A couple centuries ago, pickpocketing was the scourge of cities around the world. From Dickens’ London to New York City’s famous Five Points, skilled thieves practiced their craft, filching the valuables of passersby without the victim noticing a thing. In fact, that’s how pockets in clothing got their start: Prior to the 17th century, men and women alike carried their valuables in purses outside the body; they then started tying pouches inside their clothes in an attempt to thwart would-be “cutpurses” and thieves. But pickpockets soon adapted and learned how to deftly extract the goods from trouser, waistcoat, and jacket pockets alike.
Around the turn of the 20th century, American prosecutors began cracking down hard on pickpockets, and mandatory schooling took young would-be thieves off the streets. Soon there were few “master” pickpockets left to pass on the trade, and fewer kids willing and able to learn a form of crime that took years to perfect. In more recent years, the decline of cash has made wallets a less desirable target.
While pickpocketing has been on the decline in the U.S for the past fifty years or so, it’s still a major problem in Europe. In fact, pickpocketing has gotten so bad in some countries that popular tourist attractions have had to close for days at a time.
Many police departments shrug off pickpocketing as common petty larceny. But to the victim, having their wallet stolen not only puts them out of the cash they were carrying, but creates a huge cost in time and worry. Credit cards must be canceled and credit agencies must be warned for possible identity fraud. If a passport was lifted, travel plans will likely be delayed and the victim will have to pay for an even more expensive trip home because they missed their original flight.
To avoid finding yourself in that kind of aggravating mess, you simply need to take a few precautions that’ll greatly reduce your vulnerability to pickpockets. And in today’s post we’ll provide expert-backed tips on how to do just that.
Maintain Situational Awareness
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The first step in avoiding getting pickpocketed is to always maintain situational awareness when you’re out and about. For an in-depth look at how to develop the situational awareness of Jason Bourne, read this article.
Know Your Thief
It’s hard to pick a thief out of a crowd because pickpockets cross all demographic boundaries and stereotypes. While your grandma may have told you to “Be on the lookout for Gypsies!” pickpockets come in every race and color. While most are male, there are a large number of female pickpockets too. And while pickpocketing has often been called a “boys’ crime,” in Europe it’s common to find pickpocket gangs where the average member is in his 30s.
So don’t assume that you’ll be able to avoid getting pickpocketed by steering clear of certain “types” of people. With that said, keep in mind the following points when you’re out and about in an area known for pickpocketing:
Pickpockets often work in groups. One or two members of the pickpocketing team will act as distractions while an accomplice steals your stuff. So if you see a group of people acting in ways that seem designed to get your attention, be on the lookout for a hand trying to filch your valuables.
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Pickpockets are often children. While many pickpockets are grown men, a large number of pickpockets are indeed young boys and girls. Children pickpockets take full advantage of their innocent, doe-eyed looks. Because a tourist doesn’t expect a child to be a criminal, the young pickpocket can get closer to their target without raising suspicion.
You’re likely to encounter more child pickpockets in Europe because in many countries, when a young thief is apprehended by authorities, they’re simply taken to a group home where they walk out the door the next day to do some more stealing.
So don’t be lulled into a false sense of security whenever a child suddenly comes into contact with you in an area known for pickpocketing. It’s possible they’re getting a heist started on you.
Pickpockets are typically well-dressed. When most people imagine a pickpocket, they likely picture a dirty street urchin. The reality is most pickpockets look like well-dressed middle-class folks. They want to blend in with their environment and appear as non-threatening as possible to get as close to you as they can without setting off alarms. So they’ll dress in a way that puts people at ease, which means wearing clean, well-pressed clothing featuring logos of brands that people associate with middle-class wealth (at least in Europe) — Nike, Gap, Adidas, etc.
Know Where Pickpockets Like to Work
While you can encounter pickpockets in any part of a city, some locations are a magnet for pickpockets:
Tourist attractions. Tourist attractions are a pickpocket’s paradise. You’ve got 1) lots of clueless tourists often carrying lots of cash, 2) monuments and exhibits that distract people and take their gaze and attention off their possessions, and 3) high pedestrian traffic where people are bumping into each other and are less likely to notice the touch of a thief’s sticky fingers. Pickpocketing is in fact so rampant at tourist attractions that in recent years both the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre have had to close for several days because of it.
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If a popular tourist attraction is on your list of must-sees while traveling, take extra precautions with your valuables when you visit.
Public transportation. Because public transportation forces people to stand right next to each other, it’s a fertile field for pickpocketing. With just a bump from an accomplice, a pickpocket can take your wallet and be off the train and on his way before you even realize it’s missing.
Restaurants and bars. Pickpockets often flock to restaurants and bars that are popular with tourists. Because patrons’ attention is focused on their meal and the people they’re eating with, they often don’t notice the hand that slides into their purse to snatch a wallet.
Hotel lobbies. Hotel lobbies offer a pickpocket a great opportunity to swipe a person’s goods. When tourists arrive at a hotel’s door, they’re often juggling and keeping track of several pieces of luggage. Pickpockets take advantage of the tourist’s diverted attention by stealing what they can from them.
