Foreign Ministry warns drivers of foreign-registered cars, car hire, and especially those towing caravans. There have been many attempted robbery where road pirates claim there is something wrong with your car, or that you have damaged their, to get you to stop.


Lately several Europeans have been stopped and robbed along the motorway AP-7. Especially on the stretch from the border with France, past Barcelona and down to Alicante. Robbers aiming often out older people in foreign-registered cars and trying to distract them to stop. This has been going on for a long time and one should be aware of the problem of driving European registered or rental car on the highway.

Never Stop and drive into the first gas station if you suspect something. If you decide to check the condition of the vehicle in such a situation, do so only in a well lit public area, and each extremely wary of anyone who offers any kind of help.

Warning about fake cops

There are also warnings about fake cops in regular clothes in unmarked cars. Foreign Ministry states that all traffic related issues, will be police officers in uniform and that all police officers, including those in plain clothes, carrying official ID. A real cop will only request documents – not your purse or wallet – and a real unmarked police car will have a flashing sign showing Policia (Police) or the Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) in the rear window.

Talk through the car window if you are in doubt about your safety and consult with the Guardia Civil on 062 or the police on 112 and ask them to confirm that the registration number of the car corresponds to an official police vehicle.

If you first captured in the roadside, it is recommended to not protest. It is important that no one is physically harmed, than chattels disappears, it can be replaced.

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