Gerry McCanns Credit Cards

[19th June 2007] Gerry takes an early-morning flight from Faro, Portugal, to Gatwick, London, landing shortly before midday. Within minutes/an hour/hours of landing Gerry has his wallet stolen at an ATM at Waterloo station/cash machine near the Foreign Office in Whitehall.

According to Philomena McCann, Gerry's sister, "He bent down to put something in his rucksack and some dirty animal had the wallet out of his back pocket."

Gerry has to cancel all his credit cards, thus delaying him and causing the meetings to run on late into the evening.

The Evening Standard reported that London police had said they 'had no record of the theft being reported to officers'. In addition, Clarence Mitchell confirmed that Gerry had attended a meeting at London's foreign office, on Tuesday, but 'could not immediately confirm details of the theft'.

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id178.html

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Was gerry mccann really bending down as a decoy? Was he really trying to 'pass something' from PDL to this person? They would be aware of CCTV camera's at the station and at the cash point

Did gerry mccann run after this man? Did he shout after him? Why are there no witnesses to this incident?The commotion this incident would have created would have alerted peoples attention, and everyone in the UK would have recognised him at this point in time and would want their 15 mins of fame. Waterloo is a very busy mainline train station and many times a nightmare being so packed out with people

Was this incident to create a reason to cancel his credit cards? Thereby covering his tracks from past transactions, credit card transactions reveal a lot of information, can pinpoint people...maybe a previous booking & expenditure to PDL perhaps? Did he use his credit card to hire the Renault a few weeks before? Who paid for the hire car as it is hired in his name? (using his old address) It seems very apparent gerry mccann had a strong friendship with john geraghty and strong indications from the start of the scam with the church keys, the 'no comment' murat, are indications he had been in PDL before

On the PJ background check, it says "There is no report or statement of bank credit cards listed in the research carried out. However I was alerted to the fact that if an individual maintains an account open with the same bank or credit card accounts for a long period of time, these details do not appear in this kind of search."

This report is dated 16th May 2008. If his credit cards were cancelled 11 months previous, I would think it is very likely that they would not show up on a credit check in 2008, thereby no statement record could be retrieved which would show transactions prior to the May 2007 PDL holiday....and possibly a record of showing he had been there before

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MCCANNS_BACKGROUND.htm

Not having credit cards in his name (perhaps there were some in Healy's name? which could be used) is very strange.

Wanting to stay in Portugal for at least several years (until the twins had to start school) as envisaged by GM is equally strange.

As part of the search for Maddie it made no sense. I am convinced they meant to stay indefinitely and the continued absence of Maddie would be the reason given.

The PJ requested details of credit transactions from the Home Office over I believe the year preceding the holiday. It was refused as being too intrusive. (Jaqui Smith I believe). The Home Office requested a renewed request for a shorter period of time. The PJ I believe didn't bother.

From the summary of the 'Truth of the Lie" (McCannfiles)
74 - The time of the questioning of the McCanns is close and Stuart Prior seems nervous. The PJ also wished to re-question the whole group. Very little info on the McCanns arrives regarding their financial situation. According to UK authorities the McCanns have no credit card or ATM cards. However, the flights had been paid with credit cards so the PJ knew they had them.
unquote.

tigger wrote:
The PJ requested details of credit transactions from the Home Office over I believe the year preceding the holiday. It was refused as being too intrusive. (Jaqui Smith I believe). The Home Office requested a renewed request for a shorter period of time. The PJ I believe didn't bother.

Quite revealing Tigger. They were happy for the request for a short period but not a long period...mmmm. The reason of being intrusive would apply to any length of time request, so why are they happy for a shorter period? a longer period would reveal all perhaps? I wonder if there is a hidden real reason why they made such a thing of david payne booking the holiday with his credit card?

