Pickpocket beggars

Pickpocket Gamila, in Barcelona
Pickpocket beggars: Gamila
Pickpocket Gamila

On the heels of the Louvre pickpocket debacle, here’s a profile of two exuberant Roma women pickpocket beggars who tell us how they do it, who their favorite victims are, and why. They also told us how they accomplish a quick-change on the run after a theft: “I take out my ponytail,” Gemila said, “and put on lipstick.”

In Chapter One of my book, I describe how Maritza and Ravenna, children in Rome, pretend to beg under a sheet of newspaper. In Barcelona, Nezira and Gamila carry big slabs of cardboard, roughly torn from a carton. On it, scrawled in Spanish, is “No work. No money. No eat. Thank you for some money.”

The women, 31 and 28 years old, shove the cardboard horizontally into the waist area of their target and look up with enormous eyes. Under the cardboard their nimble fingers open fanny packs and rummage through pockets, unseen by their owners.

“These two are this city’s most prolific pickpocket pair,” Police officer Giorgio Pontetti told us when he sat in on our interview of them.

How is one to know desperation from deception, mendicants from impostors? One begs to eat, another begs to steal. The impostors, those who steal under the pretense of begging, can be found all across southern Europe. Some attempt to tug at heartstrings with scribbled claims of being refugees, and perhaps they are. Others have given up pretenses altogether, keeping the cardboard but omitting the written request for money. For them, any prop will do: a map, a section of old newspaper, an infant.

Yes, even an infant. A sleepy baby in a sling on the chest well communicates hunger and need. And if the woman with the baby comes close enough, the baby will act as a shield for her hands. It’s not uncommon for these babies to be in the midst of nursing at their mothers’ bare breast: all the more distracting to the victim. Irreverent? Perhaps. Deceitful? Absolutely.

Finally, it is frequently claimed that these women will sometimes toss their babies at their victims, which distracts the victims to an extreme and occupies their hands at the same time. Although we’ve heard it said many times, we cannot substantiate the assertion.

Pickpocket beggars

Beggar-thieves Nezira and Gamila had it all figured out. They had plopped their slender bodies into childlike positions on the ground, cross-legged, and dropped their jackets into a heap beside them. They were both pretty, with long dark hair and teenage faces. They squirmed restlessly, fidgeted, and repeatedly glanced up to Officer Pontetti for encouragement and approval.

Bob Arno interviews pickpocket beggars Nazira (left) and Gamila
Bob Arno interviews Nazira (left) and Gamila

“I go up to people,” Gamila explained. “If they say go away because they know I am going to steal from them, we just go away.” She shook her bangs out of her eyes. “But if they seem to be innocent, then I will go for them. They have no idea that I’m a bad person and want to steal money.”

Pickpocket beggars: Gemila
Gemila

Gamila grinned, hideously transforming her pretty face into a week-old jack-o’lantern’s as she revealed her rotten teeth. She lit a cigarette.

“Japanese are hardest to steal from because they always throw up their hands and step aside,” Nezira said. “They don’t want to have anything to do with us, so it’s hard to get close. They don’t want to get involved.”

Pickpocket beggars Nezira and Gamila
Pickpockets Nezira and Gamila

“Germans are so-so. Americans are difficult, but they have so many dollars!” Gamila laughed with embarrassment at her own daring, dipped her head, and looked at Nezira. Nezira giggled, then both fell apart, as if they couldn’t maintain seriousness for more than a few minutes at a time.

Pickpocket beggars: Gamila demonstrates her cardboard pickpocket method.
Gamila demonstrates her cardboard pickpocket method

They’re serious on the job, though. Bob used a lipstick camera which, as its name implies is the size of a lipstick, to film a similar duo. We put money-sized cut paper into an envelope, put the envelope in a fanny pack, and zipped the pouch closed. Bob wore it. Soon enough, a pair of women approached us making kissing faces, an odd combination of worried eyebrows, pursed lips, and pleading eyes. One’s cupped, begging hand steadied the cardboard balanced on her other arm. Bob held his little wide-angle lens at hip height. Under the cardboard, the film showed, the beggar-thief opened the fanny pack, removed the envelope, and closed the zipper. With a final mimed kiss and the envelope hidden beneath their cardboard, the pair wandered away.

