Scammers in Santiago

[Kit86]

Hello everyone,

I booked into The Last Stamp albergue in Santiago de Compostela on 26th an 27th April. My friend and I were staying in a 8/10 bed dorm. I took the bottom bunk and she took the top bunk. Behind me was an Indian man in his 50/60s. Around 5pm on the Sunday, my friend was sleeping and I was reading the John Brierley book. I coughed and the Indian man came straight over to me and started a conversation. He told me he was from Bangalore but was living in Brighton. He had just come back from a trip to Germany. When I asked him about the Camino, he said he had done the Camino 5 times and wasn't where to start this time, maybe O Cebreiro. He then informed me he was staying in the albergue (£18 a night) until Thursday 31st for free. The receptionist was kind enough to let him stay until he got money through to his account. I wrapped up the conversation and he left.

Later than night about 12/1am, I was in a deep sleep for about an hour when I woke to him calling my name as he was sitting crosslegged on the ground beside my bed. In my groggy state, I asked him what did he want. He asked me if I would give him some Euros in exchange for Sterling. He handed me £15 in £1 coins. I felt sorry for him so I gave him a €20 note. He then babbled on a bit about someone helping me in return on the camino I felt uneasy at this stage as he continued to sit on the floor. I told him I was going back to sleep. He told me I looked cute and then 'blessed' me, just put his hand over my head and said something. He then continued to come in and out of the room all night until settling at around 4am. God knows what he was doing. Anyway, I left the next day to go to Sarria to start the Camino.

5 days later and I am back in Santiago browsing the square in front of the cathedral and low and behold the same Indian man approached my 2 friends and I and asks if we could spare a few euros, that he was waiting for money to come in and was having some credit problems! I immediately said didn't I give you €20 already last week.. he replied no to which I said yes I did, in the albergue you woke me up and asked me for money. He said Oh yes and quickly walked away and asked others for money.

It seems he is moving from hostel to hostel asking people for euros and possibly isn't walking the camino. Just thought I would make you all aware.

 

[grayland]

Be warned and spread the warning to others.

 

[david malta]

Slept at Last Stamp on 1 April and did not encounter this guy. Kit86 are your booking dates at the albergue correct (26th and 27th April)?

 

[xymmot]

Hello everyone,

I booked into The Last Stamp albergue in Santiago de Compostela on 26th an 27th April. My friend and I were staying in a 8/10 bed dorm. I took the bottom bunk and she took the top bunk. Behind me was an Indian man in his 50/60s. Around 5pm on the Sunday, my friend was sleeping and I was reading the John Brierley book. I coughed and the Indian man came straight over to me and started a conversation. He told me he was from Bangalore but was living in Brighton. He had just come back from a trip to Germany. When I asked him about the Camino, he said he had done the Camino 5 times and wasn't where to start this time, maybe O Cebreiro. He then informed me he was staying in the albergue (£18 a night) until Thursday 31st for free. The receptionist was kind enough to let him stay until he got money through to his account. I wrapped up the conversation and he left.

Later than night about 12/1am, I was in a deep sleep for about an hour when I woke to him calling my name as he was sitting crosslegged on the ground beside my bed. In my groggy state, I asked him what did he want. He asked me if I would give him some Euros in exchange for Sterling. He handed me £15 in £1 coins. I felt sorry for him so I gave him a €20 note. He then babbled on a bit about someone helping me in return on the camino I felt uneasy at this stage as he continued to sit on the floor. I told him I was going back to sleep. He told me I looked cute and then 'blessed' me, just put his hand over my head and said something. He then continued to come in and out of the room all night until settling at around 4am. God knows what he was doing. Anyway, I left the next day to go to Sarria to start the Camino.

5 days later and I am back in Santiago browsing the square in front of the cathedral and low and behold the same Indian man approached my 2 friends and I and asks if we could spare a few euros, that he was waiting for money to come in and was having some credit problems! I immediately said didn't I give you €20 already last week.. he replied no to which I said yes I did, in the albergue you woke me up and asked me for money. He said Oh yes and quickly walked away and asked others for money.

It seems he is moving from hostel to hostel asking people for euros and possibly isn't walking the camino. Just thought I would make you all aware.

Its a shame that there are people like this, I was approach from a man from Germany, but he was robbed. I was duped because I was always kind and just gave him 20 euros. He ask for my e-mail address so that he can return the money, to this day, I never heard from him. You have to beware of (edit) and pickpockets in large cities and airports in Spain. I have travel the world and found it most rampant in Barcelona. Even though the police knows this, they can not control these thieves and tourist often lose there wallets, cell phone and passport. I hope that the authorities can control this happening along the Camino routes and cities.

 

[Kittykat86]

Slept at Last Stamp on 1 April and did not encounter this guy. Kit86 are your booking dates at the albergue correct (26th and 27th April)?

Yes those dates are correct.

