A cautionary tale from Spain – THEFT

[crob]

We are all warned about theft abroad, especially in Spain. I thought I was secure, even though every person we spoke to on campsites in Spain told us that everyone they had spoken to had been robbed. So it happened to me, of all people! Walking round Lidl supermarket in Havea (Javea), a popular British town, my wallet was stolen. It was in the leg pocket of my shorts – I didn’t feel a thing. Stupid me, I had in it my own credit/debit cards, my wife’s cards, my CCI card (showing all my passport details), our E111 cards, my bus pass (showing my photograph), and lots of other bits and pieces.

 

We think the perpetrator was a British “dosser” who was begging outside Lidl’s with the essential dog by his feet. My wife saw him talking to other British people in the shop shortly after we had entered. Our view is that he was the “spy”, passing on information to his co-conspirators in the shop, for them to “do the business”. We can’t prove it, of course, and the Spanish police were naturally totally unconcerned!

 

OK, so now I shall have a hidey-hole with spare cards and cash, but even then I can’t help walking about without some cards – debit for cash, credit for purchases, CCI for campsites, and so on. I now have a concern that someone could now impersonate me- they have all the details they require, including my signature on the cards. However, there’s not much I can do about that. I’ve naturally reported this to the Passport office, banks etc.

 

One aspect of this that I find totally mind-blowing. Although our Barclaycards were stopped a month ago, there are still foreign transactions going through my account. I have spoken to them about this – it seems that they are powerless to stop this from continuing. They can’t “freeze” the account, as that would stop all payments, such as monthly/annual subscriptions. What is the point of reporting cards lost if they can’t stop them being used? It looks as though I may have to stop using Barclaycard altogether and take out new ones from another provider.

 

So be warned. Spain in particular targets the Brits using all sorts of ruses. What is this world coming to?

:$

[w1ntersun]

Hi,

 

Sorry to hear of your plight. I personaly never carry any cards with me, I leave them locked up in the safe in the van. I only carry enough cash for the day, and I keep that in my trouser pocket which has a zip.

 

Pick pockets are every where not just Spain. Motorhome robberies are every where not just Spain.

 

The number of times I hear of purses being stolen from glove compartments ( Why leave it there !!! ) beggars believe.

 

.

[Miami]

Sorry to hear of your probs. This is the very reason we won't go to Spain together with the fact we might meet our next door neighbour!!!! Too many Brits there.

Bit of an overstatement ' Motorhome robberies are  eveywhere'. Most of them only appear on forums where someone has heard from someone else who had a friend who heard from them that they had been gassed/robbed/murdered or worse.

We would never go out alone if we followed all the stories on the internet.

[johnsandywhite]

:'( Hi crob. Sorry to hear about your loss. We have been going to Spain for over 11 years. The only things we have had stolen were unlocked or un-attended Mountain Bikes. I make a point of always being careful where our cash, cards and documents are when we go out shopping or other activities. That's one reason why 'BUM' bags are called a different name in Spain. I suppose we may have just been lucky?

[John Keats]

Get yourself an 'old fashioned' money belt. They are very slim these days. Wear it next to your skin and keep your pockets empty.

 

It may look like you have filled out a little but a loose shirt over the top hides all, and sleep with it round you.

 

Thieves are ordinary people who look for opportunities don't present them with one!!

 

If you park up near suspect people get a pen out and take their number, making sure they see you do it.

 

Get with it some of you and start thinking like a thief !!

[Don Madge]

crob - 2007-07-13 4:53 PM

 

One aspect of this that I find totally mind-blowing. Although our Barclaycards were stopped a month ago, there are still foreign transactions going through my account. I have spoken to them about this – it seems that they are powerless to stop this from continuing. They can’t “freeze” the account, as that would stop all payments, such as monthly/annual subscriptions. What is the point of reporting cards lost if they can’t stop them being used? It looks as though I may have to stop using Barclaycard altogether and take out new ones from another provider

:$

 

Colin,

 

Very sorry to hear about your loss.

 

We have a tried and tested system with credit cards while away. We don't have any direct debits annual subs or any other payments on the CC we use while away. As we spend 5/6 months away at a time the CC bill is settled every month by direct debit. If we need to cancel the card for any reason the card can be stopped immediately with out causing any problems unpaid accounts etc. I must admit we do things for convenience rather than economy. We do have back up cards and have been using this system for the last 15 years while wintering away.

