Acapulco Police Scam
Nov 18, 2008 | 1:55 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 64
Acapulco Police Scam
I wanted warn any FT'rs headed for Acapulco about a scam by local transit police that targets tourists who stay at Las Brisas (or similar resorts in the Diamante area of Acapulco) and rent cars to get around town: while staying at the Las Brisas Acapulco resort this past weekend, we rented a car from the Hertz location on site. A few minutes from the hotel, while driving on the Carretera Escenica (the road on which the hotel is located) toward Revolcadero beach, we were stopped by a purported Transit Police patrol car, threatened with being taken downtown to the station (we'd done nothing wrong) and then robbed by the "officers". I saw on Tripadvisor that another guest had had the exact same experience in the past few weeks. Las Brisas is one of Acapulco's premier resorts, and it deserves the rating; the hotel's a great place and we really enjoyed staying there except for this experience. It was disappointing that the resort was on notice that this sort of thing was going on, and even though I inquired specifically about the safety of making this small side trip in our rented car, I was told that it was safe. I hope others will be able to avoid a vacation ruining event like the one that happened to us this weekend. While we were only robbed, in that sort of situation worse things can (and have) happened; luckily I did not have my ATM card with me as they wanted to take us to one to take out as much cash as we could from our bank account - I had to empty my pockets to show I didn't have any debit/credit cards on me. My suggestion is that if you go to Las Brisas, be prepared to stay on the premises (the main resort and its La Concha beach club) and do not rent a car or go out in other than a hotel approved taxi.
Dec 11, 2008 | 1:28 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 998
advice....just call their bluff and be taken to the magistrate. Unless he is also corrupt, usually not, you will get away with lost time and hassle. Los transitos won't even take if you did nothing wrong and they realize they won't be paying the mordida (bribe)
In other words, when people like you continue to pay, the next tourist also will be a vicitm of this scam. Do what I do when the transitos (not real police by the way) pull you over......run, elude them, and hide the car and leave it!!!!!!!!!! works everythime!
In other words, when people like you continue to pay, the next tourist also will be a vicitm of this scam. Do what I do when the transitos (not real police by the way) pull you over......run, elude them, and hide the car and leave it!!!!!!!!!! works everythime!
Dec 12, 2008 | 11:25 am
#3
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 739
What was it that you allegedly did? Did the "officers" have proper ID, and was it a legitimate police car?
You should definitely report your experience to the Tourism Ministry.
You should definitely report your experience to the Tourism Ministry.
May 10, 2009 | 9:20 am
#4
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3
Just got back and was pulled over 4 times in 5 days
I want to thank this forum and all other trip report sites for the valuable information that helped us on our recent trip to Acapulco.
If you decide to rent a vehicle from the airport or anywhere else in Acapulco to get around this great city, please be aware of the Transit Police. These so called police are driving the older model white two door Nissan Sentras with big numbers spray painted on the hood and on each side of the car, with big red and blue lights mounted on the top. You will be stopped by them! They target Americans! There are usually 2-3 of them in the car to try to intimidate you. And yes, these are suppose to be legitimate police but they are just traffic police that are just looking to get some money out of Rich Americans.
They will blow their horn at you and literally pull in front of you hanging out of the window to make you pull over. They will be very persistent until you do pull over. When you do pull over, just put a crack in your window, lock your doors, and keep the car in gear. Crack your window enough so that you can hear what they are saying and so that they can hear what you are saying. They will first tell you that you made a rediculous infraction while driving and will ask for you drivers license. Whatever you do, DO NOT give them your drivers license. Be firm (not rude) to them and continuously let them know that you did not do anything wrong let them know that you will not give them your drivers license/identification/passport - just do not hand them anything! They will try to intimidate you to give up any of these documents so that they can sell it back to you. Thats right, they will not give it back to you until you give them all of your money! They will tell you that they will take you to the police station and that you will be put in jail. You will not be taken to jail! They are just trying to scare you to give them your documents so they can steal from you. They will also tell you that you have no respect for the law and that you have to give them what they want. Just be nice to them and let them know you will not give them anything, that you respect the law, and they will eventually tell you to go. At first it is upsetting but just keep in mind that these men do not have badges, name tags, nor guns. They will not physically hurt you! They are just bullying you out of money!
When they realize that you will not give in to them, they will eventually tell you that you can go. The four times we were pulled over it lasted maybe two minutes each time. They will know that you understand what they're after almost immediately when you tell them you will not give them your driver's license and they will send you on your way.
If you are unsuspecting of this, you will fall prey to them and they will get what they want. If I can help just one person through this post I feel like my goal is accomplished. Just pass down your experience(s) with them to everyone. PAY IT FORWARD!
I am so glad that I looked at the many trip reports pertaining to this before we left for Acapulco. Reading through all the trip reports and using the helpful tips from others really helped us handle these bandits appropriately and made us very aware of them and we did not surrender anything to them and we spent money to the wonderful people of Acapulco.
We will definitely go back to Acapulco and we will rent a vehicle every time we go back. It is a great city with good food, good culture, amazing views, and genuinely friendly people. Don't let these bad police spoil a good place to visit.
If you decide to rent a vehicle from the airport or anywhere else in Acapulco to get around this great city, please be aware of the Transit Police. These so called police are driving the older model white two door Nissan Sentras with big numbers spray painted on the hood and on each side of the car, with big red and blue lights mounted on the top. You will be stopped by them! They target Americans! There are usually 2-3 of them in the car to try to intimidate you. And yes, these are suppose to be legitimate police but they are just traffic police that are just looking to get some money out of Rich Americans.
