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Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Spain!

Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Spain!

Postby Jan » Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:05 am

This can happen anywhere and we should always be aware of thieves targeting cars but the foreign office has issued a warning, as the summer holiday season gets under way, for those driving UK registered cars on the highways in Spain, to be aware that gangs are targeting foreign drivers and distracting them in order to steal passports, cash and computers.

This also applies to hire cars but hopefully most people know by now to take any stickers off the car that show that the car is hired - Some car hire companies have become wise to this and don't put stickers on any more. The company we use doesn't have stickers on their cars but some airport hire cars still do and cars from the airports have always been at risk of this kind of thing.

The low down is not to stop for anyone, unless it is a marked police car and be careful with valuables when having to stop anywhere. Always keep someone in the car and try not to stop at night in service stations where it has been known for thieves to slash a tyre or another type of distraction in order to steal valuables.

Here's an article from the Daily Mail newspaper on-line 16/07/2014:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -cars.html
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Beware Of Highway Robbers

Postby Sjbass » Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:35 pm

Hi Everybody.


I just saw this in one of the local papers.

It warns of the scams that the EVIL :evil: people are using to stop people who are driving foreign registered vehicles and hire cars.

http://vimeo.com/98023947

Unfortunately it's a shame but the holidays start and these SCUM start to prey.

As Shaw Taylor used to say

Be vigilant - and "Keep 'em peeled!"


Fortunately the Sun is Shining.
Steve
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Re: Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Sp

Postby Cornishbug » Thu Jun 19, 2014 1:45 pm

Hi
Can I just let people know this has happened quite recently to our Belgian friends returning to Spain....thankfully they had been very wisely forewarned by a seasoned traveller so although frightened remembered what they had been told..whilst driving on the motorway they heard a very loud bang! they did notice a following car trying to get a long side...on doing so the people in the car , I think 3 were waving for them to pull over (& pointing to car) It looked like the backseat driver they thought may've been 13-14 years old, the car was a mercedes..unfortunaely they didn't get any details..luckily they carried on only when they thought it safe to stop did they realise that the loud bang was infact where a brick had been thrown at their boot I think breaking the number plate light etc..
If you do travel by car please do not stop for anyone unless you are sure it is the police!
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Re: Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Sp

Postby Jan » Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:38 pm

Cornishbug wrote:Hi
Can I just let people know this has happened quite recently to our Belgian friends returning to Spain....thankfully they had been very wisely forewarned by a seasoned traveller so although frightened remembered what they had been told..whilst driving on the motorway they heard a very loud bang! they did notice a following car trying to get a long side...on doing so the people in the car , I think 3 were waving for them to pull over (& pointing to car) It looked like the backseat driver they thought may've been 13-14 years old, the car was a mercedes..unfortunaely they didn't get any details..luckily they carried on only when they thought it safe to stop did they realise that the loud bang was infact where a brick had been thrown at their boot I think breaking the number plate light etc..
If you do travel by car please do not stop for anyone unless you are sure it is the police!



:text-thankyouyellow:

You have warned people by writing this. Hopefully we will all be more careful and aware of what can happen.
Fore-warned is fore-armed!

Thank you.


Jan.
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Re: Beware Of Highway Robbers

Postby Jan » Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:41 pm

Sjbass wrote:Hi Everybody.


I just saw this in one of the local papers.

It warns of the scams that the EVIL :evil: people are using to stop people who are driving foreign registered vehicles and hire cars.

http://vimeo.com/98023947

Unfortunately it's a shame but the holidays start and these SCUM start to prey.

As Shaw Taylor used to say

Be vigilant - and "Keep 'em peeled!"


Fortunately the Sun is Shining.
Steve


:text-thankyouyellow:
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Re: Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Sp

Postby Millie » Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:46 pm

Hi
We plan to drive down to Quesada in November, after reading your comments and the newspaper I'm very concerned. Do you think we would be better on the small roads and keep off the Toll roads?
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Re: Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Sp

Postby Jan » Sun Jun 22, 2014 8:39 am

Millie wrote:Hi
We plan to drive down to Quesada in November, after reading your comments and the newspaper I'm very concerned. Do you think we would be better on the small roads and keep off the Toll roads?
Millie



Hi Millie,
:text-welcomewave:

Welcome to TalkQuesada. Hope you enjoy the forum and find it helpful.

I don't know which route would be best but the small roads would no doubt make the journey much longer.

When we first bought our holiday home, nine years ago, we heard a few stories about house break-ins, handbag snatching, stealing from cars and more. I spent the first few holidays worrying about this, but after a while I realised that being nervous and worrying about them was spoiling our enjoyment. These things happen in the UK but we don't think about them constantly.

I think the internet and media is a wonderful thing and would rather know what to be careful about but, as I told myself, we should try to take them just as a warning to be aware of what could happen and how to avoid it happening, without scaring ourselves.

Thousands of people drive down to Spain every year and most people have trouble-free journeys. It's easy to take these type of warnings out of proportion.

Enjoy your drive down and have a great holiday.
8-)

Jan
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Re: Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Sp

Postby Jon Stead » Sun Jun 22, 2014 9:31 am

As some of you will recall, our hire car was broken into last time over, and the sat nav taken from the glovebox. I wondered at the time if the car was more vulnerable with it's hire car sticker on. One of the posts above mentions this and recommends removing the sticker. I shall certainly do this next time over in a few weeks time.
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Re: Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Sp

Postby Cornishbug » Sun Jun 22, 2014 10:56 am

One of the very first things I would suggest to anybody with a hire car is to take the stickers off & anything else out of sight that suggest it is a hired car!! ;)
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Re: Beware distraction thefts from UK cars on highways in Sp

Postby Jon Stead » Sun Jun 22, 2014 1:46 pm

:text-goodpost: Certainly will next time I'm over
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