An Argentine tourist ended up paying around 3,400 euros for a corn on the cob spread with margarine in Rio de Janeiro after being scammed by a beach vendor. According to international reports, the tourist fell victim to an organized scam scheme on the famous Copacabana beach. Initially, the product's price was about 20 reais, or approximately 3.40 euros, but at the moment of payment, the scammers interfered with the electronic terminal and increased the amount to 20,000 reais, charging her an astonishing sum.
After the incident, the tourist admitted her mistake, saying she did not understand Portuguese and failed to notice the manipulation of the numbers during payment. This is not an isolated case, as similar incidents are becoming increasingly frequent on Rio's beaches.
Local authorities have confirmed that just a few days earlier, another British tourist was scammed into paying about 1,700 euros for a kebab, while the actual price was only 10 reais. Other cases have also been reported, where tourists paid 1,200 euros for two cups of tea and 420 euros for a caipirinha cocktail.
According to DEAT, a specialized unit for tourist protection, these scams are carried out by organized groups operating in tourist areas like Ipanema. The scheme involves approaching tourists with attractive offers and then manipulating the payment through electronic devices.