Date Published: 25/05/2023

Toupee trick: fraudsters think up ingenious way to pass Spanish theory test

Nervous motorists go to hair-raising lengths to get their driving licence in Spain

Getting a Spanish driving licence can be tricky, as so many British expats can attest to before the long-awaited exchange agreement was made earlier this year. Quite aside from the practical, the theory test has stumped even the most accomplished motorists over the years, which is why so many applicants resort to cheating.

The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has seen it all: candidates paying others to take the test for them, those who scribble the answers on their arms and legs and even a few memorable occasions when students smuggled answers into the exam room written in invisible ink.

But the latest scam, known as the toupee trick, has just come to light and the DGT has warned that cheaters will face serious consequences if caught.

What is the toupee trick?

Essentially, people taking their driving licence theory test don a wig that covers their ears and hide a tiny microphone or camera inside. The student can then relay the questions on the exam paper to an accomplice outside the building, who feeds back the correct answers.

Strangely enough, cheating in the exam isn’t actually considered a crime but it can lead to an infraction and fine. The DGT has issued a statement warning potential cheaters that it’s well aware of the toupee trick and that examiners are keeping an eagle eye on suspicious-looking hairlines.

This ingenious scam was first detected in Guadalajara when a 24-year-old Chinese citizen turned up at his local centre to take the theory test. Although he’s actually bald, the man was wearing a fairly obvious wig.

Examiners initially heard alarm bells when they discovered the student could barely speak Spanish but he was well and truly rumbled when he finished the exam well before any of the other candidates.

The Chinese applicant wasn’t convicted of any crime but he was barred from retaking the test for six months.

Find all the latest motoring and travel news here or join our Driving in Spain Facebook group for regular updates

Image: Freepik

Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox

Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)