They will blow their horn at you and literally pull in front of you hanging out of the window to make you pull over. They will be very persistent until you do pull over. When you do pull over, just put a crack in your window, lock your doors, and keep the car in gear. Crack your window enough so that you can hear what they are saying and so that they can hear what you are saying. They will first tell you that you made a rediculous infraction while driving and will ask for you drivers license. Whatever you do, DO NOT give them your drivers license. Be firm (not rude) to them and continuously let them know that you did not do anything wrong let them know that you will not give them your drivers license/identification/passport - just do not hand them anything! They will try to intimidate you to give up any of these documents so that they can sell it back to you. Thats right, they will not give it back to you until you give them all of your money! They will tell you that they will take you to the police station and that you will be put in jail. You will not be taken to jail! They are just trying to scare you to give them your documents so they can steal from you. They will also tell you that you have no respect for the law and that you have to give them what they want. Just be nice to them and let them know you will not give them anything, that you respect the law, and they will eventually tell you to go. At first it is upsetting but just keep in mind that these men do not have badges, name tags, nor guns. They will not physically hurt you! They are just bullying you out of money!
When they realize that you will not give in to them, they will eventually tell you that you can go. The four times we were pulled over it lasted maybe two minutes each time. They will know that you understand what they're after almost immediately when you tell them you will not give them your driver's license and they will send you on your way.
If you are unsuspecting of this, you will fall prey to them and they will get what they want. If I can help just one person through this post I feel like my goal is accomplished. Just pass down your experience(s) with them to everyone. PAY IT FORWARD!
I am so glad that I looked at the many trip reports pertaining to this before we left for Acapulco. Reading through all the trip reports and using the helpful tips from others really helped us handle these bandits appropriately and made us very aware of them and we did not surrender anything to them and we spent money to the wonderful people of Acapulco.
We will definitely go back to Acapulco and we will rent a vehicle every time we go back. It is a great city with good food, good culture, amazing views, and genuinely friendly people. Don't let these bad police spoil a good place to visit.
May 10, 2009 | 9:29 am
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3
Thank you!
advice....just call their bluff and be taken to the magistrate. Unless he is also corrupt, usually not, you will get away with lost time and hassle. Los transitos won't even take if you did nothing wrong and they realize they won't be paying the mordida (bribe)
In other words, when people like you continue to pay, the next tourist also will be a vicitm of this scam. Do what I do when the transitos (not real police by the way) pull you over......run, elude them, and hide the car and leave it!!!!!!!!!! works everythime!
In other words, when people like you continue to pay, the next tourist also will be a vicitm of this scam. Do what I do when the transitos (not real police by the way) pull you over......run, elude them, and hide the car and leave it!!!!!!!!!! works everythime!
This is one of the posts that helped us while in Acapulco with a car rental!
May 10, 2009 | 9:38 am
#7
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3
Thank you!
I wanted warn any FT'rs headed for Acapulco about a scam by local transit police that targets tourists who stay at Las Brisas (or similar resorts in the Diamante area of Acapulco) and rent cars to get around town: while staying at the Las Brisas Acapulco resort this past weekend, we rented a car from the Hertz location on site. A few minutes from the hotel, while driving on the Carretera Escenica (the road on which the hotel is located) toward Revolcadero beach, we were stopped by a purported Transit Police patrol car, threatened with being taken downtown to the station (we'd done nothing wrong) and then robbed by the "officers". I saw on Tripadvisor that another guest had had the exact same experience in the past few weeks. Las Brisas is one of Acapulco's premier resorts, and it deserves the rating; the hotel's a great place and we really enjoyed staying there except for this experience. It was disappointing that the resort was on notice that this sort of thing was going on, and even though I inquired specifically about the safety of making this small side trip in our rented car, I was told that it was safe. I hope others will be able to avoid a vacation ruining event like the one that happened to us this weekend. While we were only robbed, in that sort of situation worse things can (and have) happened; luckily I did not have my ATM card with me as they wanted to take us to one to take out as much cash as we could from our bank account - I had to empty my pockets to show I didn't have any debit/credit cards on me. My suggestion is that if you go to Las Brisas, be prepared to stay on the premises (the main resort and its La Concha beach club) and do not rent a car or go out in other than a hotel approved taxi.
May 10, 2009 | 9:05 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS MVPG, Hyatt Discoverist, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,399
Has the Las Brisas Resort been doing any lobbying to curtail these activities? You would think that if enough stories like these leaked out, it would really hurt their business.
May 11, 2009 | 1:25 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Club Premier, AmEx Plat, Priority Pass
Posts: 132
It's sad that these things happen, but as someone pointed out, it is a good thing to call the Federal Government tip-line. Federales take these things very seriously and I'd say that the next day you won't be seeing the Trnsitos there, they are REALLY afraid of the federal government putting an eye over them.
Also don't be afraid of calling that number when a trnsito stops you, when you start saying the badge number out loud to put a "denuncia" they'll leave you alone really, really fast.
Also don't be afraid of calling that number when a trnsito stops you, when you start saying the badge number out loud to put a "denuncia" they'll leave you alone really, really fast.
Oct 12, 2009 | 8:16 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SLP
Programs: Mexicana, Aeromexico, AA, Continental, Fiesta Americana, Mayan Palace, Priority Club
Posts: 159
Please don't pay to these people. Just agree to follow them to the police station and they'll leave you alone. I had a similar experience in Acapulco, except that I really didn't stop at a red light. When they see you wont give them any money they'll leave you alone.
BTW, at least in the San Luis Potosi state, the police can retain you car if you don't handle them your license. I don't know if this applies to other states.
BTW, at least in the San Luis Potosi state, the police can retain you car if you don't handle them your license. I don't know if this applies to other states.