Spanish travel warning
This is a general WARNING to anyone travelling through Spain.
We were travelling in our motorhome in the Valencia region on the AP7 south of Valencia last Sunday. We stopped for coffee at a motorway services near Gandia, parked in the lorry section, door open chatting whilst kettle boiled. Car stopped alongside man got out, spoke to us in French (we have a French registered motorhome) then in English, claimed to be Italian. Asked his way to Cartagena, picked up a large folding map and barged into our van. His “wife” came to the door. They left, got into car and went fairly swiftly as I was telling him it was about 4 hours distant. It was only then that my wife realised her handbag was missing, suffice to say it contained everything (phone, bank cards etc) except thankfully our passports. The service area staff called the Guardia who arrived within 20 mins, very helpful (in English) but said it is happening more and more. We spent the next 2hours on my phone stopping English and French bank cards.
We stopped overnight at El Naranjal Camping, Javea, meeting friends and trying to put the incident to one side (impossible). The next day we continued our journey to our eventual destination near Mar Menor. Again we stopped for coffee in the lorry section of a services on the AP7 near Benidorm. This time we took the precaution of drawing the fly screen and putting the kitchen work flap down (it is across the doorway). Once again a car drew alongside, this time a few anglo-saxon words stopped the driver in his tracks and he drove off.
We have travelled Europe extensively in the past few years since retirement and never encountered such problems before. In future we will be using the car parking areas for coffee stops. BE WARNED!
Comments
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Unfortunatly not new. 20 years ago whilst in a Malaga supermarket with a large road trailer (I lived there) someone banged into the back - like an accident. I jumped out and wernt to them. Big mistake a second person pinched my reindeerday rucksack from the back via opposite door. learnt never to get out unless all doors locked.
I was lucky as they dumped the items no good for them on the road - bank book etc which was then returned via the police later.
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A useful reminder to be wary. We always keep valuables in the safe other than those we need when travelling. Never leave anything lying around on view, certainly not something like a handbag but it’s easy to get distracted.
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That’s a very rude and insulting statement.
JK
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Having travelled safely in many countries in Asia with bank cards and passport in a money belt around my waist under my clothes I think ladies who leave their valuables in handbags in motorhomes are naive in the extreme, They need to get real.
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First rude and insulting, now sexist too
JK
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Many years ago on a car holiday to Spain my Mum and a friend had everything stolen from their car in a big Barcelona car park near the sea front. It happened in seconds and it can happen to anyone anywhere and it's a horrible experience.
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I think the OP has been courageous to come on here and admit to being a victim in order to warn us all.
I'm sorry to hear what happened and I hope the OP can put it behind them and move on.
The last thing they need is to read vitriolic comments when their only intention was to warn fellow members. Can you imagine how they feel? Firstly, they've been robbed of important and valuable items then, secondly, they get to read nasty comments. Shocking!
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Well done, GrassacCross, for reminding people to be vigilant. We were robbed a few years ago in France, and never discussed it with anyone because we felt so stupid.
Caravan and Motor Caravan travellers are vulnerable to these attempts to rob in all countries (the crooks will not usually be residents of the country where they operate), because we are obviously carrying cash/cards/valuables. The police are often aware of these crooked people operating in gangs but are hopelessly unable to do anything but arrest them if they are caught (unlikely) and then release them because they cannot hold them under European laws unless there is force or violence involved. The crooks are then free to move on to another area and carry on.
We are each responsible to protect ourselves, and cannot rely on the authorities. We each have to have a security plan. Discussion and agreement between travel companions about what to do in the circumstances described by the OP. Where to secrete any valuables you are obliged to carry. What locations are particularly risky (Motorway services and remote rest places are tops). Reduce losses by carrying cards of limited opportunity, etc. I won't criticize the op for allowing a stranger to "barge in" like that, but that is the type of distraction attack they usually attempt. (Yes! It was an attack).
