A British tourist in Brazil has been scammed into buying what might be the world’s most expensive kebab. The incident, which involved a rigged payment device, took place on one of Brazil’s most iconic beaches, Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, and is not a one-off, local police warn.
The scammer was arrested on 13 April, Rio’s civil police confirmed to The Independent, after using a payment machine that had been tampered with to charge the visitor 10,000 reis (over €1,700) for a kebab, instead of the 10 reis (€1,70) the food should have cost.
In perhaps the most shocking case before the kebab incident, a woman from Argentina ended up paying 20,000 reais (nearly £3,000) for a margarine-coated corn on the cob which should have cost 20 reais (about £3).
— Clarismelda Aquino (@Clarismelda) April 15, 2026
Argentinian, British, and Czech nationals have fallen victim to similar schemes, which authorities allege to involve a network of rigged card payment machines operated by criminals posing as street sellers across Copacabana, Ipanema, and Arpoador. One example saw a price of 7,000 reais (about €1,200) slapped on the bill for two cups of açaí. Another saw a Colombian tourist unwittingly pay 2,500 reais (about €420) for a caipirinha.
After welcoming a record nine million visitors in 2025, Rio is anticipating a further events-led tourist boost to the sector in 2026, with Colombian pop star Shakira scheduled to perform a beachside concert in May. Would-be visitors can find travel security and safety advice on sites such as the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) site. Its guidance for Brazil notes that “bank and credit card scams are common, including card cloning from ATMs and in shops. Keep sight of your card and do not use an ATM if you notice anything suspicious.”
Delegacia Especial de Apoio ao Turismo (Deat) prende homem que aplicou o “golpe da maquininha” em uma turista britânica, causando prejuízo de R$ 10 mil, na Praia de Copacabana, Zona Sul RJ.
— Polícia Civil RJ (@PCERJ) April 14, 2026
O criminoso ofereceu um churrasquinho por R$ 100 e, no momento do pagamento, utilizou… pic.twitter.com/veP5LPrnGK
Foreign victims can be especially vulnerable to fraud if they do not have a sufficient grasp of Portuguese to understand numbers, said one Spanish woman who was charged 20,000 reais (€3,400) for a corn-on-the-cob which should have cost a thousand times less. In addition, visitors from countries such as Argentina, who have been enjoying a strong exchange rate with Brazil and are expecting relatively cheap prices, might have lowered their guards.
A specialist investigation into the network remains ongoing, according to Patricia Alemany, the head of Rio’s tourist police. Speaking to Brazilian newspaper O Globo she blamed an atmosphere of impunity in some of Brazil’s coastal destinations. “There is no supervision of street vendors on the beach, which creates an environment of public disorder and greatly facilitates this type of crime,” she said in a translated statement.
As the summer season kicks in in Europe, debates about high prices in tourist destinations are likely to reignite. One seafood restaurant in Greece has suffered repeated complaints of overcharging, with an Italian visitor paying over €700 for three orange juices, an Aperol spritz, and a medium portion of squids and shrimps.
