Hi all
I have just found out that what I thought was a helpful act was a scam whilst driving through France and wanted to warn you all (maybe nobody is as gullible and naive as me, but just in case there is any other samaritans out there).
Man with UK car flags you down from the side of the road and explains he has run out of petrol, lost his credit card and needs cash. Offers to give you his gold (two rings and a chain) as collateral. You give him some cash to get petrol and get his address and phone number and give him yours. Of course you learn when you get home that the contact details he has given you are rubbish and the gold is fake and you have been scammed.
Writing this all down it seems so obvious, but it was a very strange location to choose to scam people (on a fairly small road near Saumur in the Loire valley).
I feel unbelievably and utterly rubbish for being scammed - not really for the loss of the money, but more for the feeling that someone could rip off people who geniunely wanted to help another human being.
I'm stuck between hoping its just me that is so gullible so no-one else gets scammed, and hoping that I'm not the only one willing to help a stranger.
If anyone approaches you with a story like this - please drive off.
Catherine