This is the actual information from: http://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.nl/2011/04/few-details-worth-remembering-before.html


Gerry McCann used two credit cards

The father of Madeleine McCann used two MasterCad credit cards, according to an information from Detective Inspector Gary Watts, from Leicestershire Constabulary, to Frances Kennah, head of UK Central Authority, a Home Office department in charge of the cooperation with foreign police forces (…) A previous report about the financial situation of the McCann couple and their friends, produced by the Economic Crime Unit from Leicestershire Constabulary, found no records of credit cards or loans from Kate and Gerry McCann.”



Home Office refused information about Gerry's credit cards



A request sent by PJ to British authorities, asking for details about Gerry McCann credit cards transactions for a period of six months, starting on April 1, six weeks before Madeleine's disappearance, was considered disproportionate by Frances Kennah, the Head of UK Central Authority, a Home Office department.

unquote.

So they wanted to go back to the beginning of November 2006 - not very far back but they might have had a reason? How could a mere six months be disproportionate!

From: 'I wanna tell you a story' by Dr. Martin Roberts March 2011
[...]A characteristic of McCann story-telling is that the whole family quickly becomes involved, to the extent that the principals are able, like Marcel Marceau, to take centre stage without saying a word, while explanation, commentary etc. issue forth on their behalf. In this particular instance the story has two exciting chapters, the second concerning the loss of a wallet (and they say lightning never strikes twice...).

Gerry McCann's behaviour at Waterloo station, with his rucksack, his wallet and 'something else', is reminiscent of that schoolboy riddle of animal husbandry, where a gamekeeper is charged with crossing a river in a boat together with a fox, a lamb and a duck, and in three trips or less. He can take no more than two animals with him at any one time, bearing in mind that the fox will eat either of the other two creatures if left alone with them. The McCann version of the puzzle is, as usual, articulated by everyone except the author.

First, here's the Daily Mail's synopsis:

"Madeleine McCann's father was left distraught after a thief stole his wallet that contained precious photographs of his missing daughter.

"The pickpocket struck as Gerry McCann withdrew cash from an ATM, just an hour after he arrived in London for a brief visit to organise the campaign to help find the four-year-old."

In other words, while in the process of withdrawing cash from an ATM, Gerry has his wallet stolen. (He is standing at the ATM therefore).

The Mail then offers us family corroboration:

"Susan Healey, mother of his wife Kate, said it was 'yet another kick in the teeth'.

"She added: 'Gerry is not clear exactly how his wallet was stolen.'

"'He did not see them take it.'"

How are ATM's operated again? With credit/debit cards. And where do we gents typically keep our plastic shopping coupons? In our wallets. So if you find yourself in the process of drawing cash from an ATM, the card is in the machine and the wallet in your hand, until you are about to grasp the money, when all three will be in your hand(s) (four items if you include the receipt).

But 'Gerry is not clear exactly how his wallet was stolen. He did not see them take it.'

So it clearly didn't happen 'as Gerry McCann withdrew cash from the ATM', did it?

Following the Mail's example, let's bring in another commentator at this point - Philomena McCann:

"She said: 'Gerry was at the bank to get some British currency, because he didn't have any at all.

"'He took out £100 from a hole in the wall machine, put it in his wallet then popped it in his back pocket.

"'He bent down to put something in his rucksack and some dirty animal had the wallet out of his back pocket.'"

The sequence of events here has Gerry concluding his transaction with the ATM before putting his wallet, now containing the card he has just utilised, together with the only English currency in his immediate possession, into his trouser back pocket, whence it is lifted while our hapless tourist is busy putting something else into his rucksack (using the hands he has just had full of wallet, plastic card and folding stuff). What was this 'something' and where did it come from. If it was at all sizeable it could not have been in Gerry's hands at the same time as he was fiddling with the other items. Still, if your wallet goes walkies from a back pocket, it stands to reason that you wouldn't see the 'dip' actually taking it. But you would know exactly how it was taken, even if only in hindsight.

Ever the man for a crisis, Gerry, who did not know how his wallet was no longer in his back pocket, acted spontaneously in the face of an emergency, just as he had done on the airplane earlier. As Philomena herself told the Daily Mail:

"It's what you're trained to do, it's who you are. He didn't make a big deal out of it because it's the kind of thing that he does all the time at work."

