu. Card skimming happens at unattended ATMs and at some small shops; use machines inside a bank branch during opening hours, cover the keypad and never let the card out of sight. Taxi meters should be running; at airports use the official rank, not a driver who approaches you inside the terminal.