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LIFE IN SPAIN

15 scams to watch out for in Spain in 2022

Scams have been commonplace in Spain for some time but as a result of the pandemic, scammers have upped their game further still. Here are 15 of the most common 'estafas' (scams) to look out for in Spain in 2022 and how to make sure you don't fall victim to them.

Published: 25 June 2021 11:51 CEST
Updated: 7 February 2022 13:44 CET
15 scams to watch out for in Spain in 2022
Scammers are using more tricks than ever to steal money from people in Spain. Photo: Oscar del Pozo/AFP

1. Emails or text messages impersonating Spain’s postal system (or other courier companies)

The pandemic has led to a dramatic rise in online shopping and unfortunately, scammers have been taking advantage of this by trying to pose as the Correos postal service or other courier companies. People may receive fake e-mails or text messages telling them where to track their orders or that it’s been cancelled until a €1.75 customs charge is paid, but instead, it redirects you to a page pretending to be Correos, designed to steal your data.  

In other cases people have received messages pretending to be from one of these courier companies, asking them to pay a small fee to make sure the package arrives. When you go to pay the fee, the fake website steals your bank details.

One of the most serious of these types of scams is from scammers pretending to be from FedEx, who send you a text message telling you that your package couldn’t be delivered or to track it via an app. When the fake app is downloaded, the scammers can take control of your phone (if it’s an Android).

2. Supposed utility company salesperson knocking at your door 

If someone claiming to belong to one of Spain’s utility companies shows up at your home without warning offering you an interesting new deal, you should keep your guard up, because this practice is prohibited by law. In fact, Spain’s national police suggests that before you open the door to them (if at all), you should call 091 to warn them of the scam.

The practice has been banned since 2018 and the real energy companies are aware of this and don’t send out staff to go door to door, so if someone turns up at your home claiming to be from Iberdrola, Endesa or another household names, don’t trust them. 

3. Phone call claiming your bank account has been hacked 

A new estafa (scam in Spanish) being used in Spain in 2022 sees scammers call you up, read out your ID number to make you believe they’re actually working for your bank and inform you that they’ve picked up on a fraudulent payment debited from your account. 

They then suggest sending you a code via SMS which you will have to read out to them over the phone. Spanish banks don’t call to request that you tell them what verification codes you’ve received, so hang up the phone, don’t open the text message, check your account and if there is a problem deal with your bank directly in person. Most of these scammers currently claim to work for Spain’s two biggest banks, BBVA and Santander, although there is a similar scam where Caixabank customers are called to be informed that their account has been ‘blocked’.

4. The Bizum scam 

With 12 million users in Spain, this mobile payment service is how many Spaniards choose to split the bill, pay over small amounts for services and even pay the rent.

As a result, scammers have seen an opportunity to swindle money out of Bizum users who use the app as a means of payment for their businesses. Estafadores (scammers) pose as customers and send out messages where they ask the seller or business to “authorise” a sum of money as payment. 

People who get paid through Bizum do not receive a message asking them if they want to receive the money, they simply receive a message saying that it’s already been paid in. If they click on the scammer’s link that supposedly authorises the payment they won’t get paid but rather end up paying that sum to the scammer. 

5. Fake e-mails from the Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax Agency) and other official bodies

This is a classic Spanish scam that always appears during tax season at the end of June. There are several variations of this scam, but in general cybercriminals pretend to be from the Spanish Tax Agency and send you an e-mail reminding you that you need to make a payment, that your account has been blocked or that you are due a refund. When you click on the link they send you, it takes you to a fake page to enter your data. From here, scammers can steal your personal details.

Another variation of this is that the e-mail asks you to download an attachment and when you do, it installs malware on your computer.  

6. Vacation rental scams 

As the summer season is approaching, the Guardia Civil are warning people about several vacation rental scams going on. These include advertising fake properties that don’t exist and taking people’s money without actually giving them the keys to the property. In order to avoid these scams, they are advising people to watch out for adverts that sound too good to be true, to check the reviews and number of people who have rented the property before, to ask to speak to the landlord on the phone and to not hand over any more without some guarantee. 

7. Cryptocurreny scams

Cryptocurrency scams are becoming more and more common in Spain recently. One of the most common is a fake cryptocurrency ad using the face of a celebrity, while another is on Twitter where the scammers set up fake profiles of celebrities and try to get you to buy crypto. Often the ads will ask you to send Bitcoin or another crypto such as Ethereum to a wallet under the guise that they will send you back double.

Several elaborate pyramid schemes have also been set up to get you to buy fake cryptocurrencies. One of the biggest groups of cybercriminals trying to do this in Spain is Algorithms Group, a Bitcoin investment company based in London that has defrauded people for almost €280 million.

