Spain holiday warning: Brits told €2 Euro coin scam is rampant - 'Look out!'

Brits abroad have been warned about a scam which could see them being left out of pocket.

Spain’s Civil Guard has alerted holidaymakers that local vendors have been giving change that looks like €2 coin – but it is in fact a near identical replacement.

A tweet from Spain's Civil Guard warning holidaymakers of scam
Twitter / Guardia Civil

The coin – valued at 24p rather than the £1.73 in sterling – is actually a South African five rand coin, which has a similar design to the euro coin.

In a tweet, the Guardia Civil said: “Look out!!! This is a South African 5 rand coin. It is very similar to that of €2 but it is really worth €0.30. [Careful] that they don’t scam you.”

It is not the first time the Spanish authorities have warned of a coin scam. The Turkish lira coin also has a similar gold and silver design, but is worth 30p.

The advice from the Spanish Civil Guard given to tourist is to check carefully the change they are given, looking closely for the large “2” which can be found on the coin.

The €2 coin
David Jones