Quick thinking Gerry immediately cancelled his credit cards ("He was forced to delay the series of meetings he had planned while he cancelled his credit cards." - Daily Mail).

Presumably the pickpocket in question thought twice about feeling inside Gerry's other trouser pockets for his mobile 'phone (or maybe it was this that got stowed away in the rucksack). Lucky really. It meant that Gerry could 'phone his bank immediately and report his loss. But where was he when he did so? And how did he get there? Or was the ATM immediately outside a branch of Gerry’s bank? You see, the only negotiable currency in Gerry's recent possession had just disappeared with his wallet (that's what Philomena said) in an incident of theft that the victim did not notice at the time (that‘s what Susan Healy said). So Gerry was aboard the taxi travelling to one of those meetings he was destined to be late for, when he realized he could not pay the fare, but at least he had each of his banks' 'phone numbers stored on the memory of his cell phone (well you wouldn't erase those, would you.?). Or he was summarily ejected by the taxi driver just outside a relevant branch office and arranged to cancel one at least of his several cards over the counter. And the others?

Or he was in fact about to board the bus and discovered he had no money to buy the ticket, so went back inside the Waterloo station complex, where he reported the theft, first to a duty constable (who couldn't care less. The police apparently have no record of the theft) then to a cashier at his bank there. And, like Gregory Peck when he flashed his million pound note during the film of that title, on production of his passport and uttering something like 'Do you know who you're dealing with missy', Gerry was immediately given an over-the-counter loan to see him through the day.

Or maybe he just happened to have a copy of The Big Issue handy and a passing stockbroker took pity on him.
unquote
https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t1844-50-facts-about-the-maddie-case-that-the-british-media-are-not-telling-you

They can't even get this incident right. Why are all the stories from the mccanns contradictory and different versions from family & friends. I have never seen a case that is wholly made of contradictions and inconsistencies with nothing making sense...so fascinating...even more so that the powers of the UK are doing all they can to protect them from their lies and the obvious to anyone who reads the facts!

So when did gerry mccann realise exactly it had been taken? can't have been at the time as he would have shouted out, run after them, caused attention and witnesses of which they are none whatsoever. So he must have realised later when catching a taxi (I think the tube would be beneath gerry mccann as a form of transport) and from Waterloo it is much simpler to catch a black cab from outside the station to Whitehall. Where is this taxi driver who had gerry mccann at the back of his cab with no money? But then....if he was late because of having to cancel the credit cards, he would have realised when he reached Whitehall in the cab, plus the cabbie would be a bonus of a witness to confirm this incident

Why is this reported all in the media yet no report to the police? Considering he already had UK police working on his case, why not report it to one of them? Getting the wallet back via a friend a few days later from the Netherlands is even more intriguing to say the least

re the photos, the one that was allegely irreplaceable was one taken in a church a month or so before. Are they trying to sell the story that there was no negative if taken on a 35mm camera, or to make a digital photo print they didn't copy it onto a computer or some other digital medium, like they copied the Donegal ones over. If gerry mccann had this irreplaceable photo in his wallet all this time, why didn't they use it for the poster or into the media so we would all know what the girl looked liked they wanted the world to search for. But they had packed a USB stick with old photos from a year ago on them though

Interesting fact on the link:
27. The Home Office refused the Portuguese police permission to examine the McCanns’ credit card and bank statements, mobile ’phone records and Madeleine’s medical records
....leaving no stone unturned in the search I see

Day 57 - 29/06/2007 - Friday (gerry mccann blogs)

Early rise this morning dropping off and picking up good friends from the airport. One of our friends from Amsterdam, who has been actively campaigning to publicise Madeleines disappearance, dropped in to see us for a couple of hours since he is on a golfing trip in the Algarve.

Our friends brought back my wallet which had been returned, needless to say minus the Sterling, although all my cards and €30 were still in it! It is good to have my driving license back and one or two other important things.

