Destinations › Spain › Madrid › Scams
Madrid, Spain
10 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Madrid, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
A "friendly stranger" starts a conversation, then an accomplice flashes a realistic-looking badge claiming to be an undercover officer and asks to inspect both people's wallets.
Pickpocketing on crowded Metro lines and around Puerta del Sol/Plaza Mayor, often with a "map reading" or bump-and-lift distraction worked in teams.
Unofficial taxis at the airport or major stations claim the meter is broken and quote an inflated flat fare.
Fake "petition" or survey clipboard approach used as a pickpocketing distraction near major squares.
Street vendors selling counterfeit branded bags and sunglasses near tourist landmarks.
Bars near tourist areas charging tourist-rate prices for tapas not shown on a posted menu.
Fake charity collectors ask for cash donations in busy tourist areas.
Fraudulent QR code stickers placed over real ones on restaurant tables, parking meters, or bike-share docks redirect payment to a scammer ("quishing").
Fake restaurant discount coupons handed out on the street turn out worthless when presented at the end of a meal.
The "lucky rosemary" scam: women hand over a rosemary twig and offer to tell a tourist's fortune, grabbing their hands and talking fast as a distraction while an accomplice picks their pocket.
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