My cousin was robbed

[RhodyYanksFan]

My cousin is in Rio working on floats for Carnival. She's getting 3 art credits for her college too. There's a group of 20 of them down there. I just got an email from my mom telling me how she was robbed on the beach. They took her cash, credit/debit cards, passport, and traveller checks. Now she's stuck down there with no money or ID. The embassy is in Brasillia, not Rio. What is she gonna do? Does my uncle have to go down and get her? I feel so bad.

[yanksrule69]

A bunch of my friends got robbed in a cab when they went down for Carnival. They only took cash though. That really sucks. At least she's alright.

She should have a copy of her passport with her (or at least at home where someone can fax it to her) then she should head to the embassy. She can cancel her credit/debit cards and travellers check. Everything can be replaced except the cash.

[Panamaniac42]

I'm glad she was just robbed. Sometimes they rob women and proceed to do much worse things to them.

I hope your cousin is able to get her life back in order...I wish they would go back to cutting people's hands off in this world when they catch them stealing.

[NYDCYankee]

I was in Rio once and and I didn't get robbed. I was 7 though so I had nothing to steal.

here is some help though, website for the American consulate in Rio. They should be able to help her out.

http://www.embaixada-americana.org.b...action=rio.php

[RhodeyYankee2638]

Wow thats awful. Even if they sent her money via Western Union, she couldn't pick it up without an ID. I think your uncle is gonna have to go down, what is she going to do?

[penfold]

I think your cousin should talk to the Embassy or Consulate personnel and find out what they recommend. While it sucks raw eggs big time, I'm sure this has happened to other people, too, and the government folks have experience dealing with situations like this.

Sounds like an awful situation to be in.

My sympathies!!!!

[wexy]

Glad she wasn't physically harmed.

[krystl]

I am sorry to hear that happened to your cousin. Just wondering...how come she had all those important things with her at the beach? Is she staying in a hotel or some other place?
In any event, I hope she is able to get everything in order so she can get back home.

[Mark19]

Crime in Brazil is no joke. My cousin there keeps one purse on the passenger seat and a backup one in the glove box, just in case some robs her at a traffic light.

The consulate in Rio should help her out, they can grant emergency travel documents for people who get stranded. I have one question though, why would she have her passport and all of her financial resources with her at the beach?

[NelsonMuntz]

I'm sorry to hear that Rhody. I hope everything works out okay for your cousin. I was in Rio a couple of years ago and had absolutely no problems at all. It's a great city. Ipanema is much nicer and safer than Copacabana.

[parkerstrong]

Its a sick world we live in and we are usually blind to the possible toxic events unless they happen to us or someone we love. I hope everything works out well for her! She should count her lucky stars all they took was money. It could (and alot of times it is) be much worse with physical injury, kidnapping, prisoner, rape, etc. Money can be recovered, while some things cannot.