How to be the perfect pickpocketee

Everyone recognises it -that feeling when you grub in your bag and you can’t find your wallet. The queasy feeling grows in your stomach and one question comes to your mind – has it been stolen?

Eventually you will find it and the sensation passes as fast as it has come. And you forget about it. Until the moment you don’t find it in the depth of your bag and you realise that you have become a pickpocketee.

London is a huge city. Millions of people live here and crowded places, pubs and clubs offer great opportunities for the thriving business of picking pockets. In 2007 the number of reported crimes stood at nearly 6,000 but there are likely to be hundreds of unreported offences.

So what to do when you become a victim of a cutpurse?

Generally everyone should go to the police and report the crime. But especially international people, who have lost driving licenses or credit cards from a foreign country, should inform the executive authorities and their own embassy.

However, the first step is to cancel all your credit and debit cards. Usually the phone numbers can be found online. It takes only five minutes and will protect against any bigger harm.

Four out of five victims are women. This number can be explained by the fact that they carry handbags, often without thinking of security and are therefore a great target for pickpockets.

Beware of groups and distraction techniques Photo credit: Flickr/McPhee_Seattle

Safety Tips

Ladies, zip up your bags and carry them in front of you with the flaps against your body. Keep the straps short and the bags tucked under your arm. Don’t display jewellery and don’t show your money. And most important, keep purses and mobile phones secure and carry them in an inside pocket. Leave IDs and credit cards that you don’t need at home. It will safe you some trouble.

Pickpockets usually have clever tactics. Knowing these makes you more careful in certain situations. Pickpockets often work together so be aware of groups surrounding and jostling you. Distraction is a common tactic – someone spills a drink over you, apologises and steals your property.

Following these tips should prevent you from some trouble. But don’t panic or become paranoid – don’t let it prevent you from enjoying life and an amazing city like London.