On our way down through France two weeks (dual carriageway about five miles before Chartres) ago we overtook a Mercedes with a British Registration. It then overtook us with it's hazard lights flashing and an arm waving us down as it pulled onto the hard shoulder. Thinking that he had seen something wrong with our car I pulled up behind them on the side of the highway. A man got out and came up to the drivers window, he told me (in halting English) that he was running out of petrol and his credit cards didn't work in France -- the bank had summarily stopped them -- I know this happens after what occurred with my sons in northern France on their way down to our house a few years ago.
However, he said his wife and small baby were in the car so asked him what he wanted ... he "said 100 euros today, I pay you back 500 later ... take my watch, my ring my necklace ..." I was about to drive off when he thrust his engraved signet ring and a heavy gold chain into my hand!
After much to'ing and fro'ing and pleading -- I reckon he was Turkish -- we gave him 50 Euros really just to get rid of him. He wanted more, however, he wasn't getting any more, and he promised to pay us when he got back to London. Anyway, we exchanged business cards and he eventually drove off with his 50 Euros, went off onto a side road to a petrol station and we went on our way rejoicing with a ring and a necklace in the car..
He apparently owns a car import/export business in Germany, or so his expensive laminated business card says. If it was a scam I couldn't see the downside, I had kept the car in first with the clutch in just in case I needed to put my foot down, you can never be sure with the stories you read about hi-jacking on the roads in France ... but he had the ring of truth (but I had the ring of gold) and was obviously very desperate.
I now know this is a scam and many people have been caught out in this way. I won't be caught again however and list the information here for everybody else's information. The business card said his name was Ali Yildirim and though the card looked genuine, the address was spelled slightly wrong, though genuine after searching on Google Earth, the phone numbers were spurious as were the phone numbers. I have since discovered the registration plates were also false. This website says it all .... http://www.longrider.co.uk/blog/2009/03/10/the-petrol-scam/
So beware and don't be as naive as I very obviously was!
The petrol money scam is still being used (ie since this thread started) in supermarket car parks in Brittany so beware. No doubt the technique will proliferate as the flocks of summer tourists or "pigeons" arrive
Also this is from Crime stoppers UK but I'm sure it could apply in France.
Important message from Crime Stoppers, please read...
While driving on a rural end of the roadway on Thursday morning, I saw an infant car seat on the side of the road with a blanket draped over it. For whatever reason, I did not stop, even though I had all kinds of thoughts running through my head. But when I got to my destination, I called the Police and they were going to check it out. But, this is what the Police advised even before they went out there to check....
"There are several things to be aware of ... Gangs and thieves mostly from Eastern Europe are now plotting different ways to get a person (mostly women)to stop their vehicle and get out of the car.
"There is a gang initiation reported by the local Police where gangs are placing a car seat by the road...with a fake baby in it...waiting for a woman, of course, to stop and check on the abandoned baby. "Note that the location of this car seat is usually beside a wooded or grassy (field) area and the person -- woman -- will be dragged into the woods, beaten and raped, and usually left for dead. If it's a man, they're usually beaten and robbed and maybe left for dead, too.
DO NOT STOP FOR ANY REASON!!! DIAL 9-9-9 AND REPORT WHAT YOU SAW, BUT DON'T EVEN SLOW DOWN.
"IF YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND EGGS ARE THROWN AT YOUR WINDSCREEN, DO NOT STOP TO CHECK THE CAR, DO NOT OPERATE THE WIPER AND DO NOT SPRAY ANY WATER BECAUSE EGGS MIXED WITH WATER BECOME MILKY AND BLOCK YOUR VISION UP TO 92.5%, AND YOU ARE THEN FORCED TO STOP BESIDE THE ROAD AND BECOME A VICTIM OF THESE CRIMINALS.
THIS IS A NEW TECHNIQUE USED BY GANGS, SO PLEASE INFORM YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. THESE ARE DESPERATE TIMES AND THESE ARE UNSAVOURY INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL TAKE DESPERATE MEASURES TO GET WHAT THEY WANT."
Please talk to your loved ones about this. This is a new tactic used. Please be safe.
Get started NOW -- SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES TO BE CAREFUL AND AWARE OF EVERYTHING AROUND THEM SO AS NOT TO BECOME A VICTIM.
David, that is too funny!
I think she was already in the car park, John.
You wouldn't think hustling in car parks would yield such rich pickings!
Maybe you are right Marie-Antoinette. Once somebody bet me that I couldn’t convince a group of people that I was a priest in mufti. However I found I could do it rather convincingly! However it became very embarrassing as one of the people present privately asked me for mediation in her marriage. That took some getting out of and I have never repeated the exercise!
David, you have an honest face, and you are a grateful person, when you send them a bottle of wine! You are a good person!
I was offered a "Rolex" watch, surplus display model etc, in a car park at a service area on the M1 a few years ago. Didn't buy it.
