British tourists breathe easy: Bangkok slips off the scam radar
Good news for British tourists heading to Bangkok for a holiday: the Big Mango has dropped five places from No.1 to No.6 as the globe’s most likely destinations to get scammed or robbed.
Antivirus company McAfee compiled a new list highlighting cities where tourists are often robbed of their hard-earned cash, with a popular Spanish resort now claiming the top spot.
Brits heading to the sun-soaked shores of Spain, beware! Benidorm, the beloved Costa Blanca resort, has snatched the dubious honour of being the world’s top destination for tourist scams.
In a crushing blow to its holiday reputation, Benidorm has overtaken Bangkok as the globe’s most perilous place for tourists to lose their hard-earned cash to crafty fraudsters.
New York, Dublin, and Berlin are among the cities where holidaymakers are most at risk of being scammed, and a very popular beach destination has been identified as the riskiest.
According to McAfee, British tourists lost a staggering £12 million to holiday scams in 2023. Travellers should be particularly cautious when dealing with unreliable holiday providers, especially in the top 10 riskiest destinations.
Benidorm, Spain
The list includes several popular holiday spots for Brits, where tourists are frequently targeted by those looking to swindle them out of their money. Benidorm, Spain, known for its large number of British visitors each year, has emerged as the location where fraudsters cause the most harm. The Costa Blanca region has seen a surge in fraudulent websites and adverts offering scam deals to unsuspecting victims.
Benidorm is followed by Berlin in second place and Ibiza in third, as locations where tourists need to be especially careful with their money. Bangkok, Thailand, which held the No.1 spot last year, has now dropped to sixth place, reported the Daily Mirror.
McAfee’s Head of EMEA, Vonny Gamot, urged holidaymakers to remain alert.
“Tourist should take early and proactive steps to manage their security, privacy and online identity is extremely important as we head into the peak summer holiday season. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it’s best to avoid clicking; instead, go direct to the source and book with reputable companies.”
Holidaymakers are also advised not to trust businesses and social media accounts solely based on their professional appearance.
Reviews can be misleading, as some sites attempt to improve their ratings by removing negative feedback. It’s wise to use third-party platforms, such as Trustpilot, to assess a website’s reliability.
Top 10 riskiest locations to holiday
- Benidorm, Spain.
- Berlin, Germany.
- Ibiza, Balearic Islands.
- Valletta, Malta.
- Albufeira, Portugal.
- Bangkok, Thailand.
- Maldives, South Asia.
- Dubai, UAE.
- New York, USA.
- Dublin, Ireland
