Be warned

[DecorDiva]

My parents were at the Lidl the other day when my father felt something splash on his back, a man was immediately there telling him he had been shat on by a bird and offering to clean him up with water and a tissue. Needless to say my father told him to get lost but be warned in case the same happens to you. Not sure what they would have done perhaps tried to pick pocket him? They shot off when my mother went back into the Lidl to buy him a new top, they probably thought she had gone in to report them.

[El Cid]

It happened to me some time ago in Barcelona.

They magically produce some water and tissues to clean you up - in the process your wallet/purse etc will disappear.

It is getting to be a common scam now - it happened to me a few weeks ago in Almunecar but this time I just ignored it and cleaned it up later.

Sid

[DecorDiva]

Yes was obviously a scam as if we all walk around clutching water and tissues! I think it unnerved my parents though which is a shame it is their highlight of their week doing the Lidl!

[Paula]

I'm sure someone on here posted that it happened to them in Ikea car park and belongings from the car were stolen while they were being "cleaned up".

[Kamila]

Yes, you are right Paula, I remember that too.

[peteroldracer]

Just say that you want to take a photo of them with your mobile, to publicise them as good citizens...

[tjtops]

Oh how sad this all is....first the Lidl Coin muggings and now this....please please someone tell me we're not degenerating into the lawlessness so prevalent in inner-city UK???

[frog]

personally,i never bother with lidl,wonder why the pickpockets do

ooh im a snob

only joking but just a thought

[alexander1]

We had exactly the same problem 5 years ago in San Pedro. It was the fact that the guy had a lot of tissues that sort of made me think something wasn't quite right. Took us to a toilet to clean up - but didn't get anything! We were lucky. A week later there was a piece reported in one of the freebie papers. So it's still going on!

[masterob]

I'm sure someone on here posted that it happened to them in Ikea car park and belongings from the car were stolen while they were being "cleaned up".

Yes, it was me! Happened a few months back in IKEA car park Malaga. The "clever" thing was that while this very attentive man was busy "helping" me, his accomplice was getting into my wallet inside a bag on the passenger seat of the car and extracting just one credit card! "Clever" because my reaction, when I sussed what was going on, was to check that both the bag and wallet were still in place - which they were. It was only shortly afterwards when I went into another store that I opened my wallet and realised that the card was missing. I reported it immediately but in the time lapse of about 35mins the thieves had used the card in a branch of Lidl somewhere in Malaga City to the tune of around €200!! Naively, I have always assumed that credit cards can only be used with ID, clearly not! Anyway, the card issuer refunded the expenditure and I will not be caught again, I hope!

[Paula]

Glad you got your money back, at least they didn't get cash from you.

Actually on the subject of scams, don't be too relaxed when putting your belongings through the xray at Malaga. I'm certain I was set up for "losing" cash out of my bag last month!! It was so incredibly obvious, but wouldn't have been to anyone who wasn't keeping an eye on what was going on.

[gerryh]

Can you give details please?

Cheers
Gerry

[Kathy]

I accidentally left my handbag in a petrol station on the Autopista Costa del Sol, I realised 20 minutes later, turned back and the bag had been handed in by one of the many Moroccan ladies travelling through.
Absolutely everything was in tack, until my credit card statement arrived.

They had filled up about 3 cars and returned the card! I have no proof that it was the same lady, however my credit card company returned the payment in full. I do believe that that stealing in Morocco is totally frowned upon and in this case maybe filling the tanks was viewed as just a little gift from "God":-)

[Paula]

Hey lucky they were not travelling in 3 coaches Kathy

Gerry, sorry wasn't meaning to be vague, and it was just my take on the situation.

Was carrying a fair amount of cash for a holiday and I had my watch in my bag being as they seem to be often asking me to remove it lately!! I never put my bag on the conveyor until I am able to walk through the arch. Walked through ready to immediately pick up my bag, then noticed the guard looking at the woman who was monitoring the screen. The guard then pulled me aside, spun me around so that my back was to the belt and made to start searching me. But I turned away from her to watch the belt and the woman monitoring the screen had my bag on her lap. This was all within seconds, certainly didn't look as though she was in the process of putting my bag through the xray again as she wouldn't have sat down. Plus when I turned she was looking straight at me, I left the guard and asked the other woman what she was doing and she babbled on about needed to re-xray the bag. I wasn't asked to walk back through the arch, even though I had stopped the guard from searching me, but they didn't kick up any fuss. Maybe I am paranoid, but I'm sure there was something going on.

[alexander1]

If, when you go this screening, you had a money belt on your person containing paper notes and credit cards, I wonder if would this be detected? I will certainly be that bit more vigilant. Thanks Paula.

[tjtops]

I hate to say it, but I do think that thefts from Malaga airport are on the increase again....they did stop after a 'gang' was caught a couple of years ago but...
A couple of months ago a friend of mine was travelling from Malaga (to Belfast) and for a variety of reasons, had to put his allotted cigs, plus his digi camera etc etc in a hold bag. The whole lot just disappeared and to this day, no-one will recompense or even take responsibility for it......(he flew with jet2.com)...I am currently kicking up stink on his behalf, so we'll see!
It's all very well saying he should have taken out travel insurance, or 'not placed valuables in hold baggage' but my point is: surely a passenger should be fairly confident that a checked-in bag should appear the other end -- or at least somewhere??? This one has disappeared off the face of the earth. Would the same have happened had it not contained 'valuables'...??