Theft and Attacks on the Road to Your Holiday

Every year, many tourists have their vehicle stolen, or valuables left in their vehicle or luggage.
Here are some recommendations to help you avoid the worst.

Well-prepared organised gangs

In many cases, acts of vandalism or theft are carried out by organised gangs. These have a well-tested method of operating that targets specific vehicles or people (cars of a certain make, foreign tourists, ...). These gangs operate temporarily within a given area before moving their activities to places where they haven't been spotted (yet).

A few examples of traps

• Car-jacking after a "collision": your vehicle is hit by another vehicle, and you pull over to check the damage. An accomplice of the other party arrives, takes your vehicle and drives off. The fact that a child is sitting in the back doesn't deter the thieves, who abandon the child a few kilometres further on.
• Car-jacking by force: the driver (or another passenger) is threatened with a weapon and forced to give up the vehicle. For your safety, in this situation it's advisable not to resist.
• The same method described above can of course also be used just to steal your luggage, money or valuables, without stealing the car.
• Deflating a tyre: the thief deflates one of your car's tyres while you're away. When you get back, you dig through your boot looking for the spare tyre or repair kit. While you're distracted, the thief helps themselves to your car.
• The fake vehicle problem: a car overtaking you signals that you have a problem (oil leak, flat tyre, roof box coming loose, …). You'll then be tempted to stop on the emergency lane to check. This is followed by an attempted car-jacking or luggage theft.
• An act of vandalism forcing you to stop urgently: an attacker throws something at your car (there are even cases of eggs being thrown at the windscreen), forcing you to pull over onto the emergency lane. This is followed by an attempted car-jacking or luggage theft.
• Appealing to your good nature or sense of solidarity: someone with bad intentions (often posing as a foreign tourist) approaches you and explains that their wallet has been stolen. They beg you to lend them money and promise to pay you back later by bank transfer. Needless to say, if you agree, you'll never see your money again.
• Fake police officers: cases of "fake police officers" have already been reported in the south of France. This involves a gang that mostly operates between 2am and 6am, targeting people in vehicles in unsupervised parking areas, using the pretext of an anti-drug police check to search luggage and rob victims. They operate in an unmarked car with a flashing light and don't wear police uniforms.

How to avoid these traps

The tricks and traps used by these gangs vary and regularly adapt to the situation. It is therefore difficult to give a single procedure that would apply to every case.
While there's certainly no need to become paranoid, a few basic rules are still worth following:

• When you park your vehicle, choose a public place where there's a degree of social oversight, or a car park under camera surveillance (as is the case, for example, in many (paid) car parks managed by an agency). Lock the steering wheel, pull the handbrake, and make sure the windows and boot are closed. Don't leave any valuables, handbag or money in sight. Some thieves have devices that can detect the presence of a laptop, even when stored out of sight in the boot!
• To check your vehicle, always choose places with enough passing traffic (busy car parks or service stations) where a possible attack would be discouraged by the presence of witnesses or surveillance cameras. Note the number plate and make of car of any potential attacker, and pay attention so you can give a description if needed...
• During a stop, always leave your vehicle with the engine switched off, the steering wheel locked, and take your car keys with you! Don't leave your keys in the ignition, and don't leave any valuables in sight or within reach.
• A police check is usually carried out by uniformed officers who escort the vehicle to a place that guarantees safety during the check, or one set up by the police to carry out routine checks on several vehicles in a row.
• Avoid stopping at deserted motorway rest areas, especially at night.
• When your vehicle is stationary (traffic jams, red lights, service stations, ...), don't leave a window fully open: a passer-by with bad intentions would only need to reach in to steal a bag or an item.
• Turn off Bluetooth on your smartphone, tablet, laptop… when your vehicle is parked somewhere, even for a short time. Thieves with a Bluetooth detector can quickly spot you… or rather, spot your electronic devices.
• Don't leave any visible items in the vehicle that could tempt a thief, even while driving.
• In the event of an attack, theft or (staged) accident, call the police (number 112). File a report.