72 | May• 2019TRAVEL
11 SOMEBODY TRIES TO GET
YOU TO LOOK AT A MAP Posing
as tourists themselves, pickpockets
may go up to a target and ask them
for help finding a destination. Be
especially concerned if they’re
aggressive and try to shove the map
close to your face. Other variations of
this trick involves people asking you
to sign a petition or read a flyer.12 SOMEONE SPILLS FOOD
NEARBY Using crowds and chaos to
their advantage, thieves drop coffee,
ice cream or some other messy
substance near their chosen target.
This method is especially common
near ATMs, where pickpockets
might zero in on people who’ve just
withdrawn cash. Be especially wary
if someone spills something on you
and offers to help clean your clothes.13 ‘IT CAN’T HAPPEN TO YOU?’
Most pickpockets are experts and
“the greatest advantage pickpockets
have is that most people think it can’t
happen to them,” says Turner.you can see them. Better yet, loop
your bag or backpack strap around
the leg of the chair you’re sitting in
to ensure that it won’t be gone after
a single tug.9 YOU’RE ROCKING OUT TO
YOUR TUNES Technology is the
ultimate distraction. If you have your
earphones in, you’re much less aware
of your immediate surroundings,
which makes sneaking up on you all
too easy. It’s effortless for thieves to
unplug earphones from a phone and
snatch the latter. People usually think
something has gone wrong with their
phone or earphones before realising
they’ve been robbed. The thief will be
long gone before the victim discovers
their phone is missing.10 SOMEONE INVADES YOUR
PERSONAL SPACE In large, bustling
crowds or on public transport,
being close to strangers is often
inevitable, and pickpockets take
advantage of that. One of the most
clichéd pickpocketing methods is
the old jostle-and-snatch – someone
bumps into you and they or another
pickpocket snatches your wallet.
If someone gets up close to you,
especially if you’re face-to-face, try
moving somewhere else (without
turning your back on them).
Alternatively, look directly at them. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES