British tourists drugged and robbed in Rio make headlines in British press

Two British students were found unconscious on the sand of Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro on the morning of last Sunday, 10th. Both fell victim to the ‘Boa Noite Cinderela’, a common scam in Brazil where victims are drugged and robbed. Despite its notoriety, this scam is still prevalent, making accepting drinks from strangers a risk. The crime quickly made headlines in the British news. The Sun, for example, warned that it is a very common scam in Brazil, especially among sex workers. The images of the tourists stumbling on the sand went viral on social media, once again associating the city of Rio de Janeiro with violence.