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief. Was this M.O. used in the mid-1700s when the Mother Goose rhyme was written? Perhaps it was originally “beggar man-thief.”

When the two women saw us again half an hour later, they gave us the finger.

Excerpt from Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams
Chapter Five: Rip Offs: Introducing…The Opportunist

© Copyright 2008-2013 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

Child phone thieves answer questions

Phone thieves: Florin & Friend
13-year-old phone thief
13-year-old phone thief

Florin and his 13-year-old pal emphasize that they are not pickpockets—they are phone thieves. They steal phones from tabletops, not from people. The distinction may be moot if you were the owner of a phone stolen by Florin & Friend.

Even with a monstrous TV camera aimed at them inches away, the boys spoke openly about their work. Florin even donned a fluffy microphone. As the team’s elder at about 20, he was its tongue-tied spokesman, frustrated by foreign language difficulties. He and the kid spoke Romanian, the kid and Bob spoke in rudimentary French.

We found them on La Rambla again, one month after our first conversation with them. Look closely at their photos. Do these children look suspicious? Would you be concerned about their nearness to you? If you don’t recognize the silent languages of thieves, you’d find them disarming.

Message to readers: Do not leave your smartphone on cafe tables, even while you’re sitting right there.

We’d first spotted Florin, the kid, and another youngster outside a cafe in Barcelona in July. Quick on the draw, I caught them on video as they attempted to steal iPhones from cafe tables, right under the noses of the phone-owners. I’ve already described how Florin & Friends steal smartphones. Like magicians, they practice a refined version of the Postcard Trick.

Returning to Barcelona with a German TV crew (from RTL Punkt 12) in August, we found the boys still at large and at work (no surprise). Having watched Bob Arno on YouTube in the interim, they agreed readily to speak on television. They’re at ease on camera, even eager; yet… naive, as if unaware they’ll be broadcast across the land. Florin ignored the camera, while the kid looked right into it like a professional PR rep pitching viable career options. They showed no discomfort; they did not mug for the camera. Pretty much, they ignored it. Question: How could we fail to ask why they admitted to being thieves on TV.

Florin the phone thief
Florin the phone thief

“I am not pickpocket.” Florin stressed that he doesn’t know a thing about pickpocketing, only about stealing phones from tables. We believed him.

Unfolding paper notes from their back pockets, both boys demonstrated a variety of finger techniques for the under-the-cover grip. Unlike most other thieves we’ve interviewed, neither of these was the slightest concerned about demonstrating thievery moves in public. Must be their youth and inexperience. Perhaps they haven’t yet been in jail. Question: why did we fail to ask if they’d ever been arrested or jailed?

The kids were unhurried and, although they did not appear to be nervous, both were childishly fidgety. Florin frequently scrubbed his face with his palms in frustration, partly understanding our questions in English but unable to respond without his pal’s French translations.

The youngster, all pimply and peachfuzz, lifted his shirt to air his flat belly, his hands flittering around his middle. I take this handsome dusky boy with his sweet smile as a Roma; but not Florin. We don’t often see mixed gangs. Question: why didn’t we ask?

Bob Arno: How many phones do you steal in a day?

Florin: Maybe two, three, four. Sometimes five, sometimes none.

BA: Where do you sell them? Do you have a fence?

F: No, I sell directly to buyers.

BA: What do you get for a phone?

F: 100 to 300 euros, depending on the model. Average €200, older ones €100.

BA: How long have you been in Barcelona?

F: Only six months, but I’ve been in Spain for five years.

BA: Do you think you might try working in France or Germany?

F: Not France, because other groups are already in control there. Not Germany, the police there are too tough. We are afraid of the German police. The police here are no problem.

BA: How many people in Barcelona are expert at this method of stealing phones from tables?

F: One thousand. [The two boys concur.]

BA: How many are from Romania?

F: About one hundred who steal, not just phones from tables. Pickpockets, too.