 

We spent two months (Jan/Feb) on the Iberian Peninsula this year, we will not be returning for any more winter trips. The popular places and the less popular places are being over run by motorhomes. We stayed on a site in Conil de la Frontera where pitches were being booked two/three years ahead.

 

As for the Algarve I've never seen it so crowded in the winter. Many old timers have given up and moved on to pastures new.

 

Don

 

[peedee]

It can happen anywhere, I have known it happen on sites and a garage in Germany when someone pulled in for fuel. It is not just Spain although touch wood I have never been a victum in nearly 20years touring. Quite the reverse. I once sat down on a bench in Costa Nova, Portugal and unkowingly my wallet dropped out of my back pocket. I did not realise until I arrived back at the campsite when reception wanted to know if I had anything missing!!!!

 

Needless to say it was picked up by a passer by who took the trouble to trace me from campsite receipts and a site entry pass in my wallet. A meet was arranged and I got my wallet back with nothing whatsoever missing from it. Needless to say I did reward the finder.

 

peedee

[Mel E]

A very straightforward precaution is for you and your partner each to have a separate credit card so that when one is stopped, you still have a source of funds and purchases.

 

But it doesn't work if one of you carries bother sets of cards!

 

Mel E

====

[BGD]

Firstly, I'm sorry to hear about the theft.

 

But I do think there are a few "Buts" that I would like to add to your post.....

 

Kathy and I live on the Costa Blanca in Spain. Not on the very thin "Britland" along the coast, but in a beautiful Spanish village a few kilometres inland. We've been here now for nearly 5 years.

 

In our experience, Spain is a MUCH safer place to live than the UK. Accoring to the EU reported crime figures, adults are approximately 50% LESS likely to suffer a crime against their property or person in Spain than in the UK.

 

Your post, perhaps unintentionally, propogates the mistaken view that crime is higher in Spain. In fact though, this is completely untrue.

 

We have found the people in throughout our adopted country to be, almost without exception, to be friendly, helpful, welcoming, much more family oriented, polite, tolerant and generally better humoured than back in the "Cold Country".

 

Of course there are isolated incidents here - as in any other countries - but it would be wrong to give a picture of Spain as being anything other than FAR less crime-ridden than the UK.

 

General "risk management" is a good idea WHEREVER you are in the world(keeping cards separate, using a hidden-pocket moneybelt, carrying validated photocopies rather than original documents, etc etc.)

 

I hope this one bad experience will not put you and others off from visting our wonderful country in the future - please just remember it was far MORE likely that you would have been robbed in the UK than over here.

 

Best regards,

 

Bruce.

 

 

[derek500]

crob - 2007-07-13 5:53 PM

 

 

So be warned. Spain in particular targets the Brits using all sorts of ruses. What is this world coming to?

:$

 

So you were robbed in a 'British town' , by a British man who was seen talking to other British people and then you say Spain targets the Brits.

 

I'm coming from my home in Spain (not an ex-pat area and I haven't come across any crime in the four years I've lived here), to the UK next week for a couple of months. You've got me worried, Britain's full of Brits.

 

 

[empress]

A friend of mine has just had his credit card cloned at the Co-op petrol station in Bungay - not the place you expect to be the haunt of criminals - he paid in the shop not at the pump. It happens everywhere these days. Only about £150 was taken and used to open an account in a building society, which seemed a little strange.

 

Empress

 

 

[Mel B]

We met a chap on Saturday at Cap Griz Nez in France on our way back up to Calais, he'd been 'done' in Spain just near Valencia, he'd been travelling for some time, stopped for tea then continued on for another 80 miles or so and because he was tired he stopped on the motorway service area, with all the lorries, and thought he would be safe. Problem was he forgot to set his alarm, thieves broke in whilst they were sleeping and nicked his wife's mobile phone and his tobacco pouch, not much you might say, but the problem was he'd put £80 in his tobacco pouch to keep it safe just in case ....! However, he'd been in Spain for a while and has been going for some time and has never had any problem previously. It hasn't put him off though, he was just annoyed at being so stupid. They managed to get into his van through the passenger door on his Fiat, they'd tried all the other locks including the lockers but to no avail.

[Big Momma]

Also worthwhile signing up to the system that reports the loss of all your cards in just one phone call. Most credit card providers do provide this service and it saves you having to phone lots of different people. Believe that this ervice also takes care of other documentation not just CC's e.g. passports. Doesn't solve the problem of the theft but eases the after effects.