The credit cards were (allegedly) stolen on June 19th. The wallet was sent to the mccanns 'old' address in Leicester. Within 10 days (8 days in reality) friends from Amsterdam had managed to receive it and take it with them to PDL, they must have flown from Amsterdam to Gatwick otherwise why send it to Amsterdam as you may as well send it to PDL. Wondering why friends from another country and the organisation that comes with getting the wallet to them, when LPP (or whoever lived at the old address) could have just couriered it for next day delivery via UPS or something. Would have cost the 30 euros that was 'left' inside the wallet

Were the one or two other important things the pictures of his daughter that was irreplaceable? Couldn't mention these photos that meant so much in the blog?

gerry mccann used his old address for the car hire, so the driving license or the credit card address had this old address too. Isn't it a Criminal Offence not to notify DVLA or Mastercard of a change? He had a year to notify them and was still using it clearly as is shown on the car hire rental agreement



It is also odd that only Madeleine's pictures were in his wallet. He doesn't mention family pictures, i.e. the twins and/or Kate, only Madeleine

Did anybody else confirm this incident? We only seem to have philomena mccann's unofficial confirmation, the only quote I can see from mitchell was that he could not confirm, nothing after this. Think this speaks volumes if he never did confirm the stolen wallet

jd wrote:Day 57 - 29/06/2007 - Friday (gerry mccann blogs)

Early rise this morning dropping off and picking up good friends from the airport. One of our friends from Amsterdam, who has been actively campaigning to publicise Madeleines disappearance, dropped in to see us for a couple of hours since he is on a golfing trip in the Algarve.

Our friends brought back my wallet which had been returned, needless to say minus the Sterling, although all my cards and €30 were still in it! It is good to have my driving license back and one or two other important things.

The credit cards were (allegedly) stolen on June 19th. The wallet was sent to the mccanns 'old' address in Leicester. Within 10 days (8 days in reality) friends from Amsterdam had managed to receive it and take it with them to PDL, they must have flown from Amsterdam to Gatwick otherwise why send it to Amsterdam as you may as well send it to PDL. Wondering why friends from another country and the organisation that comes with getting the wallet to them, when LPP (or whoever lived at the old address) could have just couriered it for next day delivery via UPS or something. Would have cost the 30 euros that was 'left' inside the wallet

Were the one or two other important things the pictures of his daughter that was irreplaceable? Couldn't mention these photos that meant so much in the blog?

I thought the McCanns weren't supposed to have had any credit cards, which seemed very odd to me. Two professionals/doctors wth 3 children not having any sort of credit cards seemed highly unlikely. I can't imagine them having to find a cash machine every time they went to the supermarket, hairdressers, shopping arcade etc to pay in cash every time.

ETA: Someone mentioned earlier that Gerry must have had a card to use a cash machine, you can have a building society account with a card to draw out cash but I still don't believe that the McCanns didn't have any debit/credit cards. Gerry seems to have put his foot in his mouth though with that statement - although all my cards were still in it!

He is telling us a story isn't he?
Overlooks the fact that money is money and one can change or even use euros in London quite easily, any thief would know that. Most pickpockets would also know where to fence the cards and get some more money.
Looks to me that the story served two purposes, it 'washed' the credit cards and got more attention from the public regarding the money situation of the McCanns. Donations might have been tailing off after the initial wave of support.

So - imo it never happened. Why was the story given out and so soon after the rescue of the mystery man on the plane?
Again Dr. Roberts - from "I want to tell you a story' march 2011

[...] And such are the details of Gerry McCann's eventful trip home on 19 June, 2007. You know, the one during which he offered medical assistance to a passenger on the airplane. The plane was met by an ambulance and the unidentified passenger taken for assessment of his unknown condition, to an indeterminate hospital. He has not been seen or heard of since. Now you'd think one of our red-tops at least would have been interested in running an 'I owe my life to Gerry McCann' story. An opportunity lost then. unquote

Both stories on closer examination don't stand up, but they must serve a purpose. Exactly what purpose? Was the McCann's fame already waning together with the donations and did the world-wide celebrity status of these two need a little tweek - whilst serving another purpose meanwhile.