Despite the midsummer heat, the boys hung on each others shoulders. The affectionate child kept a hand on Florin’s shoulder whenever possible, habitually rubbing his own stomach in an unconscious manner, as if petting a puppy.

So many unanswered (unasked) questions! The impromptu interview is rarely perfect. Complicated by a multitude of factors, we’re usually content, if not triumphant, with what we get. We deal with criminals in our line of work: skittish, cagey, angry, fearful—we never know. To enable any conversation at all, we must firstly make our subjects comfortable. There is tension: while they suss us out, while we figure out our best tactic. One wrong move, one wrong question, and the subject walks. Like Zelig, we tailor our temper and pick a posture commensurate with our quarry. Later we regret, then accept our omissions.

Florin & Friend
Florin & Friend

At the end of the long interview and exchange of demonstrations, after handshakes and multilingual goodbyes, the boys crossed into the center of La Rambla. With the camera zooming to follow them from a distance, the young crooks disappeared into the unsuspecting tourist crowd. Our kind of thiefhunting means you catch ’em, and you throw ’em back in.

The TV camera shooting this interview.
The TV camera shooting this interview.

© Copyright 2008-2012 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

Bob Arno pickpocketed in Bali—video

What kind of monkey business is going on when the thief rejects cash and throws bills taken from the pocket onto the ground? Watch the video!

The backstory: a monkey in Bali, Indonesia, attacked Bob, unprovoked. It leapt onto Bob’s leg and dug though his pants pocket. Finding only a crumpled tissue, which it threw to the ground, it scampered up onto Bob’s shoulder and began rifling his shoulder bag.

That gave us an idea. We thought about what pickpockets around the world have told us: they look for “the print of the money.” That is, how the shape of a wallet or credit card shows itself through the pocket fabric, how a jacket hangs heavier on one side when there’s a fat wallet in one pocket, how a pocket bulges.

So we returned to the monkeys with five bananas. We put a banana in Bob’s pocket with cash on top. A monkey spotted “the print of the goodies” immediately and went for it, tossing the cash to the ground, digging out the banana, then sitting down a safe distance away for a gobbled feast.

We repeated this four more times in different areas, and each monkey’s behavior was the same. One almost tore Bob’s pants. Another bit through the fabric in its haste.

Bob’s pockets have hosted many thieves’ hands. As thiefhunters looking for pickpockets we use the exact same technique. We place the bait deep in a pocket—tempting, but not too obvious or easy to get. Then we stroll among thieves with antennas up, nerve-endings fine-tuned, and cameras rolling.

© Copyright 2008-2012 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

Smartphone theft: thieves are magicians

Bob Arno in Barcelona with two of the three "table-top boys."

Smartphone theft

Smartphone theft: Cafe solo in Barcelona

Smartphone theft is out of control. Phones are flying off cafe tables right under the noses of their owners. The thieves are nonchalant and diabolical, and I’m going to show you how the steal is done. The perps we just filmed practiced a refined version of the pickpocket’s postcard trick. For cover, they used just a flimsy sheet of paper with an illegible scrawl on it—and they did it one-handed.

Smartphone theft: Cava La Universal in Barcelona
Cava La Universal

Bob and I had paused for coffee at a Barcelona cafe. We had just left the Norwegian victims at the police station, along with all the other stolen-iPhone and other smartphone theft victims who wouldn’t be allowed to file a police report. Revived, we paid and got up to leave.

Bob immediately spotted three boys hovering on the perimeter of the cafe. They did not have any pickpocket’s “tools,” like a jacket, cardboard sheet, newspaper, messenger bag, or even a hat. It’s hard to say what made us suspect these boys out of the hundreds of people in the vicinity. We had not been observing them. We simply saw them as suspects immediately. Just experience, I guess.

Smartphone theft: Danger! Do not leave your smart phone on a cafe table.
Danger! Do not leave your smart phone on a cafe table.

Bob spotted them and said “my nine o’clock.” I looked to his left just as they sprang into action. I got my video running in the nick of time. Two of the boys headed for the cafe, each extracting a sheet of paper from under their shirts as they walked. I focused on one of the boys and got right behind him, camera extended blatantly.

