British tourists’ fake poisoning scam
The Spanish tourism industry is up in arms at the booming popularity of a scam which has seen British holidaymakers apparently fake illness in order to claim hefty compensation packages from hotels.
Industry sources have warned that increasing numbers of Britons are using the hoax, which involves complaining that a meal in the hotel where they stayed gave them food poisoning. With hotel owners unwilling to face the legal costs of taking the matter to court, they frequently find themselves offering a settlement worth several thousand euro.
With the summer season approaching and with it the arrival of millions of British tourists, Spain’s tourism sector is demanding swift action from the authorities to prevent a wave of costly new claims.