Another pickpocket scam ...

[diego7david]

fourth type: those who move here for love

and those who move here for sex, drugs and rock & roll...whoops i meant tango !

 

[tangobob]

I got caught today, we were sitting in the Rosedahl just reading when apparently a bird used us as a toilet. Not only was the consistency all wrong but it came from the wrong direction ie not directly above.
A couple appeared who were just too helpful (the lady also kept asking for Plaza Italia). My wife quickly gathered her bag and I kept my hand on my wallet. I accepted the offered wet tissues but never allowed them to touch me. They eventually left empty handed.
I do not know what was sprayed on me but it stinks. we got some funny looks on our way back though.

 

[tangocherie]

The bird poop scam is universal, especially in Europe.

The other day, when my husband was traveling by train (because his old car had been stolen in front of our apartment), a guy reached through the open window of the train while it was at the station, and jerked my husband's gold chain from around his neck. Luckily Ruben wasn't hurt. But he was wearing it under his shirt, it was a fine chain, not heavy, and it just shows how desperate folks can be in a poor country.

Just be aware.

 

[tangobob]

The bird poop scam is universal, especially in Europe.

The other day, when my husband was traveling by train (because his old car had been stolen in front of our apartment), a guy reached through the open window of the train while it was at the station, and jerked my husband's gold chain from around his neck. Luckily Ruben wasn't hurt. But he was wearing it under his shirt, it was a fine chain, not heavy, and it just shows how desperate folks can be in a poor country.

Just be aware.

Just shows, it is not just the touristas who are targeted. I hope he is OK

 

[winston]

Argentina is rife with grifters. seems that they are taught early to do whatever it takes to survive in this struggling country with its history of 6 military coups in 70 years and historic inflation that will make your hair stand on end (any argentines who grew up here will know what i mean). While scamsters may be all over the world, how much honesty do you see here? not much. Id sum up the populace as false, phoney, fake and furious (left out sad, depressed, and amoral for alliteration purposes)

 

[Recoleta Carolina]

Argentina is rife with grifters. seems that they are taught early to do whatever it takes to survive in this struggling country with its history of 6 military coups in 70 years and historic inflation that will make your hair stand on end (any argentines who grew up here will know what i mean). While scamsters may be all over the world, how much honesty do you see here? not much. Id sum up the populace as false, phoney, fake and furious (left out sad, depressed, and amoral for alliteration purposes)

Hey Winston,

Don't sugarcoat it! Say what you really think.

One of the aspects of this forum that I enjoy the most is that people can freely express their opinions. There are other forums regarding Buenos Aires where anything of a negative nature is taken off right away by the monitors. I think this is wrong. Travellers to Buenos Aires should know about the crime, getting scammed, etc. There are many forums that tell visitors that Buenos Aires is no different (with regard to crime) than any other major city. This is ridiculous. I don't know of many places where people have to take as many precautions daily so as not to get ripped off. After a while it becomes very stressful to always have to be on guard.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love Buenos Aires. It's the people you have to watch out for!!!

 

[SFMrClean]

My buddy and I just got sprayed by a trio of Buenos Aires Birdshit Bandits, the concoction was a white milky liquid that had bits of seeds mixed in it. We were walking through a park on Libertado. Can you imagine? These guys go home and take a mortar and pestle to birdseed then mix it with (milk/yogurt?? who knows). First they got my friend - I was 20 feet away and looking in other direction, then saw that he had something on his back and that a man and a woman were trying to help him clean it off with pocket napkins and a bottle of water. As I went over to see what was the deal(I thought he had slipped and fell down, the ground in the park was muddy & slippery). I was amused thinking he had just dunked his butt in the mud, he was obviously not hurt, and when I moved toward him the third guy who was now behind me said 'the birds got you too' - he must have sprayed me with the stuff as soon as I turned toward my friend. Since we both had our wallets deep in front pockets, our birdshit bandits didn't get so much as a centavo, but probably had a good laugh on us. We immediately got in a cab back to our apartment to change clothes(they really doused us him especially) and on the ride we determined that it had to have been an attempted scam as we saw few birds and to get us with that much it would need to be a) a flock of birds) or b) a friggin constipated condor. The best part was coming home to internet access and seeing the posts like this one so we knew we weren't crazy. We were lucky in that we had safeguarded our valuables, reason # 6,437,101 to keep your wallet in your front pocket vs. back. I will repost this in a few other spots to warn others - my hope is someone will be forewarned and when it happens to them *please* find the birdshit solution, take it from them, and spray the shit out of them with their own crap.

