Devious tourists across Spain caught red-handed using AI scams to dodge hefty restaurant bills

A restaurant in Galicia, Spain, said it was almost tricked by two English diners who presented an AI-generated video of insects on their table to avoid paying their bill, but the restaurant refused and threatened to call police, prompting the diners to pay. In a separate incident in Tarragona, two tourists were arrested after presenting an AI-forged payment receipt to dodge a €4,000 (£3,425) bill. Travel scams have surged by 500 to 900 per cent in recent years, according to Booking.com, with £11 million lost to holiday fraud in 2024.

Devious tourists across Spain caught red-handed using AI scams to dodge hefty restaurant bills READ MORE: 'DO NOT GO': Tourists outraged at notorious Mykonos bar over rip-off '€50 cocktails' and 'rude' staff /travel/article-16016071/mykonos-dk-oyster-rip-bar-restaurant-greek-island.html See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source https://google.com/preferences/source?q=dailymail.com AI /sciencetech/ai/index.html has crept into many aspects of human life over the past few years, assisting with tasks as varied as drafting emails, creating travel itineraries and checking grammar. But now some tourists have started to deploy AI technologies in more sinister schemes. A restaurant in Galicia, north-west Spain /news/spain/index.html , anonymously reached out to @SoyCamarero on X, which translates to 'I am a waiter', and revealed how it was almost tricked by two English diners. The customers ordered multiple dishes to share and washed the meal down with one of the most expensive wines on the menu. Towards the end of the meal, they showed a server a video of small black bugs crawling across the table. The footage even seemed to have the restaurant's logo on the tablecloth. The diners claimed the insects had left but they did not want to pay - despite there no longer being any visible pests on their plates any more. The restaurant spotted some issues with the clip and realised it was AI-generated. However, when the waiter refused to waive the fee for the meal, the couple apparently threatened to post the footage on social media. In the end, the establishment said they would be forced to call the police if the full bill wasn't paid. The diners then coughed up and left. A Spanish restaurant revealed how it was almost tricked by two English diners who presented an AI-generated video of insects crawling on their table stock The restaurant raised concerns that the AI tactic could become a new trend amongst dishonest customers. Another incident occured in Tarragona last year, when two tourists tried to dodge paying a whopping €4,000 £3,425 bill, Olive Press https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2026/08/17/restaurants-in-spain-are-seeing-a-surge-in-unpaid-bills-thanks-to-ai/ reports. The couple presented staff with an image of a payment receipt. The waiters wanted to check the restaurant had received the money before allowing them to leave. Upon further inspection, they realised the company had not been paid, and they called the police on the two tourists. The Catalan police arrived and arrested the couple and confirmed the forged receipt was created using AI. The controversial technology is also being used to scam tourists. /travel/article-16035965/travel-scams-rising-warning-signs-holidaymakers.html Travel scams have surged by between 500 and 900 per cent in recent years, according to Booking.com https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8003dd8jzeo , with experts warning that AI /sciencetech/ai/index.html is helping criminals create increasingly convincing traps for holidaymakers. Regulators have warned that £11million was lost to holiday fraud in 2024 alone. Fraudsters are exploiting the rush for last-minute breaks and bargain deals, catching travellers who may be booking in a hurry. Another restaurant, in Tarragona pictured , called the police after two tourists attemped to pay their bills with a forged receipt created with AI Almost a third 30 per cent of adults have fallen victim to a travel scam or know someone who has. Scammers are increasingly using AI-generated voices and messages to impersonate trusted contacts, including travel companies or family members. Warning signs include unnatural pauses in conversation, high‑pressure tactics, requests for immediate payment or changes to banking details. Always verify credentials through official websites, confirmed phone numbers, or multiple channels before acting.