He walked up to a table where a tourist couple was relaxing with drinks and, with his left hand only, held his piece of paper over the iPhone sitting in front of them. I could see his fingers under the paper trying to grasp the phone. So did the smartphone theft almost-victim—or rather, he noticed the phone move a bit. He heard it, too, as one end was briefly lifted and slipped back onto the table. He reached for it. The young pickpocket, unperturbed, moved to another table as if to try again, but then reversed and left the cafe.

Smartphone theft: The young pickpocket tries to nab the phone one-handed under his paper. (Frame grab from video.)
The young pickpocket tries to nab the phone one-handed under his paper. (Frame grab from video.)

How is it possible to hold a piece of paper with one hand and sneakily snag a phone (or a wallet) with the same hand? We didn’t get it until we watched our video later.

The video also showed that the oldest boy, about 20 with unshaven peach fuzz, had sent in the two youngsters, who worked on adjacent tables almost simultaneously. Both failed in this instance.

Smartphone theft: Both thieves have just tried and failed to steal iPhones at adjacent cafe tables.
Both thieves have just tried and failed to steal iPhones at adjacent cafe tables.

Smartphone theft: three phone thieves

The boys left the cafe and rejoined their friend. As they sauntered away, we were right there with them, demanding they speak with us. In a combination of French and English, they told us they’re Romanian. The two younger boys, pimply and beardless, were 14-16. The youngest-looking claimed to be 15. The oldest of the three, clearly the “controller” of the gang, was pierced and tattooed, the inside of his left wrist proclaiming “Born to kill.”

Surprisingly, the killer provided his email address and posed for a photo with the youngster. The other boy backed away from the pose.

Smartphone theft: Bob Arno in Barcelona with two of the three "table-top boys."
Bob Arno in Barcelona with two of the three “table-top boys.”

We left the three boys and went back to the cafe. The smartphone theft almost-victims were still there, still relaxed, as if they were almost ripped off every day. Bob and I introduced ourselves and asked them what they’d seen. They had focused on the note, “something about money and eat,” the Belgian man said, “and he kept pointing to the word gracias.”

Aha! The almost-victims had seen something subtle which we couldn’t see from behind—a gesture so casually performed they hadn’t thought anything of it. What they described was a trick worthy of a world-class magician. Masterful misdirection.

Bob and I are impressed by the devilish simplicity of the one-handed technique. Although we watched the boys fail, with practice these teenagers will turn a blithe deception into a powerful thievery tool.

Dear Readers: do not leave your valuables on cafe table tops! Now you see it—now you don’t. These thieves are magicians.

Smartphone theft: The sunburned almost-victims tell us how they they thwarted the theft of their iPhone.
The sunburned almost-victims tell us how they they thwarted the theft of their iPhone.

Read about Born-to-kill when we found him one month later and when he answers our questions.

© Copyright 2008-2012 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

Bob Arno’s take:

Smartphone theft: Bob Arno
Bob Arno

I have over fifty years’ experience watching magicians, mentalists, con artists, thieves, and financial criminals executing their ruses to fool, bamboozle, or divert attention from reality. Yes, I’m blasé when it comes to deceptive moves, be they performed by skillful politicians or close-up magicians at the Magic Castle.

But occasionally even I get taken in. In the case of the one-handed smartphone theft in Barcelona, which must be attempted hundreds of times a day, I could not immediately figure out the exact moves of the young Romanian pickpocket (whom we filmed in action), even though I replayed the video of his attempt over and over. Granted, the seven seconds of footage was from behind and wide-angle, and all the finer details were lost. It infuriated me that I couldn’t see or figure out the “tipping point” of the exercise.

Even replaying the interview with the mark didn’t shed light on the dexterity of the thieves, or their technique, until I played close attention to a small detail of the mark’s re-enactment of the thief’s approach, and the positions of his hands. It suddenly hit me—WOW—how simple; and yet how effective. And how absolutely insignificant the gesture would be to any victim sitting at a table sipping coffee with a smartphone (or wallet) on the table.

