zwho

My daughter is in Madrid right now and had her purse snatched. She is most upset about her camera being gone. I am most upset about her not having an ATM or credit cards! Her Passport was at the hotel. What is the fastest and easiest way to get cash to her? Is it still Western Union? I'm in Kansas if that maytters. I guess it shouldn'y. Anyway, Thanks for a speedy reply.

Viajero2

Western Union, $29 fee, she will be able to collect in ANY Western Union agency/window. Make sure you give her the 10-digit transaction number and that you make it to the EXACT name that is in her ID card that she will be asked to present. Best of luck. Post back please.

frogoutofwater

Here is some information where she can pick up funds from Western Union:

http://madrid.usembassy.gov/cons/acswestern.html

See also this link about reporting a crime in Spain (English language service):

http://madrid.usembassy.gov/cons/acs...ssistance.html

DeborahAnn

I am so sorry this has happened, zwho, is she alone, or with a group? If with a group, I would hope someone would float a loan to her until you can figure this out.

I can imagine how anxious you are, right now, please do keep us posted.

hopefully some helpful posts will be added to this thread if it's kept at the top.

Deborah

Viajero2

(Keeping it close to top)

Western Union is the way to go; they have Quick Money options; but this is expensive (close to $50 fee). It is about 7pm there anyway. Any bank, post office, travel agency in Madrid seems to have a WU window. There are hundreds of them in Madrid. If she is going to use her passport as ID make sure you have her passport number and name with you when doing the wiring and include her passport number as the Security question.

DeborahAnn

any other suggestions to help zwho???

Deborah

zwho

Thank you so much to all of you. She's with a friend who has credit cards, but is afraid he'll run out of cash, so she's okay for the most part. I'm on my way to WU and I have her passport #. I knew there had to be a good reason for me to have it! You guys are great!

zwho

Post script to this crisis. This morning I was exercising and when I was done my cell phone read that I had missed a call. It was a wierd #, the last 4 digits were only 3. Just like Spain! I emailed my daughter and she just got back to me. It is a Madrid cell #, so her hotel is trying to reach them. I guess she had a (ICE) in the purse with my name & #. So there is hope for humanity, and some nice stranger is trying to get in touch with my daughter because he or she found her purse, minus whatever was taken. I hope that's how this plays out.

DeborahAnn

zwho, please keep posting as to how your daughter is faring. I hope she does have some of the stolen property returned.

I would like to know the circumstances surrounding her purse snatching. Guide books I had read while preparing for our first trip to Spain this May had me questioning on this forum if Madrid had more personal crime than other European capitals.

I was so sorry that your daughter was indeed a Madrid crime victim. I hope the remainder of her trip brings nothing but pleasant adventures. Deborah

LAwoman

You can also send money via Western Union online, for future reference. I wire my nephew in New Zealand money for Christmas & birthday thru WU.

StCirq

Definitely WU - the $$ will be there in 20 minutes or less.

Good luck.

frogoutofwater

If you hear from your daughter, tell her to be wary of follow-up scams. (Although at this point, one would hope that she has cancelled her credit cards and cell phone.)

Here's the scam. A colleague of mine who used to work in Madrid told me a story about how his pocket was picked in an upscale Madrid restaurant. He didn't realize it at the the time. Some well-dressed, Spanish businessman sitting beside him tapped him on the shoulder and handed him back his wallet, saying that it had fallen on the floor. My colleague thanked him and didn't think much of it - until a few weeks later when he got his credit card statements. There were thousands and thousands of charges on the cards. When he reported the situation to the company, the operator said that she had heard of several situations in Madrid with the same pattern. The kind man who handed back the wallet had actually picked it, copied the cards (with the help of an accomplice) and then handed the wallet back, before going on a shopping spree.

Not that exactly this scam will now befall your daughter. But something similar could happen - someone could phone and say that he or she has her wallet, phone and cards, hoping that she'll decide not to cancel them. Then the robber will get another week or so's use out of them.

thursdaysd

Sorry to hear this cautionary tale! You should advise your daughter and her friend to wear money belts. That's where her ATM and credit cards should have been.

Viajero2

I agree this is a classic cautionary tale. It warns about protecting valuables in the safest way, the importance of leaving copies of documents back at home, potential scams that you face even after having been robbed, knowing ahead of time what is the best way to respond to an emergency, etc, etc....

The money belts may not be the ultimate fashion accessory, but boy have they prevented a lot of headaches!

sofee

The money belts help keep cash and CCs separated from easily snatched bags. Even with them you'll likely have tote bags, etc. from shopping or carrying water/guidebooks/cameras, etc. KEEP YOU PAWS ON THEM AT ALL TIMES.

We had a bag snatched from right beside us on a park bench in Barcelona. A man on a bicycle rides up and starts pulling on my husband's jacket and yelling at him in Spanish. We watch him ride off asking each other, "what the heck!?". We get up to leave and notice the bag gone. He got no cash, CCs or passports, but he DID get camera, brand new prescription sunglasses, gps device, brand new iPod...

Hope this isn't hi-jacking your thread, but maybe this will prevent similar incidents happening to other travelers.