Beware St. Petersburg Pickpockets
byA classic pickpocket maneuver in St. Petersburg, Russia, choreographed by a team and a spotter. Takes place within the tight confines of a cramped convenience store on Nevsky Prospekt.
A classic pickpocket maneuver in St. Petersburg, Russia, choreographed by a team and a spotter. Takes place within the tight confines of a cramped convenience store on Nevsky Prospekt.
A classic pickpocket team comprises three members. In the video below, watch exactly how they steal a wallet from a backpack, pass it off,…
The famous pigeon poop pickpocket of Barcelona has been spotted in Marbella, Spain. Is he enjoying a working vacation in the southern coastal resort…
“I know you!” the girl said when she turned around and got a glimpse of Bob Arno. He and I had followed the girl…
Asian tourists have been scared away from Paris by the plague of pickpockets who target them. According to Jean-François Zhou, President of the Chinese…
Pickpockets look like tourists, and it’s not by accident. Replete with water bottles, backpacks, camera, baseball caps, these “props” are intended to camouflage the…
The loss of a valuable shoulder bag stolen in Barcelona was devastating to the victim. The bag had been on the floor beside her chair in a…
Anti-theft Rules for Rio How to Protect Yourself from Street Thieves and Muggers “Be more vigilant; be aware of your surroundings,” warn US government…
Did you file a police report when you were pickpocketed? I’ll be grateful for your response to this short survey? It applies to a…
Pickpockets Stole Mobile Phones Who says pickpocketing is a petty crime? A gang of 11 thieves was just sentenced in London. These pickpockets stole…
French and Romanian police have just busted 18 members of an organized crime group in Romania and Paris. The gang, actually part of a…
Bob and I interviewed “Pedro” in Paris a few months ago. We first saw him at a coffee bar inside Gare de Lyon, a…
Similar to the Prague pickpocket teams I’ve written about but even more sophisticated, was a South American gang regularly devastating an intersection on Fifth…
Picking before picking Some pickpockets, Angelo for example, rifle full speed through as many pockets and purses as possible in a tight crowd. That’s…
In my previous post, I offered seven simple rules to save yourself from pickpockets, inspired by my research into the Barcelona pickpocket scene today….
In my previous post, I discussed the tedious and methodical research we do before slamming a city for high numbers in pickpocketing, bag snatching,…
We are often asked which are the worst cities for pickpocketing. It always seems the correspondent or the journalist hopes that we will confirm…
Christine boarded a train in Cologne, Germany, to travel to Frankfurt. Approaching her first class seat, she saw a man in the seat opposite…
Dear Bambi and Bob, July 26th, 2015 was a typical hot summer day in Rome. My family and I decided to visit the Bhorgese…
Venice pickpockets are identified on a poster taped up all over Venice. Take a good look and you’ll realize it’s pretty hopeless to identify…
Pickpocket paradise, but still requires nerve and patience Luciano’s morning hit was tense. He had ridden the trams during what should have been rush-hour,…
The Eiffel Tower was closed due to pickpockets most of Friday. Once again, this so-called “petty crime” has affected tens of thousands. How many…
With over two million views, our 50-minute National Geographic documentary “Pickpocket King” continues to raise questions. Here, Bob Arno addresses the frequently discussed issues…
Fagin—heard of him? An 1837 fiction. Hamidovic—know that name? He’s an actual, living, pickpocket kingpin. Reality. Hamidovic, arrested in late 2010, ran a network…
Ego-stroking sex-based scams target vulnerable loners, or those who appear to be single. In a bar scene or come-on, some people suck up flirtation…
“No, no, I won’t steal from you,” the little boy says. “You’re my brother! Family! Family!” He touches his heart, repeating “family, family.” He…
Pickpocketing in Paris is out of control. Or rather, the pickpockets in Paris are in control. The police arrest them regularly then see the…
Pickpockets are free to steal as usual on London’s Tube and trains, but they’ve lost their biggest buyers of smartphones. British Transport Police nabbed…
The pickpocket pair was plain as day to us. And we were just as obvious to them: tourists—by definition, filthy rich and fair game….
So, we’re standing at a bar near the train station, drinking espresso with pickpockets in Naples (how we got here is described in Part…