Spanish police advised tourists to check the change they are given when they pay on the streets.
"Focus" is obtained due to the similarity of the two coins — euro and Turkish lira. Vacationers are given Turkish lira for change, not euros.
In particular, the two euro coin and the 1 lira coin are very similar and the same in size.
On the Turkish coin, on the one hand, the first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, is depicted, and on the other hand — the number 1.
The two euro coin has different symbols, such as King Felipe or the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, with the number 2 on the back.
Both coins are bi-coloured and are really hard to tell apart at first glance without looking closely. But there is still a difference. 2 Euros are gold in the middle and silver outside, and 1 lira — vice versa. Yes, and their value is different: the Turkish lira costs only about 0.052 euros. This is due to the fact that the Turkish lira has plummeted in value against the euro this year.
Another Spanish scam targeting tourists, — the “bird droppings” trick.
Scammers douse tourists with a liquid that looks like bird flight, accidentally spot it, and offer the tourists help cleaning their clothes. Then sleight of hand comes into play, and goodbye to the master's wallets, bank cards and telephones.
Rogues can be found in other countries as well. In Florence, Italy, street “artists” have mastered laying out paintings directly on the pavement in crowded tourist areas with heavy foot traffic.
When a tourist inadvertently steps on a “work of art” because he was looking up at beautiful buildings, and not under his feet , he will immediately demand compensation. The price of the issue can reach up to 300 euros!
The recommendation in this case is simple: in no case do not pay, but insist that the case be settled in the presence of a policeman.