Beware the 'overly friendly' couples who could ruin your holiday - and the scam that could leave you without your valuables

READ MORE: The Turkish paradise dubbed 'St Tropez without the price tag' – where holidays cost almost half what you would pay in the glamorous French resortWant to holiday like a travel expert? Get free access to this subscriber article about the best Greek islands to visit (and the worst ones to avoid) when you sign up HERE to the Escape newsletterSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 10:03 EDT, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 10:06 EDT, 28 July 2026 Benidorm attracts millions of tourists each year with its sunny beaches, lively nightlife and affordable holidays. But holidaymakers heading to the popular destination have been warned of a new scam involving overly friendly couples.Michelle Baker, who lives in Benidorm, explained the lesser-known tactic on her Facebook page, Benidormforever.She described it as a 'selfie steal' and revealed how it involves a couple approaching tourists and asking them to take a photograph. 'This is a new one and targets women mostly; a couple ask you to take a photo… they’re all smiles and overly friendly… then they ask you to get into their selfie,' Michelle outlined. She urged visitors to 'politely decline' the offer to avoid falling victim. Holidaymakers jetting off to Benidorm have been warned about a lesser-known scam'Once up close they’ll deftly grab your goodies - purse, phone, watch and jewellery… and you won’t feel a thing,' she said.Benidorm is generally a safe destination to visit, and Michelle stressed that she doesn't 'want to scare' visitors but emphasised that sometimes holidaymakers can let their 'guard down'. There are other scams to look out for, including one dubbed 'The Pea Men' – which also involves a friendly couple. It's Benidorm's most famous trick, according to Michelle, but plenty still fall for it. She explained: 'Usually on the beach, a fella hides a pea under a cup, switches it around and you have to bet on where it is; the couple playing win and you can see the pea… so you take a risk….'But the Benidorm expert urged visitors to not get involved with the antics. The couple who played before are usually in on the scam and once tourists get involved, they 'win round one, then lose the rest'.Holidaymakers end up not being allowed to walk away until they are 'skint' and will find the situation 'very intimidating and scary'.Instead of joining in, Michelle advised visitors to 'just walk on by'. The trick involves a couple asking tourists to get into their selfie (stock)The warning comes as Benidorm authorities are also cracking down on illegal holiday rentals in the popular resort.Local authorities have managed to earn a small fortune of over €100,000 from fining dodgy accommodation, The Olive Press reports.The first four charges amounted to €50,001 each and were halved only after the owners agreed they had broken the law and would pay quickly, according to Javi Jorda, Benidorm’s commerce councillor.In addition to the first four fines, there are currently 12 more proposed sanctions that are being processed.Since the local council was granted its sanctioning powers, 196 holiday rentals have been flagged in complaints.