Arrived in Madrid early morning of Oct. 18. As the hotel room was not ready we decided to have an early peek at the city. Opposite the Almudena Cathedral is a flight of stairs that lead down to a garden which has a view of the Viaduct. We went down to take some pictures. As I was setting up my tripod to take a picture of both me and my wife, 2 guys accosted us. One flashed a wallet showing identification as a policeman (about 2 or 3 seconds - did not have the time to check out authentication). They said they were policemen and we were in a bad part of town where there was drug trafficking and money laundering. First they asked to see our passports which my wife produced. Then next they asked to see our wallets. I had my money hidden in various parts of my clothing so I just removed 50 Euros from my pants pocket. One of the "cops" asked me where was the rest of my money....I told him I had it at the hotel as I did not like to carry much money with me. Right then, some other people came down the steps and I guess we were saved. This experience has taught us a lesson. My advise from this is:

1. If someone claims to be a plainclothes policeman make sure you (a) scrutinize his identification thoroughly (b) ask him to bring you to a uniformed policeman as you have no way of authenticating his identification or (c) ask him to bring you to the police station if there is a problem......do not get into a vehicle with that person.....attract bystander attention.
2. Do not go to isolated places where you will be a target.

The minute an 'official' asks to see something other than a passport, its a sure sign that not only are they not an official, but that there's trouble. Be careful! I'm glad that although it was scary, that you were spared!

There is another posting about a similar story, I can't remember the thread, MM you know which one I'm talking about, right?!

Sorry to hear of your experience, jdomingo. Gazpacho (member here) was telling me about a similar event that took place in the Puerta del Sol (I think) a few weeks ago where someone flashed some kind of I.D. and asked to see his money and said that it might be conterfeit or something. I'm not sure. Maybe Gazpacho could come and elaborate for us.

I've heard "tales" about the Campo del Moro, the gardens down the hill from the palace and towards the river, that this kind of thing happens from time to time. One would think (or hope) that after a few complaints such as these they'd have police/Guardia Civil patrols on the grounds but that would be too cushy a job, wouldn't it?

Sorry Espe3, there are SO many messages here now.... Maybe a search would yield it.

Saludos, MadridMan

Yes ndomingo. It sounds like the exact same setup that I was accosted with. I wasn't so lucky. I lost $200. Didn't spoil my vacation, but dimmed my view of Madrid.
The actual location was Calle Cervantes in the Huertas area. Added to this there was another accomplice who claimed to be from Italy. I love the advice people give about checking credentials. What would correct credentials be even for a cop here in the U.S. Face it. I was took by some very clever people. In retrospect, sure, I should have done things differently.
I went through all the channels with the police. Looked through some pictures but I didn't see them. The police, like everywhere, complained about the bureaucracy limiting them to how many people they can have on the street.
Were they white, slavic looking people with short blond hair? I posted a message on Lonely Planet's Thorntree about these guys.
Very glad to hear that you were'nt ripped-off. I wonder what there annual intake is? Hope you still enjoyed Madrid.

What a shame! I'm sorry for your bad experiences

A spanish policemen will never ask you to show him your wallet or ask for money or for you to show the money. He will ask for your passport and only if it is very justified. If you are in a wrong place he will just ask politely for you to leave, but never ask for your passport for that reason.

The criminals want your money, so any time someone say the word "money" tell him you are going to call the police (phone number 112).

Be advise that sometimes one of the false policeman can distract your attention when the other goes behind you and try to pickpocket you.

Damn pickpocketers!

Fernando

Yes, Gazpacho, in fact I left out that there was a guy preceding the 2 policemen who claimed to be a tourist from Italy and only had 2 hours in Madrid. He was looking for directions to the Plaza Major. Just at that moment, these 2 cops pop up and asks this "Italian" guy for his passport and wallet. In it was 200 Euros, then they turned to us.

We were lucky some other tourists came down the steps.

Again, to all, avoid isolated and quiet places....and have a good, safe holiday

By the way, another tip on if someone DOES ask to see your passport.

No one has said that this has happened yet, BUT since some of you are not only handing over your identification, but also money to be 'checked' you should be aware that:

By Spanish law, you need to have identification on you, if you're a tourist, this means your passport. So, if they say their taking it away from you- that's ILLEGAL! To do that, you'd have to go to the police office with them! Don't loose sight of it! A real officer won't just walk off with your passport! PLEASE keep that in mind!

Oh, and don't tell them the name of the hotel you're staying at! Unless you've had to go to the police department and fill out a form for something, (in which case you know they are real police) don't tell anyone except people you know where you're staying! I had 2 friends in NYC followed to their hotel, they didn't have any way around it... but this could be dangerous. My friends should have ducked into a cafe or something and gotten help, but they were pretty young at the time, and their first time to the big apple, they could have been put into some serious trouble!

Also, in the event of a lost or stolen passport, even the embassy's will suggest that you keep a photocopy (or two) with you. One to keep in your hotel room, and another possibly with your family back home. You'll be surprised how much this will help you should you find yourself having to apply for an emergency passport to get back home!

Be safe everyone! And have a GOOD vistit when you go!