Yet, without that two-second move, the one-handed steal could never be perfected. These young, unsophisticated thieves, through practice, have accomplished a sort of fluid elegance that they repeat day after day, hour in hour out. It wreaks havoc on the celebrated Barcelona charm visitors experience as they people-watch over a drink or a coffee on La Rambla.

And no, we will not reveal the actual move! It would spread among all thieves who read our stories like weeds in a strawberry patch.

All text © copyright 2000-2013. All rights reserved. Bob Arno

Bob Arno on pattern recognition in thievery

When gearing up for a heist, thieves try to look relaxed and natural, but fail. In this, they send signals that trained security personnel can pick up. Still, business travelers are targeted by “breakfast thieves” in hotel lobbies and buffet areas.

Hear more on risk management in Bob Arno’s interview on Israeli Radio’s Goldstein on Gelt:

© Copyright 2008-2012 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

A Conversation With Street Crime Expert Bob Arno

Street crime expert Bob Arno

Don’t Lose Your Wallet – A Conversation With Street Crime Expert Bob Arno
ChoosyNomad.com

Questions by David Matesanz

Bob Arno
Bob Arno

You originally began your career as a comedian.  How did this progress into becoming one of the most well regarded experts in pickpocketing and street scams?

Traveling the globe with my comedy pickpocket show gives me the rare opportunity to be everywhere. Sync that luck with my lifelong fascination with thieves and con artists, my interest in filmmaking, and my six-foot-five lamppost build, and you’ve got a globetrotting crime-sleuth who doesn’t look like a cop and has better video equipment. My wife/partner and I put ourselves near the thieves and, when they steal our (empty) wallet, we don’t get mad—we start asking questions. And because I do legally what they do as criminals, I can talk the talk and share techniques.

What sort of research have you done into pickpockets and the habits of street criminals?

From the thieves themselves we learn their methods and motivations. We film them without their knowledge, then we interview them and hear their braggadocio and their sob stories. We talk to tourist police and fraud cops to learn why it’s so hard to make a dent in this crime, and victims to learn the many variations on the methods. By far our most important research is done on the streets in crowded tourist destinations.

Besides the obvious crowded tourist areas, what are some of the overlooked spots where travelers are at risk of being stolen from?

Cafés and restaurants, where bags are apt to be stolen; hotel lobbies, where you have a false sense of security; public transportation; special events, like concerts and big sports games; and anyplace where there’s a lot of drinking.

What are some of the sneakiest pickpocket moves that you have seen?

The sneakiest play on our innate tendencies to trust and be nice. We trust the guy who kindly points out pigeon poop on our back and offers to clean it off (while he cleans us out). We’re nice to the woman who asks for help with directions, unaware that she’s opening our fanny-pack under her map.

Do pickpocketing techniques vary by region? Are there techniques you are more likely to see when traveling to particular area?

Absolutely. There’s a fake soccer move that’s common in Barcelona, and purse-slicing in St. Petersburg, Russia. Necklace-snatching is common all over South America. iPhone grabbing is big on trains, just before the doors close. Naples, Italy, is famous for its scooter-riding bandits, who snag purses on the move. And there’s lots more…

You are very good at describing clever pickpocketing techniques. What is the single best thing a traveler can to do avoid being robbed?

Stow her stuff safely before going out. I want to list a few more things, but you said “single.” Let me just clarify safe-stowing to primarily mean the use of some type of under-clothes pouch.

Istanbul pickpocket goes for a vulnerable purse.
Istanbul pickpocket goes for a vulnerable purse.

You say that 90% of street thefts are of women.  What can women in particular do to avoid being stolen from?

I doubt if I said 90%. Sounds like a misquote. But women are more often victims, simply because they carry purses, and purses don’t have nerve-endings. Women need to guard their handbags. Keep them closed, and in front of their bodies, not hanging behind. Don’t hang them on the back of a café chair, leave them on the floor or in a shopping cart, or on a bench in a shoe shop.

Do you have some tips for blending in and avoiding sticking out as a walking target?