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I think that some don't fully appreciate how easy it is for things illustrated by the OP to happen. However many precautions you take you can still get caught out. I have often recounted how I had my wallet stolen on the Rome Metro. It was in a bum bag fully zipped up but within seconds of getting on the train it had been unzipped and the wallet taken and I didn't feel a thing. And of course you feel so stupid after the event and even today, years later, a chill goes down my back when I am reminded of it! The actual theft is only the start of it because you have to inform card companies and the cards will be blocked and the same might apply to any second cards on the account so you could be left in a dire situation. Just one tip I would offer is if the other half has a second card use it to withdrawer cash before you report the theft. Those few hundred euros could be a lifeline.
As an aside I was never aware of the stolen cards being used and it was probably the cash, fortunately only about €200, that they were after. Thank goodness we had left the passports in the caravan safe!!!
David
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I was robbed in Florence also from a “bum bag”. A valuable lesson and when we are out and about I now keep a few low denomination notes in my pocket and my credit card tucked away in a hidden pocket. We are off to France tomorrow and will be even more cautious after these posts.
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My wife and her mother were on a tour of the Cinque Terre a few yers ago and the guide took them on a train journey. Before setting off she pointed out a group of young girls, and in a loud voice to them all told them they were thieves but that the police couldn't do anything as they were too young to prosecute. The girls got up and walked off the train. Their mornings pilfering on that train of tourists ruined.
Happens everywhere you go.
One of the benefits of this forum is that it allows fellow LV users the opportunity to give and receive advice and therefore it was indeed brave of the Opening Poster to give us his own personal experience and warn others of the practice. It was only by reading similar forums that I learnt of the puncture tyre scam that was a regular feature around cities in Spain.
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a few years ago while walking through Paris, this bloke coming towards us suddenly ducked to the floor & apparently picked up a plain gold wedding ring and offered it to the two of us. We weren't sure what was going on & declined it, but he put it in my top shirt pocket. He then suggest that as the ring must have some value, I held onto the ring & give him "his share" in cash. He got told where to go. 🙄
A little later that day, another bloke started the same routine ...... when I just laughed at him, he gave me a Gallic shrug as if to say ... it was worth a try!
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I would suggest that anyone in a motorhome or caravan should hide valuables away almost all the time. Don't leave wallets, handbags, keys, cameras on worktops or seats, put them away in lockers. Thieves who 'barge into' a motorhome aren't going to search through your lockers, or hidey-holes - they are going to grab whatever is to hand - so make sure NOTHING IS!! And this applies when you go to bed too - don't leave clothes with wallets or valuables in the pockets, on show. Put them away.
I realised this nearly forty years ago when thieves entered our Canvas Holidays tent in Sauve in the south of France, and stole all the cash from my purse, which I hadn't hidden! Strangely my son found a man's bag a few days later, and was given a reward by the owner of exactly the amount I'd lost.
Every caravan or motorhome has potential hiding places and unless thieves have the owner manual for every make and model of caravan, only the owner knows where those are likely to be.0 -
Many years ago I was on a work trip to Rome with a colleague. We'd just come out of our hotel and were working out how to get to our destination. I'd put a laptop bag down in front of me. Someone tapped me on the shoulder - I turned round and when I turned back the laptop was gone. Neither of us saw anyone at all.
Finding the right police station and reporting the theft (necessary as it was a work laptop) took all day......
As said, these things can happen anywhere. It's easy to be less careful when you're on holiday.
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Ian said:-
Finding the right police station and reporting the theft (necessary as it was a work laptop) took all day......
We had to go back into the centre of Rome the next day and trying to find where to report it was a pain. We knew we were in the right area but for the life of use we couldn't find it. As it happened we were passing a cafe and saw a Carabinieri officer finishing his coffee, cap on the table, Margaret approached him and he stood to attention, replaced his cap and escorted us the few metres to the little offer where a stream of foreign visitors report their stolen items. Margaret was most impressed! The guy in the office wasn't so friendly until I produced and Able Label with my address on it which he seemed to appreciate.
David
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