 

[NewWorldOverland]

My buddy and I just got sprayed by a trio of Buenos Aires Birdshit Bandits, the concoction was a white milky liquid that had bits of seeds mixed in it. We were walking through a park on Libertado. Can you imagine? These guys go home and take a mortar and pestle to birdseed then mix it with (milk/yogurt?? who knows). First they got my friend - I was 20 feet away and looking in other direction, then saw that he had something on his back and that a man and a woman were trying to help him clean it off with pocket napkins and a bottle of water. As I went over to see what was the deal(I thought he had slipped and fell down, the ground in the park was muddy & slippery). I was amused thinking he had just dunked his butt in the mud, he was obviously not hurt, and when I moved toward him the third guy who was now behind me said 'the birds got you too' - he must have sprayed me with the stuff as soon as I turned toward my friend. Since we both had our wallets deep in front pockets, our birdshit bandits didn't get so much as a centavo, but probably had a good laugh on us. We immediately got in a cab back to our apartment to change clothes(they really doused us him especially) and on the ride we determined that it had to have been an attempted scam as we saw few birds and to get us with that much it would need to be a) a flock of birds) or b) a friggin constipated condor. The best part was coming home to internet access and seeing the posts like this one so we knew we weren't crazy. We were lucky in that we had safeguarded our valuables, reason # 6,437,101 to keep your wallet in your front pocket vs. back. I will repost this in a few other spots to warn others - my hope is someone will be forewarned and when it happens to them *please* find the birdshit solution, take it from them, and spray the shit out of them with their own crap.

Pretty much verbatim what happened to us last weekend walking along Libertador under the tree in Plaza Francia. I have no idea how they managed to get us, but the couple also tried explaining that it was goo from the seeds on the tree. I would beleive that if it was on my head, lol. Also it was alooot of goo, not just a splat of crap.

Just another reason to make little use of the back pockets, jacket pockets, etc. Both my wife and I had our camera bags but they didn't go for them. I don't know, it just seemed too strange, and they were getting awfully close to us while attempting to clean us. I was wearing my just washed jeans (a little snug) and my wallet in the front. I was having none of that pickpocketing nonsense

Like I said, they make it very convincing but the whole thing stinks (literally). And to top it off they jumped in a cab after leaving us with the napkins.

We always try to give the benefit of doubt, so we avoided walking under those trees for the rest of the day, lol.

 

[el_expatriado]

Was walking down Sarmiento today with my camera ... I'm convienced that a couple squirted some bad smelling liqued over me from behind and then made out that it was bird shit.... after walking a few paces, they appeared with a water bottle and tissues to help me wipe it off. Durring this time they lifted my wallet from my pocket - I think they wanted the camera, but that was well straped to my body. Imediatley a taxi appears, and they jump in and are gone, I think the taxi was part of the team, as they got into the taxi they had the cheek to ask me to take their picture...

Fortunatley I only had A$70 in my wallet and an ATM card which I imediatley cancelled ... but it still makes me feel angry.

This exact same scam happened to my father here a year ago. Near the national congress.

 

[fred mertz]

I never wear a wristwatch, particularly, when I´m in a country where I don´t speak the language. If someone asks for the time in Latvian or Czech, I won´t know what they´re saying. Thus, they will want to look at my watch. If I´m not wearing a watch, I won´t be asked. I carry a small Arg$30 watch in my pocket. All that I want my watch to do is tell my the correct time.