You can’t help looking like a tourist, but dress down. You hear it over and over, but no one explains why. If you’re wearing a Rolex or diamond earrings—even if they’re fakes—you look rich. You look like you have a purse or wallet worth stealing. You’re worth following, and you’re eventually going to present an opportunity, or the thief will create an opportunity by manipulating you. Don’t send signals to the thieves who may be lurking that you’re worth their effort.

A pickpocket in Lisbon dips into a back pocket.
A pickpocket in Lisbon dips into a back pocket.

You advise against money clips. Should men carry wallets when traveling?

For men venturing into unfamiliar territory, it’s better to carry the big bucks and credit cards in a pouch that hangs from your belt inside your trousers. Keep small money in a pocket for coffee, taxi, souvenirs. Carry minimal cash and rely on credit cards whenever possible.

What other steps, before going out, can travelers take to minimize their risk ?

Read my book, Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams. One tip from the book: photocopy the front and back of your credit cards, and leave the copy in the hotel along with another credit card, so if you are pickpocketed, you have an easy source of funds and the phone numbers on the backs of the cards so you can cancel the accounts. Better yet, scan those credit cards and the first page of your passport, and email it to yourself so you can access the copies from any internet point.

If you’ve just realized that your wallet has been stolen, what should you do?

Shout out. If the thief is still close, he or she may drop it on the ground. There may also be an undercover cop nearby. Or a fast-acting bystander.

In the event that you’re directly confronted by a criminal who might be carrying a weapon, do you have any advice on avoiding injury and minimizing your loses?

You don’t know if he’s high on drugs, desperate, or if he has pals around the corner. Give up your property. Appease the mugger so he’ll go away.

Bob Arno is both a comedy stage pickpocket and a criminologist who specializes in street crime against travelers. His presentations combine the tragedy and comedy of pickpocketing. His blog, Thiefhunters in Paradise, is about street thievery around the world. His website is www.bobarno.com

© Copyright 2008-2012 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

Framed and accused of theft

Toshiba Ultrabook security guardIn what could be called a social experiment, it is proven that a man in a police-like uniform has great power and ordinary citizens are easily bamboozled into idiotic obedience. When the intent is robbery, pseudo-cops usually rely on flashing a fake badge; compliant victims then hand over their wallets.

In the following cases, “pseudo-cops” detain and accuse innocent passersby of theft. Watch the accused squirm under interrogation and threats; remarkably, they never question the legitimacy of the uniformed authority.

Bob Arno, preeminent pickpocket, was asked to help make a commercial for Toshiba and Intel. The idea was to slip the company’s new laptop into the bags of unsuspecting people as they strolled through Culver City, California. The laptop, called “UltraBook,” is so thin and light, the company believed that no one would even notice.

Preposterous! It turned out to be a challenging assignment.

Ben Seidman and Bob Arno
Ben Seidman and Bob Arno

Bob roped in the talented and adorable magician Ben Seidman and together, the two deceivers rehearsed the teamwork and choreography necessary to “put-pocket” the computer.

Now, a computer, no matter how light, is a noticeable weight factor when added to a tote someone is carrying. And it is of a size that is difficult to slip in, between straps, handles, zippers, and buckles. It took some doing to distract the victim and mask the PLUNK! of the extra weight dropping in.

In practice, the two sneaks were more than successful. After brief, seemingly innocent encounters, more than a dozen unsuspecting victims wandered the streets unknowingly toting a Toshiba UltraBook.

Our security guard accuses a victim. The cleaning cart holds a mobile hidden camera, one of many on the set.

Each victim was then questioned by a “security guard” about a laptop which had supposedly been reported stolen. After a polite request to search the victim’s bag, the shocking discovery of the “stolen” laptop, and the victim’s protestations of innocence, the pseudo-cop became rude, belligerent, and provocative.

“For a criminal, you’ve got excellent taste,” the security guard said while admiring the laptop.

“You’re going to jail, missy!” the bad cop threatened one poor victim.

“Your fingerprints are all over it,” the guard told another victim after making him feel the weight of the laptop.

“But you told me to hold it!” the vic protested.

“We have no record of that,” the guard said.

To victim Claudia the guard says “You have great taste in stealing products.”

“Thank you,” Claudia replies, stunned almost speechless.

