Brits in Benidorm have been urgently warned to steer clear of a group known as the ‘pea men’, who are reportedly robbing unsuspecting tourists. The warning was issued by YouTube channel Benidorm Stuff, which posted a video detailing the tactics used by pickpockets to steal valuable items such as phones and wallets from holidaymakers.
The presenter explained that one method involves a group of people called “pea men”, who draw victims into a street game. While the victims are distracted by the game, they are targeted by pickpockets hidden in the crowd or nearby.
The presenter warned: “Thieves will distract your attention to something else so you’re concentrating on that and often oblivious to anything else going on. This is a tactic used by the pea men.”
“We’ve done loads of videos warning people of the scam game the pea men play where they get you to gamble on a game that you’re never going to win. But they also have a team of pickpockets who appear to be standing around watching or even participating in the game.”
“These are actually most of the time dipping pockets or perhaps slipping your watch off whilst you focus on the pea men and their game, or they’ll be scanning the crowd to see which people have phones, wallets, jewellery etc on them and whereabouts on their person they’re being kept.”
“They’ll get a message to other gang members up the road of potential targets they’ll know exactly which pockets or bags pick from when you walk off up the street. They may use another distraction technique to carry out this part, you might walk past somebody or walk into somebody, a brief bump or a brush of shoulders and that’s all it takes.”
“These scallies are so quick and so good at what they do, in literally a split second they can have your stuff off you without you feeling a thing.”
This YouTuber is not the first to sound the alarm about the pea men scam, with Benidorm Seriously also cautioning holidaymakers about the hustle awaiting in the sunny Spanish city.
They warn: “DO NOT stop, as enticing as it seems with all the cheering and clapping. The majority of so-called spectators are actually members of the gang trying to lure you to stop and take part.”
“It works like this. A guy will shuffle three shells/potatoes, one of which has a pea or a pebble under it, he will take bets from the crowd…and they will win.”
“He will make it easy to guess where the pea is – when YOUR money is not involved. But as soon as you put your money down – he will win easily – he will take your money EVERY TIME! These men are expert hustlers and you cannot beat them.”