The Valais cantonal police issued a statement yesterday that is well worth reading before your next walk down the street. In Haut-Valais, since the end of August, there have been six reported cases of a type of theft that you need to be aware of to avoid falling victim to it. Unknown individuals approach pedestrians and ask them for directions to the hospital. So far, so normal. But then they become excessively grateful, seek physical contact, put bracelets on them or slip banknotes into their hands as a gesture of courtesy, and whilst they are in close proximity, they discreetly steal any valuables the victim is wearing. By the time the victim realises what has happened, the perpetrators have already disappeared.
Meanwhile, the police have highlighted the case of a 64-year-old Turkish national arrested in Brig in July, whom they believe is responsible for at least 15 similar incidents committed over the last five years in the Brig and Viège area. His method was different: he would approach elderly people, addressing them by their first name to give the impression that he knew them, and ask them for money under various pretexts. Several people were taken in and handed over cash.
The perpetrators of the six recent cases remain unidentified and the investigation is ongoing. The police advise keeping your distance from strangers who approach you unexpectedly, not accepting jewellery or money from people you do not know, and keeping valuables tucked away inside your clothing or in zipped pockets. A useful tip: perpetrators of this type of theft often work in groups, with one distracting you whilst another carries out the theft. If someone places something on you without you having asked for it, be immediately wary.
In Switzerland, you tend to let your guard down because it seems like a safe country. And generally speaking, it is. But ‘safe’ doesn’t mean these things don’t happen. The difference is that here, the police publicise them and issue warnings. Which is something, at least.