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Scammers on the Camino Frances

Peter Lockwood

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances, planning April (2018)
Currently walking through Galicia. Out of Herrerías a couple of days ago and this morning on the way out of Sarria there have been women running a charity scam. Its an old one I think: you are approached to sign a petition and then hassled for 20€ 'donation'. The Guardia Civil are onto them. Just don't get sucked in!
PS Its supposed to be wet in Galicia but we're having nothin but sunshine
 
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Here we go again! Yes, the season is now officially in full swing. The "deaf girls" are back once again for another season of fleecing hapless pilgrims. Please do not fall for it.

If you read this, and are going or know someone else, please tell them this this is an estafa, a scam. I just smile, mutter "es en estafa chicas..." and just walked politely by.

BTW, as soon as school is out for the summer, these young ladies can be found in the vicinity of the Cathedral in Santiago, plying their trade at "pilgrim central." Either that, or they are doppelgängers who carry on in both places.

Hope this helps.
 
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They been around for some years now. They even approached me on the trail up to A Faba. We watched two of them operate outside the cathedral in Santiago. They arrived just before evening Mass. They worked the crowd coming out. As the crowd finally thinned out, they suddenly had the power of speech as they chatted and laughed. Police were there but did not take them under their notice.
 
They've been around for years now! I think we first bumped into them in 2011 and then many times after.
 
......and the same scam with clipboards on the streets of most tourist European cities. I have encountered them many times in Paris..Rome..Bordeau...Nice...Madrid...Barcelona..etc.....as well as on the CF, the VdlP, Norte and the rest. Just ignore and spread the word in the albergues.
They only stop when the scam stops working.
 
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LOL !

Good to "hear" they are alive and well !

I ran into the same group of women in 2012 and 2014...............
 
Part of me feels badly for those young ladies because no doubt they are doing that scam for the financial gain of someone else. A male probably. A sort of pimp if you will. The other part of me goes into hard target mode and either ignores them or acts callous to them as I walk briskly by.
 
Just finished my Camino last Sunday and saw NO sign of Scammers for the entire six weeks that it took for me to walk the Camino.
 
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Yep been going on for years. I got caught for 20 euros and later saw them picked up by some right shady characters with their takings for the day.
 
I carry one of these with me when I hike. They're useful for hailing friends that have walked ahead or lagged behind on the trail. Fun to use when approached by deaf girls on the Camino too. One quick blast and you'll instantly know who's deaf and who isn't. Cheers!

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