Canaries' Clipboard Scam

Talking of the Canaries, I witnessed a particularly nasty scam in Santa Cruz, Tenerife of which you should all be aware.
An elderly couple off our ship had just gone ashore when they were approached by a young girl wielding a clipboard with a petition in support, or so it said, of African orphans.
While she pressed the clipboard against the gentleman's body, her arm reached underneath and she relieved him of his wallet.
She walked off quickly and I gave chase but lost her down some side alleys - her obviously well-chosen escape route.
I quickly contacted a local policeman and went back to the distressed couple. Luckily, there was a tourist information centre nearby where they spoke English and we managed to get the chap's credit and debit cards stopped.
His boarding card and cash were taken but there wasn't much we could do about that.
I saw another woman with a clipboard and pointed her out to the police and they took her away for questioning. They were obviously targeting cruise ship passengers.
Strangely enough, I saw the gentleman again on another cruise and he had managed to claim back the cash on his travel insurance.
So be very wary of anyone invading your body space - hold your hand up; shake your head, smile and walk quickly away.

Canaries' Alert

If you're planning on cruising to the Canary Isles in the immediate future, a volcano threat on El Hierro means you need to keep a weather eye on the news and consult your cruise operator if things get worse.