As soon as the travel season began, fraudsters using the so-called mirror trick are active again. Holidaymakers in particular should be careful. A recent incident in Italy shows that this scam is still being used. At Mimikama, we have received numerous user inquiries on this topic. Our research has shown that the warnings are justified.
These and similar warnings appear on social media

The current incident
A holidaymaker fell victim to this scam on his way from Bibione to Venice. On the way from Bibione to Punta Sabbioni, where he wanted to leave his car to take the vaporetto to Venice, he noticed a car that was driving aggressively. Moments later, he heard a thud as he passed a car parked on the side of the road that started moving and tried to get him to stop.
A pressing problem: the role of the police
Unfortunately, the police have often proven to be of little help in such cases. This lack of interest in prosecuting such crimes has made it easy for the perpetrators, and only in the rarest of cases is a perpetrator caught. This is disheartening and makes it all the more necessary for vacationers to be informed and cautious.
What exactly is the mirror trick?
In this fraud scenario, the perpetrator pretends that the victim has damaged their car mirror by making a loud bang as they drive past. The perpetrator then tries to get the victim to stop and demand money for the allegedly damaged mirror.
The entire process of the mirror trick, including the perpetrator's video, was provided to “Jesolo Magazine” by a vacationer last year. Although the perpetrator is easy to recognize (in the Jesolo region it is usually the same perpetrator), he was never caught by the police. This is also a clear indication of the lack of interest in solving these crimes.
How should you behave if you find yourself in such a situation?
If you ever find yourself in such a situation, here are some steps you should follow:
- Do not pull over to the side of the road. Instead, find a busy highway gas station or similar.
- Contact the police immediately. The Euro emergency number is 112.
- Don't give in to the scammers' demands.
- Document the incident with photos and hand them over to the police.
- Don't play hero. Despite the justified anger towards these fraudsters, it is not advisable to fight back on your own initiative. Remember that perpetrators are often not alone.
Automobile clubs warn
Drivers' clubs also warn against the scam when vacationing in Italy. “If you know the trick, you should insist on calling the police, then the fraudsters will usually leave,” writes the ADAC on its website. If the police are actually informed, they don't always seem to be of much help. At least that's what the holidaymaker now affected experienced. Because when he wanted to report the incident there, the police officer was “annoyed and unfriendly”. “Nothing happened, what do you want?” he said.
Conclusion
Scammers using the mirror trick are a serious problem that particularly affects holidaymakers. Despite the police's lack of commitment, we can take action ourselves by becoming informed and taking precautions. Remember that it is always better to be safe and report incidents than to engage in direct confrontation. Be vigilant, stay safe and share your knowledge with others to stop the spread of this scam.
Also read: Fact check: The touching story of two dogs
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

