interesting new scam in rome...
 

this one is fresh (to me at least)...

a driver hails you from a pulled up position and asks directions to an obviously well known attraction or location (in my case to the termini from san pietro in vicoli which is a straight shot up the via cavour).

he thanks you and asks where you're from (and unless you're from the ozarks will tell you he's familiar with it). then, he proceeds to explain that he's actually the french rep for versace and offers you what appears to be a labled leather coat while mentioning he's somewhat short of gas and money to buy any (despite the obvious fact that the termini is about a three minute drive from this location).

while i really wanted to play this little drama out, my wife was getting a bit impatient waiting on the sidewalk. so with reluctance, i told him (in french) that i was from new york and this what what we would normally do to rubes like him and i hoped he'd have better luck.

the obvious ploy was the mark (me) hands over some money and off he drives with coat and mark's cash. what i couldn't get from this was: a) what kind of score did he really think he was going to make (in terms of the possible fall)? and b) did he really think that no one was not eventually going to get and report his tag number?

either this was the dumbest thief in rome or i missed out on one really nice coat for my wife. me thinks the former...

My favorite part is the idea that the French rep for Versace is somewhat short of money!

Oh that poor man. Versace should pay him better, lol.

It's not new - it's been going on for decades in one way or another (probably longer, but Versace wasn't around then :) ).

Good thing to alert everyone anyway.

I've heard about this scam a few times.
You will get the coat which is *very* cheaply made and he will want ~100e. Regards, Walter

I had a similar one in NYC. A very well-dressed young man (but reeking of alcohol - which he appeared not to notice) approached me with a story about having his wallet take and no money left - no way to get home. He claimed to be a student at Wharton and wanted to sell me his (plastic) briefcase for $75 so he could get home.

I pointed him at the nearest police station (which will let you use the phone in such circumstances) and told him if he was really at Wharton he should be smart enough to figure this out for himself.

The things people try!!

My husband was approached by someone near the Vatican using the same technique that subcon describes above. Said his wife was with the American Embassy. Don't know why the spouse of an Embassy employee would have to sell a leather coat to buy gas. DH declined.

The old scams appear from time to time. And it is good to have reminders that they are indeed scams.

Remember the "if it sounds to good to be true" statement.