Airport Scam at Virgin Brisbane Terminal.Be careful.

[MAX_1]

A friend on mine and her husband arrived at the Virgin Terminal in Brisbane on Friday afternoon. Soon after they were inside a male walked up to her and asked if she had lost a coat. She had been holding a coat to use overseas and quickly realized it was missing. She said that she had lost her coat , to which he replied " I found it and gave it to my sister to take home. Give me your address and I will get her to return it to your home"

Fortunately, she was quick enough to realize that she was being set up and told him that it was an old coat an his siter could keep it.

The incident was reported to security.

 

[thewinchester]

I know people are time poor in airports (generally just wanting to get the hell out of there), but if I was in the OP's shoes I would have challenged that piece of vermin.

Vermin: (story about coat, asking for address)
TheWinchester: Sorry, but I'd prefer to collect it from you if you don't mind. What's your address?
V: Well she's not always home, so it would be easier to drop it off to you.
TW: So not only did you steal my coat, but you're refusing to return it to me in a convenient manner. (motions to AFP officer on patrol nearby)

AFP Officer: What seems to be the problem?
TW: This 'ere Vemin and his sister stole my coat and now refuses to return it.
V: But I gave it to my sister thinking it was lost, not knowing whom it belonged to.
Officer: So why didn't you hand it over to airport staff as lost property?

(vermin now realises how utterly screwed he is, and that he and this officer will be having a much longer conversation in the airport interrogation room that will expose his scam)

 

[clifford]

Well I don't think you would have got much help from AFP officers.

Firstly, they are only there for security, and they would have told you so.

Secondly, they would have been very irate that you were interrupting their tea/coffee sojourn.

(And you think I'm kidding?).

 

[Hvr]

And it is reasons like this that I carry a small camera. I would reach into my pocket saying I'll just get some details and take their photo and/or start filming.

Always good to have evidence to show the friendly AFP officer just what was actually said. Well done to your friend there MAX_1 for being alert to this scam.

 

[Lawlass]

Is the scam just to get the address of people who are presumably away from home? Seems like a pretty clumsy scam if so. Who would fall for it?

 

[richie9x]

It seems a lot of effort to get someone's address. Wouldn't be easier and more discrete to just to read (or take a photo of) their address from people's bag tags?

 

[Mal]

Yeah what a strange story. Not saying it is a legit situation but seems like a whole heap of work with lots of cameras around to be a scam.

 

[awilcockson]

It seems a lot of effort to get someone's address. Wouldn't be easier and more discrete to just to read (or take a photo of) their address from people's bag tags?

That's why there's no address on my luggage tags!

 

[Mal]

That's why there's no address on my luggage tags!

Mine has initial.surname, ff #qfxx_xx_xx and my mobile number. Nothing else. I'm sure they could find me if needed.

 

[Skyring]

Just be careful of the cabbie picking you up from home for a long trip, that's all I'm sayin'.

 

[markis10]

Yeah what a strange story. Not saying it is a legit situation but seems like a whole heap of work with lots of cameras around to be a scam.

If the cameras are working, which is a big IF!.

 

[ozmille]

Just be careful of the cabbie picking you up from home for a long trip, that's all I'm sayin'.

I always get them to pick me up around the corner, also don't have any address on or inside my bag, just mobile and QFF number.

 

[NM]

Just be careful of the cabbie picking you up from home for a long trip, that's all I'm sayin'.

That is when I mention my hunting friend I have house-sitting the house and the two alsatians while I am away

 

[monoccular]

Just be careful of the cabbie picking you up from home for a long trip, that's all I'm sayin'.

True story from a couple of decades back - colleague took taxi to airport for overseas trip; flight delayed 24 hrs so took another taxi home; on arrival taxi driver #1 was there doing over their house!! Now I never take cab from our house, and once when collected by 'free' chauffeur for an EK business flight made it quite clear that there were several left at home. And, no address on my luggage - just mobile, QF#, email.

Cannot be too careful.

 

[samh004]

Mine has initial.surname, ff #qfxx_xx_xx and my mobile number. Nothing else. I'm sure they could find me if needed.

Similar to what I do, name and a few popular FF numbers, anyone half clued in could find me from that.




 

[JohnK]

Interesting story.

And I must be the odd one out as I do not have any identification on my luggage other than the printed bag tag.

 

[munitalP]

Interesting story.

And I must be the odd one out as I do not have any identification on my luggage other than the printed bag tag.

nup - me as well

 

[busissi]

I always put my PO Box numer as an address, never home address. May make it harder for contact if luggage lost en route when all you can think of is to give all info to get it back. But worth it for me in this situation. As for help in airport - forget it!

 

[MichaelD]

Whilst all I ever include on the outside of a suitcase is a QTag with FirstName and mobile number (in international +61 format), this proved to be of no help when one of our bags went astray at DFW earlier this year.

Short version of a long story: arrived at DFW from SYD just fine, collected luggage, then checked through to JFK. We didn't notice that 1 bag got 2 tags and another got none.

Untagged bag had a QTag with contact # and was locked with a TSA compliant lock.

When finally reunited with the bag, the zip mechanism had been destroyed (by TSA apparently) to gain access to the contents of the bag - the TSA compliant lock was nowhere to be seen. Additionally, we were informed that it was "not policy" for international phone numbers to be rung in this circumstance.

Still waiting for our compensation claim to be processed by AA...

(I still, however, only include the above bare minimum details on the outside of checked luggage.)

 

[juddles]

Mine has initial.surname, ff #qfxx_xx_xx and my mobile number. Nothing else. I'm sure they could find me if needed.

Mal, +1

I figure anyone who needs to contact me legit can use my QFF number. As far as I'm concerned, a FF number should be all that is required.