Beware Bags Being Stolen at Sydney International
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Beware Bags Being Stolen at Sydney International
Why is Sydney International the only international airport I have been to recently that does not check peoples bag receipts against the bags being passed through customs?
A recent incident saw someone try to steal one of my wifes bags. Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong where a family with elderly passenger was being escorted through Immigration/Customs by Cathay Sydney staff. I saw my wifes bag being lifted by the family from the luggage conveyor. What are the odds I thought? Some women has a bag exactly the same as my wifes? 10 minutes later when my wife's bag was a no show the penny dropped. I chased through to Customs (try getting past the Agricultural guys in a hurry.........not easy) and managed to get the Cathay staff to check if the family had tags for all the bags on their trolley. What's the problem said the Cathay dude? Check the tags I suggested. No need he said, she said all the bags were theirs. Indulge me and check please. I can prove it is my wifes bag by showing the baggage tag. So sorry, honest mistake etc etc. Yeah sure.
I ask around it seems a scam being run through Asian and European airports is someone rounds up an elderly man or women, sticks them in a wheelchair and trots them off for a holiday overseas, using airlines ground staff to assist clearing elderly passenger through. Bag gets stolen as Security, Agriculture, Customs don't check bag receipts as they think the airlines ground staff has already done this. Ground staff get distracted as part of the scam when the bags are being put on the trolley (I remember the elderly guy had coughing fit in my situation). Scammer ends up paying for holiday from what is found in the bag. Target is usually first class, business class and frequent flyer bags as these are first off conveyor, usually are valuable bags with valuable contents and bag owner usually well heeled enough to spend a bit of time duty free shopping pre-immigration. This gives the scammer enough time to get the bag and get through Immigration/Customs because of the (unwitting) assistance of the airline ground staff before the bag owner shows up to wait for a no show bag.
In our case it could have been financially disasterous if the bag had been stolen. My wife later told me she had put the title deeds for our overseas properties in her suitcase, as it seemed safer then carrying them around with her in Hong Kong prior to boarding our flight.
A recent incident saw someone try to steal one of my wifes bags. Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong where a family with elderly passenger was being escorted through Immigration/Customs by Cathay Sydney staff. I saw my wifes bag being lifted by the family from the luggage conveyor. What are the odds I thought? Some women has a bag exactly the same as my wifes? 10 minutes later when my wife's bag was a no show the penny dropped. I chased through to Customs (try getting past the Agricultural guys in a hurry.........not easy) and managed to get the Cathay staff to check if the family had tags for all the bags on their trolley. What's the problem said the Cathay dude? Check the tags I suggested. No need he said, she said all the bags were theirs. Indulge me and check please. I can prove it is my wifes bag by showing the baggage tag. So sorry, honest mistake etc etc. Yeah sure.
I ask around it seems a scam being run through Asian and European airports is someone rounds up an elderly man or women, sticks them in a wheelchair and trots them off for a holiday overseas, using airlines ground staff to assist clearing elderly passenger through. Bag gets stolen as Security, Agriculture, Customs don't check bag receipts as they think the airlines ground staff has already done this. Ground staff get distracted as part of the scam when the bags are being put on the trolley (I remember the elderly guy had coughing fit in my situation). Scammer ends up paying for holiday from what is found in the bag. Target is usually first class, business class and frequent flyer bags as these are first off conveyor, usually are valuable bags with valuable contents and bag owner usually well heeled enough to spend a bit of time duty free shopping pre-immigration. This gives the scammer enough time to get the bag and get through Immigration/Customs because of the (unwitting) assistance of the airline ground staff before the bag owner shows up to wait for a no show bag.
In our case it could have been financially disasterous if the bag had been stolen. My wife later told me she had put the title deeds for our overseas properties in her suitcase, as it seemed safer then carrying them around with her in Hong Kong prior to boarding our flight.
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J52, I've travelled extensively in Asia, Europe and North America and I've never been asked to prove my bag was mine by producing a bag tag so this isn't just a problem at Sydney International as you say. It is unfortunate that someone tried to steal your bag, but sadly, there are mischieveous individuals everywhere trying to take advantage of others.
The best lesson you can probably learn from this is to not pack anything you can't afford to lose in a checked bag, and have travel insurance for the things that can be replaced if lost or stolen.
Bad things happen everywhere, not just Sydney.
But well done for being alert enough to stop the thief before it was too late!!
The best lesson you can probably learn from this is to not pack anything you can't afford to lose in a checked bag, and have travel insurance for the things that can be replaced if lost or stolen.
Bad things happen everywhere, not just Sydney.
But well done for being alert enough to stop the thief before it was too late!!
Seriously???
