The "Gold Ring" Scam
 

Here is a scam I encountered in Paris.

My friend and I were strolling along having a conversation and a nice looking, well dressed woman was approaching us. I didn't pay much attention until she swooped down and picked up something from the sidewalk and said "lucky me, I just found this gold ring!" She held it out to show us, a sizeable gold band. I said "yes it is your lucky day" and thought, darn, why didn't I see it first!!

Then I got suspicious, duh, when she said "do you want it?" Hmmmmm. We both said "no, you keep it" and kept walking. In the back of my mind I thought some scam was in the works but we didn't really think it over until lunchtime.

Later on, Barb met up with us and said a man had approached her with a "found" gold ring and put it on her finger and then wanted money for it.

Sooo moral of the story, don't be gullible!!

Who would actually be compelled to pay? I don't see such a scam working very well.

I agree with that. I would also not engage conversation with strangers on the street as much as you even did. I never would have even spoken to her or stopped to chat.

You are both right! I agree, it was dumb of us to even speak to her.

Since I live in Paris, I just tell them "good for you!" when they find one.

So what do they do when you won't give them money for the ring? Call the cops? Chase you?

Oh I didn't mention, she walked past us when she spoke so we had to turn to talk to her, so an accomplice must have been there waiting to grab our purse, or if we really would have been stupid, to wait until we opened a purse to give her some cash for the ring.

And she spoke English to us so we must have been scoped out beforehand too.

Another scam as old as the hills. Sometimes they do it with jewlery or with a bag or wallet with cash in it.

As with any other scam - just ignore the person and keep going - briskly. Simply don;t speak to strangers about anything like this - and you can;t be scammed - or distracted. (And this one too is very common in the US.)

You need to develop the "I don't see you" stare - just keep walking and pretend the person doesn;t exist.

Reminds me of another "scam" in Paris we encountered while there.
While walking with my husband at the Eiffel Tower a nicely-dressed man walked up to me very quickly, with a big smile and handed me a rose. Why I took it I dont' know-maybe it was the romance of the moment. Anyway, after nicely giving me the rose - he turned to my husband with a scowl and forcibly held out his hand. When I protested and tried to hand the rose back, he refused. He continued to demand money - while smiling sweetly at me and then scowling angrily at my husband. After arguing with him for a few minutes, I finally just threw the rose on the ground.
This sounds like a stupid trick. But honestly I think the romantic setting would make a lot of men feel pressured into just buying the flower.

SeaUrchin, without realizing it, you did the right thing. Lucky you. It's hard not to talk to someone on the street, especially since she was well dressed and you saw the ring being 'found'. I'll bet the majority of us, myself included, would have had the same conversation with her.

I think I read something here a while back about a found bracelet, maybe in Rome at the train station. He slipped it on the wrist of his 'mark' and then demanded money, apparently getting quite nasty.

Thanks for the info, now I know to keep walking if this happens to me.

Nina

I know somebody who bought a "gold" chain this way. Turned out, a link with the stamp was attached to a non-valuable chain. I say, the buyer deserved it.

Sea Urchin - The exact same thing happened to my husband and me 2 weeks ago in Paris. When she offered us the ring we also said no, then she asked if we could give her money for food. My husband gave her one euro and she said "is that all" at that point we told her to get lost!! Wow did we feel stupid after that. Oh well, live and learn.

That "gold ring" scam was tried on DH and I in April in front of Acadamie Francais. The scammer claimed that she didn't wear jewelry for religious reasons. DH looked at her, laughed and said, "oh, I guess that why you have piecrced ears". She scrammed real quick!

Well, it is easy to get caught up in the moment of being in a beautiful city, having a wonderful time and we may become marks if we aren't vigilant. Yes these scams are as old as the hills but it is good to be reminded now and then.

This may sound weird but it works for me, when someone stops to talk to me i always take a step to the side and so i can see if there is someone coming up behind me. It keeps me on my toes and throws the person stopping me off.

My husband has a habit, when someone starts talking to him, or somebody's approaching him in the street, he puts his hand in a pocket. This may send a signal! Like, what if he has a knife in the pocket.

A variant: While approaching the Pont de la Concorde a week ago, I found a large gold ring (clearly a man's ring)just sitting on the northwest pediment of the bridge. There was no one around and it was cold and rainy. Had no idea why this ring was there. It was marked 18k, but nothing more. We wondered whether someone left it there to signify the end of a relationship or something like that. But maybe it was just leftover from one of these scams? I felt quite bewildered by it.

This made me think of something that happened to me in September, did I successfully walk away from a potential scam?

