A British tourist paid around 1,700 euros for a kebab on a beach in Rio de Janeiro after allegedly falling victim to a payment terminal scam, in a case that is part of a recent increase in visitor scams in the city.
A British tourist was scammed and ended up paying around 1,700 euros for a kebab on a beach in Rio de Janeiro.
O The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, on Copacabana beach, next to some of the main hotels in the area. The scammer, with the help of an accomplice, allegedly manipulated a payment terminal, leading the tourist to pay 10 thousand reais (around 1,700 euros) for a kebab that should only cost 10 reais (around 2 euros), according to the .
This is not the only case in the most famous city in Brazil…
This is not an isolated case in the Brazilian city, where reports of similar schemes have increased us last few months.
Recently, two Argentine tourists were the target of an attempted scam of 7,000 reais (1,250 euros) for two glasses of açaí. In another case, a Colombian visitor ended up paying 2,500 reais (450 euros) for a caipirinha.
There is also a record of a Argentine tourist who paid 20 thousand reais (around 3,600 euros) for an ear of corn with margarinewhen the real value would be around 20 reais (approximately 3 to 4 euros).
Lack of supervision has contributed to a “disorganized” environment
In statements to Patrícia Alemany, responsible for Rio de Janeiro’s tourist police, stated that authorities have intensified efforts to identify and arrest those responsible for this wave of scams in Copacabana and neighboring Ipanema beach. According to the person responsible, The lack of supervision has contributed to a “disorganized” environment, thus facilitating the operation of these schemes.