8. Discount coupons from supermarkets and big companies

Another classic scam being used in times of need is that of fake discount codes from popular companies. These spread quickly because cybercriminals often say that if you share the codes with your friends then you will get a greater discount. When you click on the fake link and enter your details, your identity is sent straight to the scammers. These have been seen via WhatsApp messages pretending to be the supermarket Mercadona. A similar scam attracts victims by pretending to run a prize draw to win a car.

There’s also a new scam where victims receive a text message claiming to be from Carrefour supermarket warning customers their discount card has been bloqued. When they click on the link it takes them to a website which mimics Carrefour’s and asks you to input your personal details, which they then proceed to steal. If you receive an SMS like this, bring it up with staff at your local Carrefour supermarket and don’t click on the link. 

9. Phone company scams 

There have been a rise in phone company scams recently, particularly from those pretending to be Vodafone, as reported by Antena3. The scammers try and hack your account by sending you an e-mail pretending to be from Vodafone. They tell you that you have an unpaid invoice and must pay it as soon as possible to avoid a fine. Clicking on the link that they provide you will download malware on your computer that will infect it with a virus and be able to steal your details. 

10. Fake WhatsApp verification codes

WhatsApp account hijacking has become common and recently there has been a spike in these types of scams. Basically, what happens is that the cybercriminal configures WhatsApp on their phone using your phone number. As WhatsApp only allows one profile associated with each phone number, a verification code will be sent to make sure you want to do this. The scammer will then ask you to resend the code and if you do, they can take control of your account.

Some of the most common scams in Spain in 2022. Photo: Photo Mix / Pixabay

11. Amazon order confirmations

Because so many people use Amazon these days for online shopping, scammers have taken advantage. The way this scam works is that criminals send you an order confirmation pretending to be from Amazon. When you click on the link, you are taken to a fake page that asks for your log-in details. If you enter them then scammers may be able to access and buy things on your account, as well as steal all your personal details.

12. False information about Covid-19

Unfortunately, the pandemic has also brought out several people who want to take advantage of the difficult situation. This means that there are several Covid scams, where people pretend to be official bodies and send you notifications about border restrictions, vaccines or aid for companies. The messages either redirect you to a fake page to steal your details or send you an attachment to download, installing malware on your device. This could be through e-mail or messaging services such as WhatsApp.

13. Sim card cloning or swapping

Sim card cloning has been on the rise in recent years in Spain and it’s something that you need to watch out for, particularly if your mobile signal fails and you think there’s something wrong with your phone. Sometimes if you take your phone in to be repaired somewhere then your SIM card may be cloned or swapped. The criminal then typically gets hold of the victim’s bank account details. The other reason they do this is that a copy of the SIM is often need to break the two-factor authentication used by many lenders, who send an SMS to the client’s phone with a code before authorising a transaction. 

14. Phishing via video conferences or online classes

Another one linked to the pandemic takes advantage of the fact that so many people have been doing things online, such as taking classes through the internet or doing video conferences. The objective of these scams is to steal Zoom account details. One of the ways it works is that you will receive an invitation to a Zoom meeting sending you a fake link where it asks for your details. In other instances, you may receive an e-mail asking you to join a meeting about terminating your employment contract. When you click on the link, it takes you to a fake page from where cybercriminals can steal your log-in details.

15. Phishing from streaming platforms

Other services that people have been using a lot during the pandemic are streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO or Disney Plus. The objective of most of these scams is to try and steal your login details or credentials. The way in which they do this is often to get you to try and fill out a survey to lure you in with subscriptions for a lower price. Some of these have come from WhatsApp where they promise you free Netflix. 

How do I make sure I don’t fall victim to these scams?

In almost most of these cases, cybercriminals are pretending to be official companies to try and steal your details. Basically, if you receive a message from a company and it looks suspicious or it says you’ve ordered something and you haven’t, then always check if the message has come from an official source. If links send you to other websites, always check these addresses to check if they are the official web addresses of these companies or not.

What do I do if I do fall victim to any of these?  

If unfortunately, you do fall victim to any of these scams the first thing to do is monitor your phone bill to check if there are any payments to numbers or things you don’t recognise. Often, you will be signed up to a premium messaging service, which adds extra charges to your bill. If you see any of these, contact your phone company who should be able to help you unsubscribe.

If you have given away your bank details or card number, you need to contact your bank right away to let them know or to request a new bank card.

If you think that scammers or hackers may have gotten hold of your login details for certain services, make sure you change your passwords straight away to more secure ones.

READ ALSO: Ten top tips to avoid being pickpocketed in Spain

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PROPERTY

BBQs, nudity and plants: What are the balcony rules in Spain?

Though many people hang laundry, plants, and flags from their balcony, in Spain the rules on what you can and can't do on 'el balcón' are not well-known.