I was walking with my friend and a woman approached us and asked if we were Americans. We stopped and said yes. She started telling us that she was an American who came to France and has not been able to get a job, blah, blah, blah and now she needs to pay her hotel bill and could we spare any money for a fellow American. I told her I had no cash on me. My friend made a move towards her money and I pulled her arm and said we had to leave. So, she got nothing from us but I always wondered if that was one of the many scams people encounter.

My reaction when she started talking was to mention that it was really poor planning on her part to not secure a job before moving... Well, that was my second reaction, the first was to walk away but my friend was talking to her. After we left the woman, I told my friend that we should not stop and talk to people and never to give money.

cls2paris--that's a common one. The same thing happened to me in Costa Rica (and to someone else who posts here--I think it may have been the same guy!)

cls2paris: If her story were true... not only was it bad planning on her part, but to my knowledge, illegal. From my personal experience, one must have a permit to work in a foreign country and cannot simply arrive as a tourist and get a job.

I do believe you avoided being scammed... good for you!

DianeL. - DH is the one who gives money to strangers, well at least he used to until I put in my 2¢. In hind sight, you should have said in a very surprised voice "oh, sorry about that", asked for the one euro back and then walked away with it. :-))

We had the Costa Rica thing happen too A young American man who had supposedly been unable to find his father when they got separated said that he had no money and was starving, blah, blah, blah, and had no idea how to connect up with his father. I must have been in a very good mood that day, because we walked him to a cafeteria a few feet behind him, and told the counter man to give him some food. The kid started ordering enough for everything in sight - that good of a mood I wasn't in. We told him to get a _much_ smaller amount, then waited until he was served and seated, and had started to eat, then we paid the cashier. About that time I was beginning feel pretty foolish thinking that he and the counterman had a scram going between them.

People like this make it so hard to be nice.

I find the best way to avoid 'these' people is not to answer them, even when they said 'do you speak Engish?" I just keep going. One guy kept following me in a mall, possibly Les Halles, years ago, asking me if I spoke, Spanish, Russian, Greek, etc.. I was alone and couldn't get rid of him, so I ducked into one of the stores and deliberately point my finger at him to the salesclerk.. he left in a hurry.


Nina

LoL, Nina, another day a woman approached me and by then I was leery so when she asked me in English if I spoke English, I said "no".

I remember last year in Paris, several women with long braids approaching me as I walking from the Louvre to the Champs Elysees asking if I spoke English. At first I had heard the first one asking someone else and I looked thinking maybe she needed help, but quickly got the idea that help is not what she was after.

So when another woman, who looked like she was related to the first one, asked if I spoke English, I responded in English, "No, I don't speak English at all" as I kept on walking. The next one I answered in French, saying pretty much the same thing and the next one just got a dirty look from me. If another one approached me I was ready to respond, (as I kept walking) "Do I look that stupid and gullible to you?"

What exactly was their scheme I don't know and gladly didn't find out.

cls2paris, your story reminded me of something that happened to my cousin and me in Paris in 1983. We had just arrived via overnight train from Switzerland and an agitated American-sounding woman came up and told us she had been robbed of her purse on the train while she slept and didn't have any money. I gave her a Metro ticket and suggested to go to the U.S. Embassy and ask them what to do. I wasn't being smartaleck - I was young and not yet cynical enough to think she might be scamming me, so I thought I was being helpful.

SeaUrchin & lyb ... great answer about not speaking English - you do don't you??? Or have I been reading your posts in another language and hadn't realized it?

I may be smarter than I look!

Nina

My husband and I were approached in Paris (September) by a woman who "bent down and picked up a gold ring." She said, "Boy, this is my lucky day!" My husband and I smiled and walked on. She came after us and said, "My religion forbids me to have jewelry. Would you like it?" I immediately said, "No, thank you." But she insisted that I keep it. So, I put it in my pocket fully intending to toss it in the nearest waste basket. I could tell it was fake. We had walked no more than 20 feet when she approached us from the rear. "Pardon me," she said. "Might you have some change for me to get a coffee?"
Of course, my husband and I just laughed and said, "No, and YOU can toss this ring in the nearest garbage container."

Do these people really make money at doing this?

I'd also like to add my name to the list with SeaUrchin and lyb. For the times I have been in Paris, mainly around the Eiffel Tower, these young girls have come up to me and ask if I spoke English. I would reply to them, "Nope, I sure don't!" and keep on moving. This past September when I was there, again - same song, same routine, but this time I was on my way to buy an ice cream. When I tried to order in French (so as to avoid the girl that was standing around there), the guy didn't understand, so I spoke in English. When I was walking away with my ice-cream, the girl approached me again wanting the change I'd just gotten back. I kept on walking and heard her sounding not too happy about not getting anything from me! Luckily, knock on wood, I've never been pickpocketed.

