It has been reported to the AFPOP about a new variation on theft from cars which we wish to alert to all for their own safety. The basic method is highlighted in the following article, but variations on this theme may exist also.

Method
Coming back with some shopping and putting this in my car a small dark car had stopped. A couple (man and woman) age early 30 Spanish/English speaking, nicely dressed were lost and looking to get to Faro airport.

When speaking to the lady to assist her, she wanted specific information and more details and showed me a roadmap. It was only a few minutes later when they left that I found my car with a flat tire and noticed that my bag was missing. This was clearly a planned theft and a third person must have been involved while I was distracted by the couple. My bag containing all official documents, passport, driving licence, car documents, resident card, wallet with money, bankcards etc was gone.

The thieves used the bankcards to try to withdraw money, however without success as the alarm bank telephone numbers were called in time in order to cancel the accounts.

The police who were very helpful are aware of this increasing crime in the Algarve, especially during the holiday season and are investigating the case already.

Advice
As unpleasant as it may be to avoid giving assistance to a stranger in apparent need and seemingly harmless to us, we suggest that residents and visitors avoid such situations unless the person is known to you and have the following suggestions:

• Be very alert when helping anyone asking for any information, even when they look honest and sympathetic.
• Be especially vigilant in the parking areas of supermarkets and if you are not IN your vehicle … Lock it – even if you are stood next to it.
• Have all your official documents copied.Travel locally with copies only. Leave the original documents safely at home.
• Do not carry too many bankcards with you.
• Have emergency telephone numbers of your bank with you and not with in wallet or purse in order to cancel your accounts on the spot. Keep a document in your vehicle with the details or have access to them in some way that allows you to cancel cards as quickly as possible
• Have no pin code numbers of your bankcards, even in a cryptographic way, with you. Keep the numbers in your head.
• Report any suspicious activity in supermarket car parks etc to the store’s information desk and ask them to contact the police.