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£600 for cheese? The Brazilian beach scams that cost visitors dear
TL;DR
Tourists in Rio de Janeiro are falling victim to scams involving inflated charges at beach vendors, with one woman charged £590 for two slices of cheese. Holidaymakers are advised to be cautious after similar incidents have occurred recently.
Key points
- Tourists in Rio are being scammed by beach vendors.
- Lisa Selby was charged £590 for two slices of cheese.
- Vendors are adding extra zeros to card payments.
- A British man was charged £1,500 for a kebab last month.
- An Argentinian tourist paid £3,000 for corn on the cob.
When Lisa Selby* used her debit card to pay for two slices of barbecued cheese from a beach vendor in Rio de Janeiro, she expected to pay 40 reais (£5.90) for the snack.
But shortly after the payment had gone through, she realised that she had been charged 4,000 reais (£590) after the vendor added two extra zeros to the card reader.
“He showed me the right number on the contactless terminal, but then turned it round to face him and, unbeknownst to me, added two zeros just as I was about to tap with my phone,” she said. “He then gestured that there was no paper for a receipt and walked away.”
Holidaymakers have been warned to beware of the crime in Rio. Last month a beach vendor was arrested after a British man was duped into paying £1,500 for a kebab, while an Argentinian tourist discovered a £3 corn on the cob had cost her £3,000.
What it looks like
Unscrupulous traders take advantage of tourists who are unfamiliar with the local currency and are less likely to notice a doctored sum.
A common ploy is to ask the customer to confirm the correct figure on the card reader, then to alter it surreptitiously before the card is presented.
Some scammers thrust their card reader at the customer’s card or phone to complete the payment before the customer has checked the total.
What to do
The scam exposes a gap in UK consumer protection. Customers who are tricked into sending money to criminals by bank transfer in what’s known as authorised push payment fraud are usually entitled to a refund from their bank. However, victims of face-to-face vending scams are unlikely to get their money back unless they can produce evidence that they were overcharged.
Selby discovered the fraud shortly after the payment and immediately alerted her bank, Monzo. An agent told her that since the transaction was still pending it would be returned to her. Monzo later admitted that she had been wrongly advised and said that authorised payments cannot be reversed.
To avoid being caught, holidaymakers are advised to pay mobile vendors in cash. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Q&A
What happened to Lisa Selby in Rio de Janeiro?
Lisa Selby was charged 4,000 reais (£590) for two slices of barbecued cheese due to a vendor adding extra zeros to the payment.
How much did a British tourist pay for a kebab in Rio?
A British tourist was swindled into paying £1,500 for a kebab by a beach vendor in Rio de Janeiro.
What should tourists be aware of when visiting Rio's beaches?
Tourists should be cautious of scams at beach vendors, as there have been multiple reports of inflated charges for food items.
What other scams have been reported in Rio de Janeiro?
An Argentinian tourist was charged £3,000 for a corn on the cob, highlighting ongoing scams targeting visitors.
