Hotel room security check
byHow to do a hotel room security check ob and I sleep more nights in hotels than in our own home and, to date,…
Thieves
Bambi’s bag snatch
byas it instinct or anger that made Bob chase my bag snatcher? He rocketed down the street brandishing the famous umbrella weapon that was…
Pirañas: Pickpockets in Lima, Peru
byA dozen boys swarmed around Gary Ferrari in front of the Sheraton Hotel in Lima. At least it seemed like a dozen—they’d appeared out…
Pickpocket statistics
byYou want pickpocket statistics? How prevalent is pickpocketing? How many thefts occur in one day in New York, or Rome, or St. Petersburg, Russia?…
Lobby luggage theft
byPurses and backpacks go missing at the worst times. Like, when they’re filled with cash, passports, cameras, medications, travel documents, and laptops. Like, when…
Hotel lobby luggage theft #2
byThe scene: a hotel lobby, late morning. Guests sit with their luggage, waiting for rides. Some are waiting to check in. A man walks…
Theft in South Africa
bySouth Africa—It was somewhat of a shock to find nothing but white lines on asphalt in the place we knew we left a van….
Shoulder-surfing credit-card thief—part 2
byBob had just made contact with the shoulder-surfing thief… Pirouetting, I went to find Kun Chang, our film director, who’d been with us all…
Shoulder-surfing credit-card thief
byWe started early at Gare de Lyon in Paris, on the hunt for a particular thief. He’s known for a specific M.O., and for…
Will the Pickpocket keep his appointment?
byAfter such a successful meeting with Pierre the part-time-Parisian-pickpocket, our filmmaker, Kun Chang, was full of confidence. He booked a soundman and assistant for…
“Pickpocket from Paris since 13 year old”
by“Dear Bob, My name is Pierre. I’m 33 years old and I have worked as a pickpocket in Paris since the age of 13.”…
Stolen purse leads to worse
byMs. Shopper’s in the store when her kid has to pee. While she’s helping the little one, her purse is stolen from the store…
How to steal a Rolex off a driver’s wrist
byWhen we interviewed Luciano in Naples, Italy, our translator, a Napolitano, explained how Rolexes are stolen off the wrists of drivers in the summer….
Hotel lobby luggage theft
byo thanks, I’ll carry that bag myself,” Marianne Crossley said to the porter as she stepped out of the London black cab, “it’s too…
Pickpocket justice
byRAILWAY RAJ With a firm grip on the patient’s big toe, the hospital orderly entered the police inspector’s office. He carried the full weight…
Street crime in Mumbai
byWhile pickpocketing and bag snatching are said to be fairly common in Mumbai, Bob and I feel a visitor is less likely to become…
Gas pump skimmers attached in 11 seconds
byBreaking news from Las Vegas Metro’s Kim Thomas, the fraud cop featured in my story on credit card skimmers hidden in gas pumps. Detective…
More airport luggage theft
byImagine the post office delivering your mail to a big open heap, mixed with the envelopes and boxes of 300 strangers. The honor-based system…
Confronting muggers in Panama
byou look like a million dallahs,” the mugger leers at Bob Arno, his gold teeth glinting in the Panamanian sun. The dozen or so…
Theft on planes
byTheft on Planes All this hearsay, lately, about pickpockets and theft on planes. Even a celebrity-son helped himself to sleeping passengers’ valuables. Pickpockets are…
Pickpockets in Durban, South Africa
by“We do what you do,” Bob told the poker-faced pickpocket. “Same job.” Looking at his blank expression, it wasn’t clear that he understood. Perhaps…
How to smuggle diamonds
byIntelligence was leaked: stolen diamonds were to be smuggled out of the country in the cast of a man with a broken limb. The…
Phone phishing
byIf you read this blog, you’re probably already security-conscious. But this reminder is worth repeating. Don’t trust anyone. Sorry. It’s a shame that’s what…
Mugged in Mumbai—and an unexpected Karmic twist
by“I WANT,” is the driving force behind mugging: need and greed. But these muggers in India also had intangible desires that compelled them to…
Hotel room safe thefts
byHow safe is the safe in your hotel room? Not safe at all, it turns out, unless you factor in the odds. Odds are,…
Beware hotel phone scam
byHeads up, travelers. Beware the clever new scam happening in hotels now. In order to thwart it, proactive properties are placing notes like this…
“How I mug,” as told by two muggers in Panama
by“The mere mention of Colon sends shivers down the spines of travelers and Panamanians…” —Lonely Planet on Colon, Panama After the brutal armed robbery…
Street crime in Stockholm
byBeware, pickpockets are working here. That’s the first thing an international visitor sees when entering Sweden at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Face level signs are…
Street Crime in Nassau, Bahamas
byWondering about street crime in Nassau, Bahamas? First we witness a tourist robbery, then meet another tourist just robbed at gunpoint. We’re standing on…
Barcelona pickpocket statistics: 6,000 thefts per day on visitors
byBarcelona pickpocket statistics Barcelona visitors experienced 6,000 thefts per day during 2009’s tourist season. 115,055 pickpocketings and bag snatches in Barcelona were reported in…