J52 are you suggesting someone books an airfare at lets say $500 econ best price international from Asia so that they can steal one bag (in your case) in the hope that it has sufficient goods in it including high end duty free and the like?
Oh dear I think I just saw Mulder and Scully run past en-route to area 61.....
J52 are you suggesting someone books an airfare at lets say $500 econ best price international from Asia so that they can steal one bag (in your case) in the hope that it has sufficient goods in it including high end duty free and the like?
Oh dear I think I just saw Mulder and Scully run past en-route to area 61.....
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My solution, which seems to work, is to use an old (but strong) worn- looking suitcase, with a distinctively coloured strap around it to aid identification.
Bad places include Colombo (Sri Lanka.) I know of two friends who have had cameras and jewellery removed from their checked baggage in separate incidents. Both were on departure.
Bad places include Colombo (Sri Lanka.) I know of two friends who have had cameras and jewellery removed from their checked baggage in separate incidents. Both were on departure.
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I wonder what area 61 has in it?
Area 51 had the ufo's, maybe 61 is where all the decent airline management were abducted to
Shame a certain boss isn't there by choice, aren't aliens fond of rectal probing?
Area 51 had the ufo's, maybe 61 is where all the decent airline management were abducted to
Shame a certain boss isn't there by choice, aren't aliens fond of rectal probing?
I've done a fair bit of traveling and never once had to prove a bag was mine.
That sounds like a pretty elaborate and risky scam for an unknown potential reward that could end up just being someones dirty undies!
Sure they didn't just get confused at the end of a long flight and accidentally pick up the wrong bag ?
That sounds like a pretty elaborate and risky scam for an unknown potential reward that could end up just being someones dirty undies!
Sure they didn't just get confused at the end of a long flight and accidentally pick up the wrong bag ?
My solution is to use a nondescript rotten old Samsonite suitcase with a very large shocking pink "Hello Kitty" luggage strap around it.
..No one will be seen dead with it.
..No one will be seen dead with it.
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My solution is to use a nondescript rotten old Samsonite suitcase with a very large shocking pink "Hello Kitty" luggage strap around it.
..No one will be seen dead with it.
..No one will be seen dead with it.
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My solution is to use a nondescript rotten old Samsonite suitcase with a very large shocking pink "Hello Kitty" luggage strap around it
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i have an old beat up samsonite, grey with my initials in bright yellow spray paint on it. both sides. looks very much like a graffiti artists backpacker bag. never been touched or opened.
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Two top tips given to me.....
1. If available, get your bag plastic wrapped on departure..makes it harder for the opportunist etc etc, and they'll move on to another easier target.
2. Put your valuables etc in your carry on, my view is, only pack stuff you can afford to lose into your hold luggage.
1. If available, get your bag plastic wrapped on departure..makes it harder for the opportunist etc etc, and they'll move on to another easier target.
2. Put your valuables etc in your carry on, my view is, only pack stuff you can afford to lose into your hold luggage.
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I have travelled extensively for many years and can only remember once or possibly twice being asked to show a bag tag as proof that it was my baggage.
The potential downside to going through customs with someone else's bag is far greater than the potential upside, you would have to pretty stupid to try this unless you targeted a specific bag knowing that something of value was in it.
I think the original post is either made up or the poster has a vivid imagination.
I once picked up a bag at CPT after an international flight and went home with it, only when I tried to open the case, identical with mine, and realising that the combination on the lock was not correct, did I see it wasn't mine. I managed to open it and definitely not mine, wrong size knickers and bras for a start, but found a book with a name and address not far from my house, got the phone number, called, and a very distressed sounding lady said : "Oh my daughter has just got back from overseas and she has somebody else's suitcase ......" So that had a happy ending (not in the massage parlour sense though!).
The potential downside to going through customs with someone else's bag is far greater than the potential upside, you would have to pretty stupid to try this unless you targeted a specific bag knowing that something of value was in it.
I think the original post is either made up or the poster has a vivid imagination.
I once picked up a bag at CPT after an international flight and went home with it, only when I tried to open the case, identical with mine, and realising that the combination on the lock was not correct, did I see it wasn't mine. I managed to open it and definitely not mine, wrong size knickers and bras for a start, but found a book with a name and address not far from my house, got the phone number, called, and a very distressed sounding lady said : "Oh my daughter has just got back from overseas and she has somebody else's suitcase ......" So that had a happy ending (not in the massage parlour sense though!).
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Same thing happened to me, had the devils own job trying to explain to the missus about the pink underwear, little bra's and all womens stuff that ended up in my bag. (If only). Thank God QF rang and got me off the hook, I very gratefully exchanged her bag for mine.
If available, get your bag plastic wrapped on departure..makes it harder for the opportunist etc etc, and they'll move on to another easier target.
