Travel scamsTheft
Pickpocket and theft scams
414 reported in 168 countries. How each works and how to avoid it.
- FranceVery commonPickpocketing and distraction theftA thief takes your wallet, phone or other belongings without you noticing. Some work with another person who distracts you. Groups may surround you while someone reaches into a pocket or bag.
- FranceCommonPurse or bag snatchingSomeone grabs your purse or bag and takes it. The theft can involve force.
- FranceCommonMuggingA robber uses threats or force to take your money or belongings. Some incidents can lead to assault.
- SpainVery commonPickpocketing and team distractionsThieves take wallets, phones or passports from pockets and bags. Some work in teams. One person distracts you while another steals. Barcelona has a particular warning about passport theft.Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Granada
- SpainVery commonTheft from rental vehiclesThieves steal luggage and valuables left in rental vehicles. Theft from these vehicles is reported as high.
- SpainCommonMetro boarding distraction theftA group surrounds a tourist as people board. Several people urgently ask for directions while another empties the tourist's pockets. The thieves leave just before the doors close, leaving the victim on the departing train.Barcelona
- SpainCommonBird-dropping clean-up theftSomeone secretly throws or sprays a smelly liquid on you. An accomplice claims a bird caused it and offers to clean you. While you are distracted, they search your pockets or bags.Barcelona
- SpainOccasionalRoadside flat-tyre and fake-helper theftThieves fake or cause a flat tyre to create a roadside stop. They may pretend to need help, or offer help to you, then steal your car or belongings. Rental cars leaving major cities have also been damaged so that tyres fail later in rural areas. These tricks occur beyond Barcelona too.Barcelona
- SpainOccasionalMime, balloon and photo theftPeople dressed as mimes, with white-painted faces, approach tourists with balloons or invite them to take a photo together. They use the interaction to grab belongings.Barcelona
- SpainOccasionalMugging and forceful theftSome thefts involve threats or violence rather than a hidden pickpocketing attempt. Injuries requiring medical care have been reported.Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla
- ItalyCommonPickpockets and distraction teamsThieves take valuables from pockets or bags. They may work in pairs or teams. One person distracts you while another steals. Street vendors or an insistent beggar may act as the distraction.Rome, Naples, Florence, Genoa, Milan
- ItalyOccasionalTicket-machine cash-return theftA supposed helper tells you to use a banknote instead of coins. When the machine returns the note, the helper points you towards the ticket outlet while an accomplice distracts you by begging. The accomplice takes the returned cash.Milan
- ItalyOccasionalPurse and bag snatchingA thief grabs a purse or bag and leaves with it.Florence
- ItalyOccasionalFriendly drunk distractionA thief pretends to be drunk and friendly. Once you relax or become distracted, they snatch your belongings.Florence
- TürkiyeCommonPickpocketing in crowds and on transportA thief takes your wallet, phone or other valuables from a pocket or bag while you are distracted or pressed into a crowd.
- TürkiyeCommonPhone, camera or bag snatchingA thief grabs a visible valuable and escapes. Expensive-looking phones, cameras and full wallets can attract attention.
- TürkiyeCommonMuggingSomeone uses threats or force to take your money or belongings.
- TürkiyeCommonFake argument used as a theft distractionTwo or more people suddenly argue or fight. While you watch, another person steals your valuables. It can happen very quickly.
- TürkiyeOccasionalTheft of belongings left at the beachValuables are left unattended while their owner swims. Someone can take them while nobody is watching.
- MexicoOccasionalPickpocketing in crowds or while surroundedA thief takes cash or valuables while your attention is elsewhere. Some people who surround you while asking for money may use the close contact to pick your pockets. Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City is a particular place to watch your belongings.
- MexicoOccasionalPurse-snatching and spill distractionsThieves work in teams to take bags. One may spill something on you to distract you while another takes your belongings. Purse-snatching is a main form of crime reported against tourists and foreign students in the city, though such crimes are described as infrequent.Guadalajara
- MexicoOccasionalChain-snatchingA thief grabs jewelry from someone outside the venue. Incidents have been reported even when large crowds were present.Mazatlán
- MexicoOccasionalNightlife robberyTipsy visitors can become targets for petty robbery in Cancún. Knife-point robberies have also been reported outside Valentinos Disco in Mazatlán, even when the area is busy.Cancún, Mazatlán
- MexicoOccasionalRobbery on smaller private busesPassengers can be robbed on smaller private buses. These services are described as more prone to robbery than BRT and RTP buses.Mexico City
- United KingdomCommonPhone snatchingThieves snatch phones, often while riding fast-moving mopeds. They may then try to access personal information and banking apps.London
- United KingdomCommonCar theftCars are stolen. Valuables left visible also create a theft risk. Cardiff is described as having a relatively high rate of car theft.Cardiff
- United KingdomOccasionalPickpocketingA thief takes valuables while your attention is elsewhere. Street games, pushy performers and flower sellers can create distractions. Someone may also watch where you keep cash after you pay.London
- United KingdomOccasionalKnifepoint robbery and bicycle theftRobbers threaten people with knives to take belongings, including bicycles. These incidents are described as unlikely in areas most tourists visit.Bristol
- GermanyCommonPickpocketing in crowds and on public transportThieves take belongings from pockets or bags in busy places. Crowds and rush-hour travel make it harder to notice a theft.Berlin, Cologne
- GermanyOccasionalStory-card distraction theftAn adult hands you a card with a story asking for money. While you read it, a child searches through your bags.Berlin
- GermanyOccasionalStreet robberyA robber takes belongings through force or threats. No particular setup is described. Robbery is rare nationally, but the risk is higher in these Berlin areas.Berlin
- GreeceCommonPickpocketing and theft in crowdsThieves take money or belongings from exposed pockets and bags in crowds. Metro doors are a particular concern, especially when a door seems broken or jammed and people bunch together. Theft is also reported in Faliraki, Kavos, Malia and Ios, though no specific method is described there.Athens
- AustriaVery commonBicycle theftThieves steal bicycles left where they can be taken away. Bicycle theft is widespread in bigger cities.
- AustriaCommonPickpocketing and grab-and-run theftThieves take valuables from pockets or bags in crowds. In Vienna, some grab belongings and run as passengers board the U-Bahn.Vienna
- AustriaCommonTheft of jackets and other belongingsPersonal belongings, including jackets, go missing. This kind of petty theft often goes unreported.Vienna
- ThailandCommonMotorbike bag-snatchingPeople on motorbikes snatch bags or exposed valuables. In Ayutthaya, items can be taken from bicycle handlebar baskets at traffic lights. Bag-snatching is described as Chiang Mai's most common tourist-related crime.Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya
Reviewed by @snuck