Avoid Pickpockets When Traveling Abroad

Pick pocketing is one of the world's oldest professions and each year thousands of travelers fall prey to this crime. While the majority of trips to foreign countries are incident free, the potential for becoming a target for pickpocketing does exist. Keep in mind; this is a crime of opportunity. Using a little common sense and educating yourself on how criminals operate can minimize the risk.

Travelers make attractive targets, especially when traveling overseas because pickpockets know travelers typically carry more money than locals. They generally focus on the public during times when they might be carrying more money than usual, such as during store sales, at fairs, carnivals, horse races, gambling casinos or near banks. Criminals also know that even if they are caught, they still have a good chance of avoiding prosecution because travelers very seldom return to their vacation destination to give testimony.

Another problem with pickpocketing is even if you see or feel what is happening, you have no evidence. The criminal will usually claim he or she accidentally bumped into you or someone shoved them into you.

Pickpockets are not the unsavory characters one might visualize. They look just like you and I and are experts at blending in. These individuals can be male or female, children or grandmothers, and sometimes they even dress as tourists.

How Pickpockets Operate

Contrary to what most people think, professional pickpockets do not place their hands all the way into the victims pockets. Rather, the expert criminal reaches into the top of the pocket, takes up a pleat in the lining, and then makes a dozen or so more tiny pleats, folding the lining with swift dexterity between his fingers. The shortening pocket lining moves the valuable upward so that they emerge at the mouth of the pocket. The entire act takes place in a few short seconds.

Sometimes pickpockets deliberately bump or jostle an unsuspecting person because in order to remove a wallet from someone's pocket or purse the pickpocket has to actually touch the victim or something close to the victims body. In congested or crowded locations, it's not uncommon for individuals to press up against you, so you don't even notice something pressing against your pocket or purse. In most cases, the victim has no knowledge what has taken place. In some instances, pickpockets carry jackets or newspapers to conceal their hands while they operate.

Another favorite trick of the pickpocket is to knee the victim just below the wallet and, at the same time, he raises the wallet so that the top protrudes from the pocket. He then grabs the tip of the wallet that is showing, and holds it while the mark walks away from it. Most of the time, it slips right out of the victim's pocket without his knowledge.

The pocket slice is also a common technique. The pickpocket holds the razorblade between his fingers and slices the back pocket so that the wallet simply falls out or drops in their hands.

While some pickpockets work alone, many work in teams. A team may consist of the following:

• Stall- distracts the victim by stopping in front of him or stirring up a conversation.

• Dip- actually goes into the pocket and removes the wallet.

• Shield- prevents anyone else from seeing what the dip does.

• Dish- is handed the wallet from the dip and leaves the area.

Pickpockets rely heavily on distraction when committing this crime. Remember, all it takes is a few seconds to separate you from your wallet. Listed below are some of the common distractions that pickpockets use.

Scams

• Children as thieves- In this scenario a group of children run up to you poking and jabbing you with newspaper or cardboard while asking you for money, However, this is a diversion. While you only feel the jabs of the newspaper or cardboard, they remove anything of value from your purse or pockets. The newspaper is used to shield their hands from your view.

• Bump and Run- A pickpocket team sandwiches the victim between them, one in front of you and one behind you, then as you are walking the “stall� in front of you suddenly stops so that you bump into him or her. The accomplice then pretends to accidentally bump into you from behind and apologizes while removing your wallet.

• Intoxicated woman- an attractive woman pretending to be intoxicated grabs or hugs an unsuspecting male victim and steals his wallet while he is distracted.

• Warm welcome- in some countries a member of the pickpocket team approaches the victim with open arms and a warm friendly smile on their face. As he or she embraces you, an accomplice strikes you on the back, creating enough distraction to steal your wallet.

• Soiled Clothing- one member of the pickpocket team soils your clothes- using a condiment such as ketchup or mustard, ice cream or a spilled drink. Then, another member of the team brings it to your attention. At this point another accomplice appears and begins assisting you in removing the stain from your clothing while another member of the pickpocket team picks up your purse or other valuables that you have laid down while you assisted with removing the stain.

• Snatch and Run- snatch and run thieves are usually teenagers who grab a purse, wallet or fanny pack and take off running or speed away on a motorcycle.

Other common scams involve making a scene, such as fighting or faking an accident or injury, an attractive woman stopping a male target and asking for assistance, or a thief dropping money on the ground and asking whether it belongs to the potential victim.

Pickpockets have also been known to use ploys to locate your wallet. For example, sometimes pickpockets will post signs that read, “beware of pickpockets� or someone might yell, “somebody just stole my wallet� in a crowded area. The general response of most people is to make sure they still have their own wallet and/or valuables, so they'll pat whatever pocket it's in. This tells the pickpocket just where to look.

Prevention

General

• Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid looking lost, confused or distracted. Individuals who seem sure of themselves and aware of their surroundings make less attractive targets.

• Consider carrying a “dummy� wallet in your purse or pocket, to confuse the pickpocket and make him or her believe this is your real wallet.

• Be careful in crowded areas, pickpockets have been known to deliberately bump or jostle an unsuspecting victim in a crowd. This may be a distraction technique.

• Avoid carrying valuables in a backpack or fanny pack. Anyone can easily reach into a backpack without alerting you. If you choose to wear a fanny pack, only wear it in the front and make sure the buckle is near the pouch in front so a pickpocket would have a more difficult time getting to the latch without your knowledge. Also consider using a safety pin or paperclip fastened to a rubber band around the belt strap or string, anything to make opening the zipper more difficult.

• Don't flash your money, pickpockets observe potential victims when shopping and then later know exactly where to lift your wallet.

• Dress down; don't attract thieves by looking wealthy.

• Remove unnecessary credit cards from your purse or wallet prior to leaving for your destination.

• Do your homework, find out where the bad parts of the city or countryside are before you get there, and ask the hotel staff for more specific information once you arrive.

• Be careful at banks and automated teller machines, pickpockets have been known to hang around banks and ATMs at airports and shopping malls. After victims make cash withdrawals, the criminals can see exactly where your wallets or purses are stored and steal them later.

• Walk with confidence and make eye contact to discourage pickpockets.

Men

• Avoid carrying your wallet in your back pocket if possible. Front pockets are safer.

• Place your wallet in your pocket sideways or place a rubber band around it. This makes it more difficult to get the wallet out of your pocket.

• Don't “pat� your pocket to see if your wallet is still there. This alerts the pickpocket of the location of your wallet.

• Divide your cash up and place it in various locations such as socks or other pockets so if your wallet is stolen, you still have some money.

• Consider carrying your valuables in a money belt under you clothing.

Women

• Avoid drawstring purses. A purse with a zippered compartment works best.

• Carry your purse in front of you.

• If your purse has a flap, wear the flap against your body.

• Avoid hanging your purse on the back of a chair in a public place. Place it in your lap.

• Never leave your purse unattended.

• To avoid having your purse stolen, walk away from the curb and against traffic. In some countries, thefts are common by backseat motorcycle riders.

Don't let a pickpocket spoil your trip. By familiarizing yourself with the typical scams thieves use to rob travelers and recognizing the scenarios ahead of time, you will recognize situations to avoid, and keep you attention focused on your valuables, and not on their intentional distractions.

Johnny May, is an independent trainer/security consultant who specializes in protecting individuals and organizations from identity theft. He is also the author of Johnny May's Guide to Preventing Identity Theft and the featured expert in the video production Identity Theft: How to Protect Your Money, Your Credit and Your Good name. For more information visit http://www.identitytheftinfo.com or e-mail at secres@prodigy.net