“What else do you have that’s stolen?” the guard demands.

Toshiba Ultrabook victim Ryan
Ryan denies the theft of a Toshiba Ultrabook

One victim broke down and cried. Another ran away. One accused the guard of racial profiling. But most stood in compliant disbelief.

The video series is a fantastic study of human behavior. It’s amazing to see how obedient people are when ordered around by an actor in a bad uniform. They’re blinded by authority. Most victims obeyed even his most ridiculous commands.

Watch Claudia’s frightened confusion:

Check out Ryan’s reaction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l5-ul-Z0kA

See Tiffany’s disbelief:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV_nCLykZ_w

Here’s a montage of many victims:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoGYjtCo350

And meet the pickpockets who did the job:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D49VH2Fav_4

The video ads were directed by Michael Addis and Jamie Kennedy. Though the experience was briefly brutal and sometimes frightening to the victims, comic relief was brought into each scene at the last minute, and some of the victims were rewarded with the gift of a laptop.

In the real world, thieves take advantage of our engrained respect for authority when they play pseudo-cop. With nothing more than a fake badge and a flimsy story, they make demands similar to our actor’s: open your bag, let me look inside, give me your wallet, give me your money… etc. We tend not to question them; we are obedient. And only later do we realize our gullibility. The thieves exploit our respect for authority and take advantage of our trust—that’s the CONfidence-building that gives the con artist his title.

© Copyright 2008-2012 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

Bob Arno interview on Huffington Post

Bob Arno with catclaw

Huffington Post picked up an interview of Bob Arno from over on JustLuxe.com a few days ago. Here’s a reprint of the question and answers:

Among women who carry a purse or handbag, which ones are safest? How do you position the strap? What’s the worst mistake you see in how they hold and look after the bag?

Bob Arno: The worst, and the most common mistake, is to hang your handbag on back of the chair, or to tuck the bag behind you on the seat. You think you have physical contact with the bag, but fifteen minutes into the meal you forget! I’ve seen surveillance videos in which a gang of three thieves in a well-established luxury hotel restaurant position themselves strategically around a targeted breakfast table, talking to each other on their cell phones. They wait for the perfect moment when the owner of the bag — the victim — leans forward. At that moment, the controller of the gang gives a small hand signal to the other two to execute their independent moves so that everything is coordinated. One accomplice creates a small diversion in front of the table, and the other observes the restaurant staff, to be sure nobody pays attention to the incident. The thief unrolls a soft jacket from his fanny-pack and drapes it over his arm, allowing the fabric to come down over the victim’s handbag. He scoops up the bag under the cover of the nylon jacket. They then immediately leave the restaurant. Coffee shops (such as Starbucks and their competitors) are extremely popular venues for thieves who practice bag stealing.

Conclusion: You must have your purse in front of you and keep physical contact when traveling. If it is a purse with long strap, wear it in front of your body when you are in a vulnerable location or environment.

What’s the safest place for a man to carry his wallet?

BA: Men should carry their wallets in their tightest pocket. Still, that’s not always safe enough. For added security, men might try one of four kinds of under-clothes pouches which are comfortable and functional for easy access, but which make it almost impossible for thieves to steal from.

    1. A pouch that hangs from a string around your neck and is worn under your shirt.

    2. A pouch that hangs from your belt by a loop and is worn inside your pants.

    3. Ankle-holsters in various designs and levels of sophistication.

    4. Underclothing with built-in pockets for valuables. One new product is called Stashitware. Another line is made by Clever Travel Companion.

What’s the best way to respond to aggressive panhandlers, who may or may not be pickpockets?

BA: We’re programmed to be polite to strangers who approach us, even in unfamiliar cities. It’s hard to be cynical or always suspicious. But it’s wise to question the motivation behind an encounter, regardless of how friendly the stranger appears to be. Scammers want to lull you into a false sense of security and then spring the “rope-in” move. I like to prescribe a dose of cynicism, though it’s not to everyone’s taste. In any case, aggression should not be rewarded with a handout. Step aside. Disengage.

Further to that, do gypsies actually exist? Where are they a threat?

