# Anyone know what my friend can do???



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

My best friend and her husband live in France and they have come to Spain for a visit. They stayed in a place called "Salobrena" Granada yesterday and were robbed!!! Almost everything of use/value was taken, including, phones, money, passports, credit cards!!! They've been in touch with the police and have to go the national police in Málaga today. Anyone know what on earth they can do in the meantime?? What they can expect? Without passports, money etc they're pretty stuffed !!! 

Jo xxx


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

jojo said:


> My best friend and her husband live in France and they have come to Spain for a visit. They stayed in a place called "Salobrena" Granada yesterday and were robbed!!! Almost everything of use/value was taken, including, phones, money, passports, credit cards!!! They've been in touch with the police and have to go the national police in Málaga today. Anyone know what on earth they can do in the meantime?? What they can expect? Without passports, money etc they're pretty stuffed !!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Sad way to start the week jojo  However once they get over the shock and it is now Monday it will all be easily addressed. Nasty it happened on a Sunday when it was harder to resolve. 

I assume this was very violent if they had to give up everything? Hopefully they are not old and badly shaken up by it.

ps' Always have a spare card in your dirty laundry


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

nigele2 said:


> Sad way to start the week jojo  However once they get over the shock and it is now Monday it will all be easily addressed. Nasty it happened on a Sunday when it was harder to resolve.
> 
> I assume this was very violent if they had to give up everything? Hopefully they are not old and badly shaken up by it.
> 
> ps' Always have my spare card in your dirty laundry


I dont know all the facts as it was a hurried phone call from her spare mobile with little credit. They're not old (well, hhhhmm, my friend isnt but her husband is late 60s), my friend didnt sound shaken up - more sort of "you'll never guess whats happened to us now" attitude (they've had a bad year)! I'm hoping to meet them later on when they get to Malaga. 


Jo xxx


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2011)

Have you spoken with the local British consulate? Do they have any sort of emergency services? I know at least the Americans can help with wire transfers, etc.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Yes, contact the British Embassy - details here.

When things go wrong


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> My best friend and her husband live in France and they have come to Spain for a visit. They stayed in a place called "Salobrena" Granada yesterday and were robbed!!! Almost everything of use/value was taken, including, phones, money, passports, credit cards!!! They've been in touch with the police and have to go the national police in Málaga today. Anyone know what on earth they can do in the meantime?? What they can expect? Without passports, money etc they're pretty stuffed !!!
> 
> Jo xxx


nasty!!

as soon as they have the denuncia in their hands they need to contact the consulate - in fact I'd do that asap in any case - that's what they are there for, to help in this sort of situation

have thay already been in touch with banks card companies . though I guess that they would want the denuncia number too


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

jojo said:


> My best friend and her husband live in France and they have come to Spain for a visit. They stayed in a place called "Salobrena" Granada yesterday and were robbed!!! Almost everything of use/value was taken, including, phones, money, passports, credit cards!!! They've been in touch with the police and have to go the national police in Málaga today. Anyone know what on earth they can do in the meantime?? What they can expect? Without passports, money etc they're pretty stuffed !!!
> 
> Jo xxx


So sorry to hear that, Jo. 
I agree with Halydia, they should also contact the British Consulate for help, further advice, especially regarding passports. I suppose once they have contacted their respective banks, phone companies etc re those thefts, and their insurance companies, if they contact their family in the UK they could do some kind of transfer as far as money goes - whether it is through the bank or somewhere like Western Union?


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Western Union is best and by far the easiest to use and there are lots of outlest so it shouldn't be difficult to find one. The may have to be a bit pushy with the British Consulate depending on how many staff are sick and what else they are doing but once the BC understands the seriousness of the sitaution they will be able to help. I assume they flew down here and not by car? If by car then a letter from the BC backed up be the police report should suffice if they are stopped by the police but otherwise they won't have a problem returning home - I've never even seen the border between Spain and France let alone seen someong looking at passports.


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2011)

thrax said:


> If by car then a letter from the BC backed up be the police report should suffice if they are stopped by the police but otherwise they won't have a problem returning home - I've never even seen the border between Spain and France let alone seen someong looking at passports.


Careful, don't trust that, we crossed near San Sebastian a few weeks back and got stopped and ID checked in France.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

halydia said:


> Careful, don't trust that, we crossed near San Sebastian a few weeks back and got stopped and ID checked in France.


Good advice - that is the crossing I always use and in 12 times I've never seen anyone, but it's fair to say that it's always been France into Spain.


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2011)

thrax said:


> Good advice - that is the crossing I always use and in 12 times I've never seen anyone, but it's fair to say that it's always been France into Spain.


It could've been that it was a long weekend, or it could've been due to the recent Basque political developments and detentions, but there were gendarmes at the first and second set of tolls going into France. They gave us a strange look at the first toll but said nothing. They were waiting for us at the second set! What fun...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I met my friends in Málaga and they've reported everything to everyone. They're of the opinion that actually it was all a waste of time, going to the Embassy. Apparently you dont need a passport to cross the border to/from france/spain, so they're not going to pay the extortionate fee for a temporary one, They'll get new ones when they get back to their home in France. What actually happened was that they stopped at a service station near Barcelona last night and when they went back to their car and got in, some men started banging the back of it - my friends got out and these men then ran to the front of the car and pulled her handbag out and ran - my friends chased them (they didnt know what they'd have done if they'd have caught them!!?), while another man took another bag out of their boot!!! Anyway, they then phoned the police who seemed to know about this gang and said that it was a regular occurrence along that stretch of road!