Were the PJ doing their job far too well by that time or/and were there people behind the scenes who could not be contacted by email or phone who would understand the message put out in the blog and the press?

The dates on the hire car agreement are interesting. Check out date 1st September, due to be checked in 24th September.

Kate's book says that Gerry had said that they ought to be thinking about going home, a few days before they went (don't have the book, can't check the exact details), but who hires a car on holiday for a period including two weeks after they have gone home?

Trains do not go to Waterloo Station from Gatwick airport

They go to London Victoria on the 30 min Gatwick Express/Southern Railways, or London Bridge on First Capital Connect

Or they go to Reading - not sure which train company though!

jd wrote:Trains do not go to Waterloo Station from Gatwick airport

They go to London Victoria on the 30 min Gatwick Express/Southern Railways, or London Bridge on First Capital Connect

[19th June 2007] Gerry takes an early-morning flight from Faro, Portugal, to Gatwick, London, landing shortly before midday. Within minutes/an hour/hours of landing Gerry has his wallet stolen at an ATM at Waterloo station/cash machine near the Foreign Office in Whitehall.


This sentence doesn't make sense either. Waterloo station is a brisk walk from the FO. Ten to 15 minutes at least.
So we now have a re-routed train and an ATM which is close to Waterloo station or the FO. I don't think there are any ATMs in Whitehall?


Waterloo is the terminal for the eurostar?

From Gatwick it is Victoria or Reading. So how could he arrive at Waterloo, without cash to continue the journey? What was he doing there having come from Gatwick to Victoria and then crossed the river to get to an ATM?

If he took a taxi from Gatwick and needed cash to pay the taxi, (he could probably also have paid by card) he would have asked the taxi to stop at an ATM.
The plot thickens....

His ultimate destination was Westminster, which is 2 stops from Victoria on the tube or a 5 min cab ride (could walk it in 10 mins). And it takes 30 mins to get to Victoria from Gatwick Airport

At Gatwick airport all signs are for trains to London Victoria especially for the Express. So why was he taking a Southern Railways to Clapham Junction which would be stopping at additional stops en route taking much longer, then needing to change platforms at Clapham to catch a connection train to Waterloo, when he could get to Westminster within 45 mins via the one stop Express direct to Victoria. You do have to go out of your way to get to Waterloo from Gatwick. Victoria is closer to Whitehall anyway

Yes Waterloo is a Eurostar station. And I have never seen any ATM's in Whitehall. There are cash points at Gatwick airport

Considering that at the time he was high profile and under government protection, why is he getting a public train on his own anyway. For someone who has a hotline direct to the British Prime Minister and going to Whitehall in limited time to interview campaign managers, surely a car would be waiting at Gatwick airport...or take a cab which would cost in the region of £35. It doesn't sit with me at all that instead he took a public train by himself and the convoluted long route via Waterloo which serves no purpose in any sense

This is all just a week after the family Sagres meeting which he specifically didn't mention in the blog - the day following that the two day trip to Marocco and then just a week later:
Saves a man's life on the plane over.
Loses/ has his wallet stolen
Number of meetings at F.O. etc.
On returning to PdL - stop for a drunk in the road - gets out and escorts him to his apartment....

None of this witnessed by the ravenous press following his every movement...

Was this the trip when he visited Ceops?

How did these incidents get into the press? Could only be via their spokesman mitchell...But he did not want to confirm

jd wrote:How did these incidents get into the press? Could only be via their spokesman mitchell...But he did not want to confirm

I think most of them got into the press via the usual mouthpieces: the family - i.e. the only source is Gerry himself. So why were these snippets broadcast?

Keeping a high profile was clearly a strategy. Keeping the money flowing in would be dependent on that factor. Usually, like an outpouring of grief, money is sent to show solidarity and so on. Normally that stops after a few weeks/months. It was surely the first time that a Fund had been established so quickly and that too needed to be highlighted at every opportunity.

