lingililingili
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Credit Card and Identity Theft Alert in La Paz
We just got word that a friend's purse was pick pocketed, she thinks it happened at Rancho Viejo. The couple who used her card at Oxxo to buy alot of
cigarettes and other purchases around town were identified as follows:
Woman: Around 45 years of age, not tall, chubby, medium length curly light brown hair with highlights. Her nails were long and well cared for, light
colored eyes possibly green, fair skin, decent looking and spoke Spanish with an American accent.
The Man she was with: Possibly Mexican around 35 years old, not bad looking with a tatoo of many colors on his arm. He is tall with short hair.
Just wanted to let people know to be aware.
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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gnukid
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Interesting, I was encountered by this very couple who offered to buy my dog a taco or arrachera at Rancho Viejo, no wonder he was so nice to bend
down at our table to give her marinated steak food! Hmmmm When something is too good to be true...
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gnukid
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I guess this is a good time to remind everyone that the're always opportunistic thieves in busy tourist zones during holidays who systematically prey
upon opportunity. There are generally identifiable to the savvy traveler as conspicious but if you let your guard down they will find you and remember
they are looking for a tourist looking person-you.
I will mention once more the thieves I encountered inside and outside in Soriana, it was a standard gypsy operation of which I am familiar, the whole
family, the boy with the newspapers over an arm, the mother/grandma with a sleeping baby outstretched in her arms, the grandpa asking a question, the
children surrounding you, all at once. And then they grab something-a wallet and pass it to a child who walks/runs.
These ploys are hundreds and thousands of years old and you can spot them easily if you pay attention, but the one time you don't-bang! they got your
money. And in La Paz they say, if you are stupid enough to let them-they needed it more than you, which is of little console.
They also surrounded me outside once, meanwhile you imagine I am spinning, turning backing-up trying to evade the group-whose father then yells rape
or "rapier, rapier" which is another turn in the trick. Be careful. Avoid people who approach you quickly.
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lingililingili
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Kate: I'm curious if he rummaged thru your purse? Was it easy to get to?
| Quote: | Originally posted by morgaine7
FWIW, my wallet was stolen in CCC in September, and the man I suspect of doing it fits that description. I didn't notice a tattoo, but there can't be
a huge number of tall, good-looking pickpockets in La Paz. He asked me (in native Spanish, no English accent) to help him find something, and while I
was doing so ... bam ... although I didn't know the wallet was gone until I got to the checkout. Two of my cards were used for small purchases at an
Oxxo and a gasolinera before I got them blocked. A guy using a card with my name would be pretty conspicuous, so I figured that a woman must be with
him.
Kate |
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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BMG
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One of the things I found interesting with our friend's case is that the couple purchased many boxes of cigarettes from the OXXO store on Abasolo and
Jalisco using the stolen card. Because the clerk couldn't run all of the cigarettes up on a single charge (apparently because of charge limits), she
ran them up as multiple charges to get around the limit. You would think that buying M$14,000 worth of many different brands of cigarettes might raise
a red flag.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BMG
One of the things I found interesting with our friend's case is that the couple purchased many boxes of cigarettes from the OXXO store on Abasolo and
Jalisco using the stolen card. Because the clerk couldn't run all of the cigarettes up on a single charge (apparently because of charge limits), she
ran them up as multiple charges to get around the limit. You would think that buying M$14,000 worth of many different brands of cigarettes might raise
a red flag. |
BIG red flag----maybe the clerk is a friend of these people??
Such a hassle to cancel everything. I really feel for your friend. 
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wilderone
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"You would think that buying M$14,000 worth of many different brands of cigarettes might raise a red flag."
He wouldn't turn away a sale like that - would believe any story proffered. Would he then sell the cigaretts for the cash? Was a police report
made? If he's spotted selling the cigarettes, he might get caught.
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BMG
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
BIG red flag----maybe the clerk is a friend of these people??
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If so, then the description of the culprits is bogus. The OXXO clerk contacted our friend because the
couple ended up taking out some boxes of cigarettes that they didn't pay for. The clerk called our friend since the female buyer used her ID and
identified herself as our friend.
Keep your friends close and your purse closer.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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BMG
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
"You would think that buying M$14,000 worth of many different brands of cigarettes might raise a red flag."
He wouldn't turn away a sale like that - would believe any story proffered. Would he then sell the cigaretts for the cash? Was a police report
made? If he's spotted selling the cigarettes, he might get caught. |
I would think that they will try
selling the cigarettes for cash, but who knows? Personally, making multiple charges to get around store policy seems like a big risk for the clerk,
but apparently the couple come across well and seem very respectable. I imagine Kate thought she was helping a nice person, or maybe it was tall and
good looking part.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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JESSE
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The clerk knows them.
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lingililingili
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Wilderone: This took place on or about Nov. 25 and, yes, a police report was filed.
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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Bajahowodd
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Maybe because the clerk wanted to keep their job. Even if in cahoots, this wasn't a retirement gig.
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BMG
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| Quote: | Originally posted by morgaine7
In your friend's case, wouldn't a 14,000 MXN charge normally require verification? |
I think that is probably
why they ran the same card multiple times. I am surprised that the card would get approved for multiple sales at the same location at the same time,
although we don't have details of how many 'multiple' means.
Unlike your incident, these thieves ran around town as quick as they could making purchases before it started declining.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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