Handcuffed in Paris

How did I find myself in handcuffs in Paris at the turn of the new year? 

I had planned my trip well. I had dismissed all the blogs and YouTube channels that discouraged travellers from going to the so-called tourist traps while visiting France. I wanted to see inside the Louvre like millions of others and I would not allow a random content creator to make me think that this was a cliche thing to do. 

I had chosen to travel at this time of the year because it would be less crowded and accommodation would be a little bit cheaper even near the attractions.

I had also taken the time to keenly read about and watch videos on scams to avoid in my travels. I had heard that these were rampant in tourist spots. 

I was safe from those. I wasn't dumb enough to fall for any of them. Or so I thought! 

It was around midday. With my sling bag tight in hand, I had been walking in the direction of the square hoping to stand in the long line I could see and wait to buy a ticket to the Louvre when a man in a police uniform tapped my shoulder. 

"Madam, parle du Francais?" he asked me. 

"No," I answered in English when I turned.  

"Ok. Come with me," he gestured. 

I was startled, even though I smiled at the sound of his accent which I could not trace. I love accents, I find them very beautiful. I obliged and followed the policeman a few steps to where he stood away from the hustle and bustle around us. Next to him stood a young bespectacled man who looked angrily at me. 

" Open your bag madam," the policeman asked me. 

"Why?" I asked startled. 

"Please open your bag, Madam. This gentleman here has reported that you stole his phone and put it in your bag and I would want to check that." 

I frowned hard. I felt insulted as I had done no such thing but I obliged anyway. I was not looking for trouble and I wanted this to end as quickly as it had started so that I could go on with my day. 

I pulled my bag up to my chest and opened it holding it up for the policeman to inspect. 

"There it is! There it is!" the bespectacled man shouted pointing to my phone. 

" What? My phone?" I asked confused. 

What was this? 

" Is that your phone?" the policeman asked. 

"Yes it is," came the voices of both I and the bespectacled man. 

I could not believe my ears. 

" Open it," the policeman ordered me. "Let's confirm it's yours." 

I held it on my palm and entered my password. It took a second and then it wouldn't unlock. I tried it several times. "Wrong password" was the error message. 

I couldn't believe my eyes. What was happening!? 

" Come with me," the policeman ordered me as he held my hand and pulled me in his direction. I walked with him even though unwillingly too confused to think straight. The people around us were also beginning to stare which embarrassed me. I wished to walk to a discrete place to sort this mess out. 

Before long I was next to what seemed like a police van. The policeman had removed his handcuffs from his waist and was holding them in his hand. I was still holding my phone in my hand which the bespectacled man was ordered to take and attempt to unlock to prove it was his. 

I resisted knowing very well that the phone was mine. I tried to unlock it again. "Your phone is blocked. Reset your password" came the message. I had never experienced this before. 

My heart was pounding. 

The bespectacled man took the phone and attempted to unlock it. Within a second I heard the sound signifying that he had done so successfully. 

What was going on? My eyes were agape. 

"Madam, I will arrest you for stealing this man's phone. We will take you to the police station and you will be taken to court tomorrow." 

"No no … I did not steal his phone!" I insisted tears now trickling down my face.

I was also shaking and reaching out for the phone in this man's hand. Both men stood still staring at me for a while. Somehow in the commotion, the policeman handcuffed me mentioning that we were all to proceed to the police station.  

" Police Sir, I will not press charges if she compensates me right now," the bespectacled man cut in. 

" Compensate?" I asked. 

"Yes, give me some money and I will leave you even if you stole my phone." 

I could not clearly process what was happening. But in the process, I remember opening my purse and handing the man the almost $300 that was in there. The policeman then released me from the handcuffs, spoke with the man who quickly left with the money and my phone as the policeman entered the van and drove off without a word. 

It took me a minute to notice that the so-called police car was not marked. I tried to compose myself. I quickly rushed to my hotel and reported what had happened to the receptionist who was initially shocked to see me back so soon and in tears. 

" You have been scammed!" she mentioned as she called the police.

She explained to me how it all worked. Several crooks working together used a software that jammed your phone and then used your attempts to unlock it to steal passwords. The scam worked in many ways. With me, they had pretended to be an authority figure and a theft victim. 

I sat there waiting for the police replaying the scenes in my head over and over again. I did not understand how I had missed the signs. It all had happened so fast! 

What I knew for sure, is that I was going to make sure these crooks didn't do that to anybody else!