Published: 8 May 2024 17:13 CEST
Updated: 11 May 2024 08:31 CEST
BBQs, nudity and plants: What are the balcony rules in Spain?

Imagine the scene: you’ve just bought or signed the lease on your dream apartment. It’s bright and airy, with plenty of space, and even has a nice-sized balcony to get some fresh air on. You can do whatever you want there, right? 

Not exactly. In Spain the rules on what you can and can’t do on a balcony (even if it’s private) depend on a few factors, namely the regional and local rules, as well as getting the approval of the building’s homeowner’s association – known in Spain as la comunidad.

Some of them might just surprise you.

READ ALSO: ‘La comunidad’: What property owners in Spain need to know about homeowners’ associations

There are four main things or activities on balconies that could potentially put you on the wrong side of the local rules and even get you fined: barbecues, plants, laundry, and flags.

In all cases (even if you don’t think you’re breaking any rules) you’ll generally need to consider two things: firstly, does this affect or change the building’s façade? And secondly: will la comunidad allow it?

Barbecues

In Spain there is no national law prohibiting barbecues on private property, so in principle it is legal as long as the barbecue is lit in a private space such as your own balcony, garden or terrace, and not a shared space.

Often in Spain, the roof (usually referred to as la terrazza) is a shared space people use for storage and hanging their laundry, so be sure to check with the comunidad.

In terms of your own balcony, however, although there’s no law saying outright you can’t have a barbecue, you’ll need to take into account the rules and regulations in force in each locality or region. There may also be specific rules within the building that long-term homeowners have developed over the years.

As we will see, many of these low-level regulations are delegated to local governments and town halls in Spain, so the answer to these sorts of questions is usually: it depends where you are.

However, according to Article 7 of Spain’s Horizontal Property Law, “the owner and the occupant of the flat or premises are not allowed to carry out in it or in the rest of the property activities prohibited in bylaws, which are harmful to the property or which contravene the general provisions on annoying, unhealthy, harmful, dangerous or illegal activities.”

This basically gives your neighbours the right to complain about noise, smells, smoke and any possible fire risk in or around their building, which barbecues could plausibly fall under.

As with co-living anywhere in the world, regardless of the regional or local rules, employ some common sense: be reasonable, listen to neighbour’s concerns and take up any disputes with the President of la comunidad.

READ ALSO: What you need to know before having a barbecue in Spain

Plants

Again, with plants the responsibility falls on each local authority to set the rules. In Spain, most regions and town halls state that, as long as the architectural or structural elements of the building are not changed or weakened in any way, putting plants on your balcony is permitted.

However, note that many terraces and balconies do have maximum weight regulations that must be respected in order to guarantee their safety, which is 200kg per square metre. If this figure is exceeded (and it can be proved) you could theoretically be fined.

Laundry

Laundry lines criss-crossing the streets might be one of the more picturesque images of Spanish life, but the people doing it might actually be breaking the rules.

How do you know? You guessed it, it depends where you. You’ll need to check with your local authority on this one, though municipal regulations in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia all regulate hanging laundry from your balcony, which is again outlined in the Horizontal Property Law.

This principally seems to be because it affects the façade of the building (a common theme when it comes to balcony rules in Spain).

In places with rules about hanging laundry from balconies, you could be fined up to 750 euros if you don’t comply with the rules.

However, according to Foto Casa, even if you live in an area where there are no bans or penalties against hanging laundry on the balcony, you’ll still likely need the permission of la comunidad.

READ MORE: Spain’s weirdest laws that foreigners should know about

What about flags?

Whether it be the Spanish flag, the Catalan, Valencian or Andalusian flags, or LGBT, trade union or football team flags, flags proudly hanging from balconies is another mainstay of Spanish life.

It’s also one of the more controversial ones too, especially within comunidad meetings. Hanging flags on the balcony, as well as allegedly altering the aesthetics and security of the building (the same concern as with laundry) often has ideological connotations that can cause conflict.

Again, as with laundry, hanging flags on the balcony will require the approval of all the owners within the community, something that must be agreed at a meeting, as per the Horizontal Property Law.

However, if the flag is placed inside the property, as it is a private property, fellow homeowners cannot oppose it, even if it is visible from the street, according to Foto Casa.

Nudity 

Article of 185 of Spain’s Penal Code only considers being naked at home to be obscene exhibitionism and sexual provocation if it affects minors, in which case it is punishable with a fine or up to a year in prison.

Therefore, you could technically sunbathe shirtless or naked on your balcony in most cases without getting into trouble, although it won’t necessarily go down well with your neighbours and/or flatmates and you be reprimanded for it.

READ ALSO: Can you go shirtless or wear a bikini in the street in Spain?

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