Fuerteventura Tourist Information, Scam Alert, Travel Tips, travel guide ...

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"Dear Ask Travel Editors.com

We recently visited Jandia in South Fuerteventura. We want to alert your readers to the following Tourist Scam. We also found out there are different versions of this scam but the aim is the same - the conman wants to steal your money.

Here's one version:

A person knocks on your door and says he's your neighbour just a a few doors away. He's suffers from epileptic fits and the doctor has just prescribed medication. His wife has the key to the safe and she was at the swimming pool but he can't find her. There's a taxi waiting for him to get the medicine. If you lend him XX Euros,  he'll return it within 30 minutes. 

He is a very good actor and you may really believe he's sick. He counts on the fact that most people are kind and will help out someone in distress.

Once you give the money and an hour goes by, you check the apartment and you find out he wasn't your neighbour - he was a conman.  Or as the family put it, "A son of a B - - - - or a Son of a   - - - - E. A mentally sick creature who doesn't appreciate that one day all the illnesses he pretends to have will come to pass. This particular person spoke in German and English but claimed he was Dutch"

Various other "tales" may be used to abuse your kindness. The above incident happened at The Sunrise Beach Hotel, Jandia but the "mental sicko" operates in other hotels and resorts on the island. He (or "sickos" like him) may also operate in other places. 

When the family informed Reception, they were told that the "sicko" operates with various stories. The family asked Reception to put up a notice so other families were alerted to the scam. 

We hope this scam alert will help your readers."

Ask Travel Editors.com   Travel Tips

• NEVER give money to "neighbours" - they are NOT your neighbours, they are total strangers

• DON'T listen to his / her story or tale of distress

• Tell him / her to go to Reception for help

• Close your door

• Ring Reception and tell them what just happened

• Alternatively, tell him / her to wait outside, close your door and telephone Reception to send Security

• If you are with a partner and it doesn't put you at risk in any way (in other words, you know you can handle the situation completely safely), take a photo of the person and hand it to Reception / Local Police

• In the above report, the "sicko" was an amoral man - it could easily be a woman; the "sickos" may even use a child to steal your money

• Nationality, languages, colour, etc. doesn't have anything to do with scams - a con person is a con person wherever or whoever he or she is.

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