Yah know I think any of us could be caught off guard when you are abroad in this type of incident. I don't know what the answer is other than walking away when a stranger is trying to stop you in your tracks. This will only be the answer for some incidents though.

You can always surprises.
I was in Paris 20 years ago and I remember seeing a policeman at the main station (famous) building pointing a pistel out an open window on the 3-5 floor. I did not know the language or even that this was a police station but I did see a police officer and so I alerted him. I remember the police officer laughing at me that he was just cleaning the gun. This was a police station and no one would point a gun out an open window in central paris if it was loaded.. I was the silly woman that should just move on. That is still so remarkable to me. Made me think they had different standards of what was safe. Of course that was my thinking then, I was only 23 in a foreign country without the language skills, so I did just move on, shocked.

I can imagine that fsh020 might also feel that there was some kind of a different standard when all of this was going on.

I think also, that does who do not live in a city are bigger fish to fry because they are so trusting in their communities, I often, on the subway will yell out, "Watch your handbag" when I see a person trying to steal a wallet on the train here in Boston.

I see that too Cig and sometimes they are native New Yorkers, on their way to work, caught off guard.

Never seen someone actually picking a pocket though, with the exception of when someone had their hand in my pocket last winter, LOL. Made a scene about that one. That could have got me a bloody nose though, now that I think of it.

I don't think there is ever a right answer for every situation. I was just lucky...

This same scam happened to me 5 years ago in Brussels. I felt very stupid that I fell for it. There were 2 guys and the one that lifted my cash was very good. I did not see it coming. He took over $200. Luckily, I stashed cash in different places. It was my first time in Belgium and it gave me bad memory. I never want to go back there again.

I cannot help but notice how many bad stories take place while people have their luggage w/them. We always take taxis from trains and/or airports. It may be costly but never anything approaching 250 euros!!

I don't know what their badges would look like, but they are called the police in Paris. I think the gendarmes are for more rural areas or small towns -- maybe like the difference in sheriffs and police in the US. Not sure, but I know they are called the police in Paris and the prefecture of police. They do have uniforms, of course -- I think I've seen a couple versions, depending on what they are doing. The more heavy duty ones are with the boots, carrying the rifles, but I think the everyday guys on the street are usually wearing black pants and blue shirts with epaulettes.

I think it's always good to warn people about these things. I remember someone posted on here the identical incident happening in Prague. I suppose they target tourists, of course, and can tell right away if the tourist is going to go along with it, and can tell if they know French or not.

I wouldn't even know what a genuine police badge looked like where I live, but could probably spot something that looked really bogus. I would want to look it over carefully, also, not just let someone quickly flash something. I don't know if fsh020 is speculating that real Paris police badges say police in big red letters or found that out later. I suppose a good con artist could easily have a badge make up with police in big red letters, though. No mention is made as to what the police imposter was wearing.

Just to elaborate on one side-question raised above: In France, a real police officer MIGHT stop you, ask for identification and pose questions, without any apparent "cause." It's very unlikely to happen to a visitor who's behaving properly but it could, and it's perfectly legal here.

Police officers will never ask you how much cash you have.

The word <i>police</i> is French (English borrowed the word from French, not the other way around).

Police officers do have official ID, but it's hard to verify out on the street at night. However, police officers almost never work alone, and they have radios, and they wear uniforms.

Overall, I'm sorry to say that fsh020 sounds a bit na&iuml;ve. There were too many suspicious things about this encounter, no matter where it occurred.

The police in France can ask you to show ID if they have reason to (almost any reason is sufficient), but they are never interested in the contents of your wallet. It's very rare for American tourists to be checked for ID, as it is usually painfully obvious that they are Americans already.