To be honest I did once arrive at a French airport and in checking in I discovered that whilst I had picked up the travel documents and my passport I had left my wallet, cash and all credit cards at home. I rang my wife to tell her what had happened and said "Oh well I'll get there somehow" as I had nothing for onwards expenditure. A very kind english lady in the departure lounge offered me £20 which I really was grateful for. I sent her a cheque on my return boosted for a nice bottle of wine. Sometimes there are genuine cases who will repay, but I must admit that one hears more sorry tales. Equally once I left my mobile phone on the train in the UK and a "true" gentlemen posted it to me in France, having rung up "home". He got a nice bottle of wine and the postage! Memo- I think I need a minder!
Ever thought about not stopping?
I too have had this one, the problem is , for me, a woman alone with 2 or 3 big guys never mind the color, is intimidated, I now carry 2 purses one with several cants of change and my one with cards cash etc. I show them the empty one and offer them all that ihave.........and of course they take it. BUT I hate that I should feel intimidated like this on a regular basis, I too have rights I may a foreignzer and seen as fair game, but I have the right I believe to go about my daily existance without being harassed????????
This was happening in Mantes (27) a few years back too.
You are so right Mark, I saw something only the other day about collecting and projects in Africa. The black guy got away with £75 million
Sorry to say - but 'been there done that - got the coats and rocket from Parisienne wife!! Mine were lambswool though, and I did wear the biggest one in defiance of SWMBO until to her huge delight the sleeves fell off after about ten days! I only had €20 on me though so I suppose it was a cheap lesson.
I do seem to have 'sucker' on my forehead though as I seem a target for these things, but only once did it get violent which was in a taxi in Budapest, I got in and saw the meter whizzing round like crazy, so I told the cabbie (I was in the front passenger seat) to stop the car. I had heard from a colleague how this had happend to him and the driver had called up his mates and given him a beating, so for a few moments I debated on what to do. Obviously the first thig was to stop him using his intercom, but he was ahead of me in getting it.
I got angry, and quite simply belted him in the face with my elbow. I think he was more shocked than hurt, as this wasn't in the scenario. But of course I wasn't out of the woods as I had to get out of the car, late at night, knowing he could call up the troops and get me quite easily. So I screwed up a Ft200 note (not a lot) and flicked it in at him and marched off.
When I lose my temper it really is the 'red haze' bit, so I usually control it well, but about three times in my life I have just lost it, and I don't really know why in this particular case. Just annoyed at being taken for a mug tourist I suppose - I was living and working there at the time.
Amazingly nothing transpired, although I had anxious moments walking across the Chain Bridge. I can only suppose my size and evident(spurious) penchant for violence but a bit of a deterrent? Just as well they didn't see the shakes under the coat!
Might we worth having one of these in car Sarah.
http://www.armurerie-lavaux.com/porte-cle-bombe-de-defense-pepper-spray-oc.html
We could put them where we used to have our alcotests :-)
Yes, they can be quite aggressive Brian. Around thirty years ago when we lived in Grenoble an “Italian” that had supposedly been exhibiting at a fashion event approached a friend of ours. He claimed his wallet had been stolen and that he needed cash for petrol to get home. In exchange he was prepared to let my friend have two of the very expensive deerskin coats he had been exhibiting for a knock down price. Our friend fell for it and bought the coats. Later that evening he popped around to see us and show us his bargain. We were sceptical and he started to have doubts as well so he tested the leather by holding flame from a cigarette lighter to one of the coats. This had a pretty dramatic impact as they were really made of some rubberised sort of plastic that looked like suede but was flammable.
About ten years later I was walking along Rue Scribe in Paris when I saw a lady being given the same story by a couple of dodgy looking characters. I went over to them and told her that the coats were fake. She thanked me and walked off. The dodgy characters went ballistic and followed me for a couple of minutes yelling abuse. Fortunately it was daylight otherwise they could have become violent.
Another scam to be aware of is the "Collecting for mine clearance in Africa". Last year I was approached by a tall black guy who asked for donations for mine clearance - a worthy cause. He had 2 mates & they approached everyone in the Bergerac Brico car park. The pitch seemed to be a little aggressive so, as they had clipboards with a photo ID & a letter in view, I asked to see the letter from the Prefecture. The photo ID was deliberately obscured so that details were hidden & the letter from the Prefecture was from Indre, not Dordogne!. When I pointed this out I was called some rude names but they left when I produced my mobile phone.
It is a shame - you don't know who to trust.
well done you, lets hope this gets them the message, but I guess not, there must be loads more of them doing this
Ha! This has just happened round the corner from my village in 64.
I locked the doors and only opened the window a smidge to see what the guy wanted. When I realised I apologised and explained I didn’t have any cash on me.
Drove on about 200 metres out of sight and called the gendarmerie. They were there in under 5 minutes and picked them up. Whoopi!