Jo xxx


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

This is a very common occurrence in southern Sicily apparently - when we holidayed there we were warned not to get fooled by guys banging on the back of the car and just drive off. Well in the end it never happened so I've no idea if it's true or not.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

jojo said:


> I met my friends in Málaga and they've reported everything to everyone. They're of the opinion that actually it was all a waste of time, going to the Embassy. Apparently you dont need a passport to cross the border to/from france/spain, so they're not going to pay the extortionate fee for a temporary one, They'll get new ones when they get back to their home in France. What actually happened was that they stopped at a service station near Barcelona last night and when they went back to their car and got in, some men started banging the back of it - my friends got out and these men then ran to the front of the car and pulled her handbag out and ran - my friends chased them (they didnt know what they'd have done if they'd have caught them!!?), while another man took another bag out of their boot!!! Anyway, they then phoned the police who seemed to know about this gang and said that it was a regular occurrence along that stretch of road!
> 
> Jo xxx




It's a daily occurence on the roads around Barcelona & has been for near on 30 years.
Any foreign reg. vehicle is a likely target.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> It's a daily occurence on the roads around Barcelona & has been for near on 30 years.
> Any foreign reg. vehicle is a likely target.


My friends have a french car so that figures. The police made them think that this sort of crime was simply a well run and organised business and nothing much could be done. 

They actually live in a "typically" old fashioned French village and have done for nearly 10 years. So this sort of thing was a complete shock to them. That and the weather have put them right off Spain! They were planning to Spend the next two months here, but are now toying with going back to France 

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

For a small annual fee you can register all your details - credit card numbers, mobile details etc. with organisations so if you are robbed you ring one number and everything is sorted: cards blocked etc.
I used to be registered with American Express for this service and altho' I can't remember what the annual fee was it was very low.
I did this after being expertly robbed in Venice, losing phone and several credit cards and OH back in the UK had to be woken in the early hours to rummage through my papers to get details of my cards and then make numerous phone calls.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> For a small annual fee you can register all your details - credit card numbers, mobile details etc. with organisations so if you are robbed you ring one number and everything is sorted: cards blocked etc.
> I used to be registered with American Express for this service and altho' I can't remember what the annual fee was it was very low.
> I did this after being expertly robbed in Venice, losing phone and several credit cards and OH back in the UK had to be woken in the early hours to rummage through my papers to get details of my cards and then make numerous phone calls.


This is the one I've used

Card Protection


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

jojo said:


> My friends have a french car so that figures. The police made them think that this sort of crime was simply a well run and organised business and nothing much could be done.
> 
> They actually live in a "typically" old fashioned French village and have done for nearly 10 years. So this sort of thing was a complete shock to them. That and the weather have put them right off Spain! They were planning to Spend the next two months here, but are now toying with going back to France
> 
> Jo xxx


What a shame, I hope they don´t think this sort of thing is a daily occurrence all over Spain! I´m sure it happens in French cities too. But as for the weather, that is just bad luck! Let´s hope it gets better soon and they change their minds when they see Spain in her true colours.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> This is the one I've used
> 
> Card Protection


Thanks. I may well look into that as my Amex subscription expired when I left the UK.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I also use that company and they are very good - they also protect your house keys and luggage etc. When I lost my wallet a few years back with all my cards in it, I called them and all my cards were stopped immediately, only for me to find my wallet under the car about 5 minutes lateer. They were so efficient that it was already too late.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> What a shame, I hope they don´t think this sort of thing is a daily occurrence all over Spain! I´m sure it happens in French cities too. But as for the weather, that is just bad luck! Let´s hope it gets better soon and they change their minds when they see Spain in her true colours.


It does , that's were it originated from , the southern areas of France. & it's still prevalent their but mainly in the spring / summer .


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> It does , that's were it originated from , the southern areas of France. & it's still prevalent their but mainly in the spring / summer .



Well they live in the south of France, in a little, tiny village near Carcasonne and Narbonne - its one of those lovely villages where the old men play Bowls/P'tank (sp), everyone meets in the village cafe/bar and theres the smell of coffee and freshly baked bread everywhere!!! If a stranger comes to the village, its "known" by everyone and if theres any crime, the villagers "deal" with it apparently!

Jo xxx


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

just a "small" piece of advice: don't let the embassy say they issue a new passport quickly and it's better than an temporary.... playamonte and I know someone who went that way and 9 weeks later, was still waiting for the replacement passport.

This poor couple had been robbed, their dream shattered and with no disrespect to the "good" people that work in consulates or the embassy, I would say "fix it now" and do it as an emergency situation, as you can sort the rest later.


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

It's worldwide I'm afraid. For a long time now the rental cars in Florida have no identifying stickers as exactly the same scam was worked outside Miami and Orlando airports. Of course being the US they felt the need to wave a totally over the top firearm around as well. I've always been amazed that the rental cars here are still plastered with them. If anything shouts LOADED TOURIST surely that's it?


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## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

I've been pick-pocketed twice on the Paris metro-and had my car broken into in France-I'm sure crimes like this are universal-and certainly can't imagine that Spain is worse than France.I have a friend who had his bag stolen in Malaga airport a few weeks ago--his fault as he left it on a chair in full view-passport etc etc gone.The Consulate in Malaga were very helpful as were the police at the Commisariat in Malaga who provided a translator etc for the crime report. He is full of praise for the service he received from both.


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