Blazing down the French highway this holiday? Then you need to watch out for the Irish scam.
French authorities are warning on social media about scammers operating along the country’s motorways. You can encounter scammers along the A10, A71 and A85 in particular.
The Irish Scam
These are men or women, often of Irish descent, who can be found at rest stops along the highway. While you are stopping to take a break, these figures come to you. They claim to be victims of a theft themselves and therefore have no money left. They can also say that they can no longer continue their journey due to bad luck. Whatever excuse they come up with: they want money and ask if you can transfer some so that they can continue their journey.
We are not talking about asking for ten euros in cash. No, they leave names, telephone numbers and account numbers. They promise that it is not a handout, but that they will refund the transferred money. Of course they do not do that. There are known cases where people have lost hundreds of euros out of goodwill.
The scam goes back almost 10 years. According to the gendarmerie of Loir-et-Cher, there is a new rise. The scammers are active during the holiday season with a lot of tourist traffic in France. It is difficult for the police to catch these scammers. A red-handed arrest at a rest stop along the highway is not possible with your conspicuous police car.
Summary. If a stranger approaches you and asks if you have money, think twice. If you really want to be the Good Samaritan (if someone is demonstrably in trouble), it is best to stick to cash. Do not mess around with account numbers, because then there is a big chance that you will be fooled. (via Telegraaf)
