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Beware of This Common Travel Scam in Spain's Palma de Mallorca

June 05, 2019
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3 min read
Spain, Mallorca, Palma de Mallorca, restaurants at Paseo Sagrera by night
Beware of This Common Travel Scam in Spain's Palma de Mallorca
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Police in Palma, the capital city of the Spanish island of Mallorca, recently arrested 26 trileros, or people involved with a common travel scam called trile, the cup game.

The game involves three cups and a small object that is hidden beneath one of the cups. Players are asked to guess which cup contains the object beneath, paying a small sum of money to play (and bet) with the hope of winning big.

The local Mallorcan police have warned tourists not to play the game because they will "definitely lose," as the scammers often secretly remove the object hidden beneath the cups. The police have even tweeted a video about how the scam is staged, advising both tourists and locals to stay far away.

Despite the arrests, the game lives on (as it has for years) and players continue to be scammed out of their euros. The game is common in Palma de Mallorca, but also along the beaches of major tourist destinations such as Benidorm and Valencia, as well as squares in Barcelona and Madrid.

The good news is, you can easily avoid this scam by simply not playing the game and not handing over any money to the scammers. If someone approaches you to play, no matter how persuasive, just ignore them and keep moving. They're not known for being violent with tourists, but lately, the street gangs (known as trileros) have been multiplying, and fights have broken out between the gangs and those playing.

A local Spanish resident, Jorge Ortega, told The Points Guy he's seen the game played since he was a child. He's always known it was a scam and suggests steering clear of the game and those involved entirely.

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"Just walk away if they ask you to play, or [ask] if you want to win big," he advised, "and don't get sucked in by the prospect of winning easy money . . . because you'll just end up losing it."

The cup game isn't the only scam to watch out for in Spain. There's also the rental car scam that's especially prevalent along the Costa Brava, and Barcelona is known for harboring petty thieves and pickpockets. But don't let the possibility of being scammed scare you into not visiting Palma, the Costa Brava or Spain in general. The country is actually a very safe place -- just be mindful of your personal belongings and keep your wits about you, just as you would when traveling anywhere else in the world.

Featured image by Getty Images/Westend61

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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