The theft of the creditcards, the whole wallet (one really needs bills for a taxi) should have stopped him getting a taxi so did he sprint to the F.O.?

Since MI5 (according to the PJ) was involved from an early date, it is not unlikely that they blocked the release of such data. But if the credit cards had to be seen to have been 'compromised' it is likely that there was something on them that could be explained away by this theft.
So - was that something fairly recent?

Oh how I'd love to be Gerrys bank manager. Can you imagine being one of the people out there who undoubtedly could give us information we'd all love to know.

dai thomas wrote:Oh how I'd love to be Gerrys bank manager. Can you imagine being one of the people out there who undoubtedly could give us information we'd all love to know.

Maybe one day if this whole charade was ever taken to the Crown Court he may called to give information on what the McCanns did or did not pay for on their credit cards whilst in PDL or before going to PDL.

Well, we can only hope and wait.

Newintown wrote:

dai thomas wrote:Oh how I'd love to be Gerrys bank manager. Can you imagine being one of the people out there who undoubtedly could give us information we'd all love to know.

Maybe one day if this whole charade was ever taken to the Crown Court he may called to give information on what the McCanns did or did not pay for on their credit cards whilst in PDL or before going to PDL.

Well, we can only hope and wait.

One things for sure, the McCanns have either lived a very sheltered life, or there's a lot of people out there that would certainly have some very interesting stories to tell (that is they they don't fear being taken to court !).

tigger wrote:
Since MI5 (according to the PJ) was involved from an early date, it is not unlikely that they blocked the release of such data. But if the credit cards had to be seen to have been 'compromised' it is likely that there was something on them that could be explained away by this theft.
So - was that something fairly recent?

I think cancelling the credit cards was the motive here. Philomena mccann was the one who seemed to be organising things in the UK if the Carpenters statement is anything to go by, and she was the one who said the point of this incident "He had to cancel his credit cards"

I think Sandra Felgueiras asking gerry mccann if 'he knew robert murat before' sent chills down their spine, and the credit card statement on a financial search would show previous transactions in PDL. If they were there in May for business then it makes sense he had been before on business/golfing trip. My guess March/early April. There already seemed to be strong friendship with john geraghty on day 1 of the disappearance and there are others in this scam who have been to PDL before like smethurst. Probably knew the Symingtons too, April 2007 was when Mark Warner bought lots of apartments in Ocean Club

dai thomas wrote:
One things for sure, the McCanns have either lived a very sheltered life, or there's a lot of people out there that would certainly have some very interesting stories to tell (that is they they don't fear being taken to court !).

I am very sure there are people who would loved to speak out the truth but are too afraid to. Being rich and lawyers dictate our freedom of speech in this country now

dai thomas wrote:

Newintown wrote:

dai thomas wrote:Oh how I'd love to be Gerrys bank manager. Can you imagine being one of the people out there who undoubtedly could give us information we'd all love to know.

Maybe one day if this whole charade was ever taken to the Crown Court he may called to give information on what the McCanns did or did not pay for on their credit cards whilst in PDL or before going to PDL.

Well, we can only hope and wait.

One things for sure, the McCanns have either lived a very sheltered life, or there's a lot of people out there that would certainly have some very interesting stories to tell (that is they they don't fear being taken to court !).

I would imagine that many people would like to tell their stories, unfortunately for the past 5 years they've been thwarted by the powerful CR (their fees not paid for by the McCanns, no doubt) to stop them saying anything other than the McCanns are whiter than white and had nothing to do with Madeleine's "disappearance".

The one or two postings I have seen on newpaper sites which told something about the McCanns everyday life which were rather derogatory were "whooshed" within about 20 minutes or so of being posted.

I'm getting lost here. JD. april 2007 MW bought lots of OC apartments, so how was their advert for this holiday in the brochure on or before the 1st january?
On that occasion - as they've told us, David Payne paid for the holiday with his credit card.

Might one of the problems with the credit cards be what was not on it? No payment to MW for the holiday? No payment full stop?