Weekend extras

Hello! 

Here are a few extra items that are round and about this weekend.  

Also, Keep an eye on the Christmas Market page as that's where I put all the markets as I find them.

There's also a cautionary tale passed on to me.

Best wishes,

Helen

Hi everyone

***** has just had his bank card stolen and the thief/thieves managed to get over 7,000 euros out of our account before the card was stopped. I am passing this on to you to warn you to be careful. Luckily, we are insured and will be reimbursed - eventually - but it's not a nice feeling and is very inconvenient. It appears there is a gang operating in the area targeting elderly foreigners. (Hate to admit to being elderly but there we are).

It happened something like this: Saturday, around 1.00 p.m., ***** went to the cash machine at BNP Ste Foy. He withdrew some cash and printed off a mini statement. This was just as the bank was closing and the staff closed the grill which separates the bank from the cash machine foyer and left. When ***** went to retrieve his card it was not there. He assumed that the machine had swallowed it because he had pressed the wrong button or something. A smartly dressed young man behind him spoke to him saying he would have to wait till Monday to get his card back. As this has happened to us before, and because the bank had just that minute closed, he assumed the young man was one of the bank staff. On Monday we had a message from the Bank asking that we contact them immediately as it appeared there had been fraudulent use of the card.

The bank has cctv footage and tells us that, while ***** was putting the cash in his wallet, the young man reached round and pulled his card out of the machine. He must also have been able to see *****'s pin code when he punched it in. He/they then went on a spending spree, withdrawing 3 lots of cash (800 euros a time) and running up a total bill of over 7,000. I am sure you can all imagine the paperwork involved, including crime reports etc. There was a similar incident in Ste Foy at another bank involving another expat that Saturday (we don't know who).

Hopefully they will catch the blighters, send them to Devil's Island and forget about them for 20 years. In the meantime, please be extra careful.

****** & *******