Here's a slightly different scam I encountered in Paris. I was with my friend V who had a very expensive camera. A very well-dressed man approached us and reached for V's camera and said, "Let me take your picture. Go stand over there." V eagerly said OK, but I intervened and said, "No, V, do NOT hand him your camera!!" I then told the man to leave us alone.

V thought I was very rude until I explained this scam. If we had fallen for this, the man would have run off with the camera as soon as we were far enough from him. She then realized I had saved her camera.

In case you are wondering, yes, I learned this by watching Chevy Chase's "European Vacation." :-))

I took pictures of a lot of people while in Italy (with their cameras). Some were hesitant at first. I wonder if some people take pictures and then demand money.

I had a man grab the end of my suitcase when I was dragging it down the steps. I kept telling him to put it down but he wouldn't. At the bottom of the steps he wouldn't put it down either so I kept walking to my track. Then he insisted on going up the next staircase as well.

At the top I'm sure you can guess what happened next. He stuck out his hand. I couldn't believe it. I actually thought he was just being considerate. I gave him one euro and he was mad. I told him he wasn't going to get a cent more and that if he didn't leave I would shove him down the stairs for being so rude. I don't know if he understood me, but he left. Good thing because I wouldn't have pushed him, but I sure felt like it.

Lisa

Steviegene - I saw 'the rose stunt' being pulled on the Champs Elysees while I sat and had dinner at Laduree (had window seating).
The guy persistantly walked up to anyone coming his way who had a lady with him. Most pushed past and ignored the gesture of a rose but one lady took it out of his hand and the couple kept walking. Naturally he ran after them and demanded money - the girls shoved the rose back at him and they went on.

The other scam which I asked about some time ago was the "bracelet sellers" at the area below the funiculair leading up to the Sacre Coeur. Since then I have learned that these chaps of African descent are actually trying to engage you in a 'good luck charm' by winding the string(or whatever) around your wrist.
After performing the ritual they demand money. Absolute pests!

One of the "bracelet sellers" on the steps of the Sacre Coeur grabbed my hand and started winding the bracelet. I kept saying no but he wouldn't quit. Once he was done, of course he asked for money. I just took off the bracelet and shoved it at him and walked away.

The gold ring caper sounds like a variation on the classic "pigeon drop" stunt, familiar to any police officer on the bunco squad. The second phase begins when the finder asks the pigeon to hold the ring (or cash or other valuable), then requests a "good faith" deposit. In the process, the ring is switched by sleight of hand and the pigeon is left holding something of no value whatever. Best ploy: ignore the finder. Often, finders work in pairs, and they can be very persuasive, even threatening.

>She started telling us that she was an American who came to France and has not been able to get a job, blah, blah, blah and now she needs to pay her hotel bill and could we spare any money for a fellow American.<

See "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" 1948.
That gimmick was old then.

A few other scams:

At a casino in the US a fellow came up to me and told me that he had lost all of his money and needed some cash to get home.

He offered to sell me a "solid gold and ruby" ring worth over $1000 for $100.

I suggested that he give it to the cabby to pay for his ride home.

He thanked me for the suggestion and walked away.

On a subway platform in NYC a fellow walked up to me holding out his hand with a couple of quarters in it and asked if I could help him with some change because he needed $2 to get off the subway.

I might be a hayseed from GA, but even I know that you pay to get ON, not off, the subway.

Also, don't accept anyone's offer to get a cab for you, especially if they want payment in advance - even of they are wearing a badge that says "dispatcher".

((I))

Those African guys at Sacre Coeur really don't want to take "no" for an answer, either. I must have told them, "Leave me alone" in three languages.

I'm glad you have shared your experiences. We have not encountered any of this but we will be prepared if we do on our next trip.

Off topic, but I second Ira's suggestion... "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is a GREAT rental.

"Badges?... We don't need no stinkin badges!"

SeaUrchin,I had the exact same scam pulled on me about a year and a half ago on the rue de Rivoli near the Palais Royal. It took about two or three minutes to get her off my back.

The scammers depend on you acting nice and polite. If ignoring fails, act rude and loud and nasty. Waving a fist and swearing loudly, in English or in French, adds to the effect. No one wants to scam a belligerant crazy person!

I must admit that my instinctive reaction if someone found something apprently valuable in the street would be to hand it in to the police.

topping for scam fans