European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4covers or. From the cover americans continue to be victimized. The sneaky criminals have been preying on . Citizens since the late 1940s when War torn Europe was under reconstruction and american tourists poured into Italy Spain and Southern France. At the same time  and their families became More visible throughout Europe. The healthy Greenback made All americans attractive targets driven by poverty natives had one simple goal snatching wallets from menus rear pockets. Everyone carried Cash and americans proved to be easy Marks. In the coming years especially with the emergence of traveler a checks and credit cards Pic pocketing evolved into an organized criminal activity adopting a mafia like social Structure in some countries. Today according to a Security expert for euro card in Frankfurt Germany Pic pocketing and thievery is centralized with ringleaders finding ways to convert traveler a checks and plastic into Cash. Quot its a real Industry a said the Security official who requested anonymity. The International Pic pocketing Field he said is dominated by South americans with peruvians leading the list. Intermediaries arc often involved. They know How to Fence stolen goods and turn credit cards and traveler a checks into real Money. Many arc tied into organized crime Quot the mafia is not killing judges every Day or doing hijackings or kidnappings. This is Normal routine work for them a said the Security official. Ernst Wenzl who Heads the police department at Frankfurt International Airport said 70 percent of pickpockets and thieves come from Peru Columbia and Chile in South America and from Eastern Europe. When it comes to safeguarding wallets purses and valuables americans and japanese arc especially naive and careless he said. Every Day  anti eol Legac Rainer Wolf hear sad tales of hapless travellers who find their wallets or attache cases missing. So far this year 1,070 cases of hand Luggage theft have been reported to Frankfurt Airport police. This compares with k17 thefts in All of 1991. To Date 202 pickpocket incidents have been logged compared with 99 last year. In one ease an american woman in route to Bayreuth Germany reported her attach Case containing 400,000 Marks in jewelry and Cash was stolen. It was never recovered. Quot its not unusual for someone to lose from 10,000 to 30,000 Marks but the average is 1,000 to 2,000 Marks a Wolf said. Wenzl said loudspeakers throughout the Airport periodically advise passengers to watch their Luggage a warning against terrorists and thieves. Quot with open Borders people should realize that this happens everywhere Quot Wenzl said. In France americans Are victimized by pickpockets and thieves every Day. Rarely does a Day go by at the . Embassy in Paris when someone does no to report a stolen passport. In most cases the passport was stolen along with other valuables. Since May approximately >00 passports have been reported Tost or stolen said Phyllis . Vil Legoueix Rigaud chief of the office of american citizen services at the embassy. A Many Are lost but the majority were taken by pickpockets or through aggression a she said. In late August the embassy Security office issued an advisory to travellers stating there had been a recent increase in Quot common Street crime in Paris. Crimes against people arc More Likely in the summer months property crimes increase during the Winter the release said. Potential hot spots in Paris include a Rue Budapest near the St. Lazar train station. A the Woods of Boulogne and Vincennes where male and female prostitution is rampant. Illegal transactions also arc conducted in these areas. A subway stops of concorde barbs Roche Houart i Gall los Halls Canter a Faubourg Georges Pompidou Rcpt Blinne nation and Porte do Clig Vancourt. Villegos Urix Rigaud said there have been More eases this year of break ins of hotel rooms. Many thefts arc from burglarized rental cars. Not All instances occur in Paris she said. Some crimes arc committed in other provinces. Some tourists report their passports were stolen in Italy or spain., its not uncommon for a family to show up at the embassy sans passports and Money because one member of the household held everything. In those eases the embassy can usually help get Money wired to the family within an hour through Western Union. New passports Are usually issued within 24 hours. Quot we have not Learned of any passport fraud rings but we do have Many cases at the Airport where people arrive with photo substitution passports a Villa Gour Cix Rigaud said. Most Are from Africa or Asia. Beverly Cerchio director of the Uso in Paris said approximately 10  report losing their Money each year. Quot usually they be been the victim of a pickpocket Quot site said. Working through the . Embassy service Mem cars can usually get an Advance on their pay. A enough to get Back to base a she said. General thefts not pickpockets plague americans stationed in Turkey said staff sgt. Jeffrey Swanberg base crime prevention no at in Firtik a. Swanberg on in Ciurlik crime a More than $100,000 in government and personal property have been stolen this year. A eighty three percent of the thefts occurred on base. A most occurred at night and involved items left in autos or bicycles left outside. A of 306 items reported stolen 121 were bicycles. When bicycles electronics camera equipment and vehicles Are stolen service members can find themselves in a costly predicament if they do not immediately report the loss to turkish authorities Swanberg said. Such merchandise is considered Beyen Nani or tax free and was listed on a persons inventory when they entered the country. Quot any item on Beyen Nani when you come into country you have to leave with that item a he explained. Neglecting to report a theft in Turkey could Cost a  several times its actual value. In the Case of service members and Dod civilians throughput Europe the loss of personal identification documents could be a Security threat. Id cards could be used by terrorists to gain Access to military facilities. A spokesperson for . Army a european Headquarters in Heidelberg Germany said the command docs not keep records on the number of lost or stolen documents. Id card records also do not distinguish Between cards replaced because of expiration and those replaced As a result of loss or theft the spokesperson said. A spokesman for visa International said that company does not keep separate records on whether a credit card is lost or stolen. Each month Between 10,000 and 11,000 cards Are lost or stolen worldwide. A Paris is a Haven for thieves with 600 passports reported stolen or lost in the City of Light since May.  22. 1932