Tourist in mobility scooter is caught filming a ‘staged crash’ down stairs at Turkish resort as the country’s hotels brace for compensation-claiming Brits’ scams
- Footage appears to show a British tourist faking an injury so she can cash in
- Turkish hotels have complained that wily tactics are on the up so far this summer
- ‘Not only do they claim free trip – they leave with more cash than they came with’
- It follows news that some resorts have installed CCTV to catch out fraudsters
A pair of audacious British tourists abroad were caught staging a ‘fall’ so they could claim compensation – and Turkish hotels have complained many are doing the same.
The duo, described in local reports as a mother and daughter, were spotted choreographing the carefully planned fall on CCTV in Marmaris, southwest Turkey.
The older woman places her mobility scooter at the top of the staircase and begins to ‘trip’, with her ‘daughter’ dutifully waiting at the bottom to film it on her phone.
The collapsed woman then splays herself out dramatically, yelling for help.
Her daughter eventually stops filming and appears to tell her to get up.
The footage, which was branded ‘Oscar Acting’ by local newspapers, sparked fresh outrage among Turkish hotel owners, who have long complained that Brits are using crafty tactics to claim cash back on their trips.
Aside from fake falls, some hotel owners claim Brits have placed bugs in their room before complaining of stomach aches.
An injury or illness caught on holiday can result in affected tourists claiming hundreds or even thousands of pounds from their travel agent at the end of the trip.
Using a loophole in UK law, travel agencies are able to pass their court fees onto the hotel deemed responsible for the damage.
TUI was named by Turkish hotel bosses as a frequent offender.
MailOnline has contacted TUI for comment.
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Musa Evin branded British agencies’ practices ‘unfair – and called for a ‘just’ arbitration process.
He told Turkey Gazette: ‘Not only do they claim a free trip, but they leave with more money in their pockets than they came with.’
Thousands of Brits flock each summer to resorts on the Turkish Riviera (Marmaris pictured)
Neither of the women in the clip have been identified – and it’s not known whether the footage is recent or not.
But members of Turkey’s tourist sector, which is still suffering the after-effects of Covid, are certain that something must be done.
Otherwise, Mr Evin said, ‘the facilities of our country will continue to be sold for nothing, and our per capita income will stay the same.’
In 2018, some Turkish resorts began installing CCTV cameras so they could catch out ‘casualty’ fraudsters looking to save a few pennies on their trip.
Turkish Hoteliers Federation chair Bulent Bulbuloglu said hotels had started using ‘detective skills’ to spot the cheeky tacticians.
Hotel owners have long complained that Brits use crafty tactics to claim cash back on their holidays (Pictured, Club Aida resort in Marmaris on the Turkish Riviera)
He said: ‘If a tourist claims they fell ill from eating hotel food, they have reports on the state of the food and state of other customers who consumed the same food.
‘They have set up cameras everywhere to counter allegations that tourists slipped on floors and have reports prepared on the nature of floors, including if they are slippery or not.’
It follows the case of holidaymakers Leon Roberts, 38, and mother-of-two Jade Muzoka, 27, who sought £58,000 in damages after a 2016 trip to nearby resort Belek.
They claimed they were laid low with vomiting and diarrhoea for the entire trip – and received £3,000 for their troubles.
But the pair, from Derby, were caught out when social media posts showed them enjoying the trip they claimed was a ‘nightmare’.
They were convicted of fraud and slapped with 26-week suspended sentences.
Roberts and Muzoka were each forced to complete 200 hours of community service after the judge branded them ‘dishonest from the outset’.
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