 

[Tincatinker]

This then is presumably an event in 2015 and not current information?

 

[Kittykat86]

This then is presumably an event in 2015 and not current information?[/QUOTE
This was on the 26th and 27th April 2016. Why is there confusion?

 

[Tincatinker]

Because todays date is 8 April 2016

 

[Kittykat86]

Because todays date is 8 April 2016

Oh I made a mistake. I meant March.

 

[Devon Mike]

We all need to be streetwise in the larger towns and cities. Places along the Camino are no different to other places throughout Europe and the rest of the world in this respect.

 

[Mark Lee]

I can only advise to 100% steer clear of anyone asking you for money on the Camino. I know that sounds negative, pessimistic, lacking empathy, etc but the reality is that there is a very small element of people out there that see the Camino as an opportunity to scam. A big ripe piece of fruit waiting to be picked, and they profile their victims and choose wisely. To them kindness is a weakness.
Hey, if it don't bother you to get ripped off for a few euros, no big deal. Me? I don't like being taken advantage of. I'd rather spend that 20 or so euros on drinks, or if I did want it to go to charity I'd give it to a legitimate one. Not some (edited) tweaker lost in Spain.
cheers and ultreia

 

[dougfitz]

You have to beware of (edited) and pickpockets in large cities and airports in Spain.

Can we please stop these racial slurs - they are just odious. Crime comes in all shapes and sizes.

 

[grayland]

Derogatory references to ethnic groups are deleted and future posts will be deleted as was similarly done in another recent thread.

Please see Doug"s post above^^!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I just want to add here that I had an opposite experience on the Camino.
A young man on the Aragones ran into problems with the bank freezing his card one year.
He asked if I could loan him €10 so he could get to the next town.
I gave him much more than that.
The people in the albergue told me, "You will never see that money again."
I didn't care really - someone helped me out once - but I believed him when he said he'd repay me.
A couple of weeks later, I was in the Los Arcos albergue just about to fall asleep when the hospitalera came into the room looking for me.
She said someone was needing to speak with me in the lobby.
Turns out it was the young man, who had gotten his cash, and gone to every albergue to find me and pay me back.
I knew he'd come through!
Lately, I reconnected with him on Facebook.
Andy turned out to be a sweet, honest pilgrim, and lifted my spirits greatly!

 

[williamlittig]

Many towns don't have ATM's and traveling with large amounts of cash is unwise. A new Canadian friend needed Euros and only had Canadian Dollars I happily gave him a good rate and he ate and slept well. As fate would have it in Hontanas I had no Euros and there wasn't an ATM another new friend exchanged the Canadian money and I ate and slept well. I had hoped to see my friend again but didn't. My Canadian friend Ron was to become part of my Camino Family and always will be. A little risk and a big reward. A British lad wrote "I don't care too much for money, money can't buy you love" but it can help friends in need. Be careful but don't be afraid to be generous...... Ultreya.... Willy/Utah/USA

 

[darronb]

Unfortunately this kind of thing happens wherever you get a large amount of tourists be it Santiago, Rome, London, New York etc etc. There is good and bad everywhere. All you can do is evaluate the situation and act accordingly. Sometimes you may be pleasantly surprised others you will have lost a few coins. The old adage "if it feels wrong it usually is" has served me well over the years.

 

[ivar]

I think I meet this guy the other day in Santiago, he was asking for directions. He is a forum member because he knew who I was and he also told me his username (I forgot what it was). Seemed like a nice guy to me. He did not ask me for money. He told me he was waiting for a friend and they might walk together from O Cebreiro.

 

[psychoticparrot]

Scamming and begging are universal no matter where you go. The poorer the country, the greater the desperation. In Nicaragua, it's everywhere. I always gave someone who asked a small amount of money (never show them how much you have, though!). Maybe it was spent for drugs or alcohol, but maybe it bought a family food for the day. I prefer to err on the side of trust and charity. If that makes me naive, so be it.

And I do the same for unfortunates in Baltimore, Maryland, too, where I'm currently staying. As I said, it's universal.

 

[SeaHorse]

Why would you reveal where your money stash is to somebody who wakes you up at 1-2a.m.? That was calculated - your brain will be mostly asleep and you do as you are told.

You all nice people from the West, you need to improve your English. There are a few words every *** will understand as those are the basic phrases in every Hollywood film: "F--k off, I call police ". Train that phrase, repeat it in a loud voice in front of a mirror, ask some friends to help you train to say it to a person. Thats the least you can do.

"You have to be nice" is the ban of the Western world. One of my walking buddies used this phrase on me. "No, I don't have to be nice! I'm a bitch!" And not ashamed.
You understand that you are being taken advantage of, scammed, fooled and you do nothing about it. "You have to be nice" - schools bullies rule, its on Camino. Its everywhere in small scale, its everywhere in big scale. How can you live always being "nice"?

 

[ivar]

Will close this thread... let's move on to other camino topics.