BA: In terms of stealing and pickpocketing, they do represent a threat. But they are not always attempting to pickpocket when they simply beg. Young female pickpockets in Europe, age 13-18, often originate from East Europe and belong indirectly to gangs, controlled by organized crime bosses. These bosses travel across East European cities and “lease” young girls from their parents with promises of lofty employment in the service sector in Western Europe. They are then “processed” or tutored in various techniques of pickpocketing. Finally, after the “schooling” they are sent to cities like Paris or London, where they’re chaperoned daily by their controllers at lucrative “theft” locations, such as busy public transportation stations, maybe underground Metros or popular music festivals. These criminals are not violent and are more a nuisance than a serious threat, yet one has to have one’s guard up against them. They’re especially prevalent in the big cities of Western Europe and the United Kingdom.

What should one watch out for in a crowded market or bazaar?

BA: It’s always hard for law enforcement to patrol and observe everything that goes on in a big market. And the thieves are good at spotting undercover police officers. The good thing is that the merchants in popular markets and bazaars have their own security who alert shop owners about lurking pickpockets.

There are many exotic and bustling markets, for example the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, which appear threatening, but which are in fact extremely safe. Perception can be wrong in either direction. Without listing every exciting bazaar around the world and ranking its safety, lets just say that common sense should rule. Don’t carry more cash than you are prepared to lose. Use those under-clothes pouches. Keep your purse or backpack in front of you (or leave it in the hotel). Markets, generally speaking, accept cash but not always credit cards, although even that is changing now with the abundance of new small portable wireless terminals.

What’s the best way to look after cameras, iPhones and other devices popular with petty thieves?

BA: A smart phone can easily be grabbed off your outdoor café table, with the culprit running (faster than you). I have never met a pickpocket who isn’t using a cell phone he or she previously stole from someone. Have a wide sturdy strap on your camera which is not easy to yank loose. Be sure it has strong clips at the end of the strap. For extreme situations, buy a camera case that actually has an opening in the bottom where the lens points down towards the opening. In other words, wear your equipment in disguised bags which do not have brand name logos on them, but rather something that will throw the thief off his target scent.

Important: Never fight a mugger! Cameras can be replaced, but getting a sharp object shoved into your body is not a good exchange. You cannot predict the behavior of a mugger. Pickpockets on the other hand are not prone to violence.

Please discuss hazards of public transportation.

BA: Public transport is by far the most common locale for pickpocketing. Especially during the moment you enter the tram/car/bus — or depart (at the door). The busier the Metro or the bus is, the higher the risk. Real professional teams travel in groups of three and create their own choke-points or blocking scenarios. Understanding that a large percentage of pickpocket thefts happen on or at public transportation should be enough to cause you to plan carefully and be on guard if the train or tram is crowded. It’s the physical jostling which needs to be avoided. But it’s also extremely easy to avoid the threat with a few obvious counter-moves. Just clasp your handbag solidly in front of you when entering; men can hold onto their wallets.

What are the biggest risks in using an ATM in an unfamiliar location?

BA: There are two threats tied to ATMs. One is the “skimmer,” a small device overlaying the mouth of the ATM (where you push in the bank or credit card). Skimmers can usually be spotted if one looks carefully at the ATM. If you recognize such a device, walk away and alert proper security personnel. Some skimmers are internal, and can’t be seen at all.

Two, and more ingenious, are “shoulder surfers.” They lurk near the ATMs and watch the PIN code used at the machine. When they get a PIN code, they watch where the credit card is put, then follow that person around, waiting for a good moment to steal the credit card.

Always shield your PIN as you enter it. Watch for lurkers, and use a different ATM if you’re suspicious of bystanders or the machine itself. If your card is “eaten” by the machine, try to cancel out of the transaction, even if you have to abandon your card. Do not accept help from a stranger in this situation.
— — — —

Lena Katz wrote the questions.

© Copyright 2008-2012 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

TV studios today

On the set of Access Hollywood
On the set of Access Hollywood

We did a lot of television these past few weeks, and I’m struck by the differences in studios and the effects on the interviews. The Access Hollywood studio in Burbank was full of bustling people: producers, hosts, camera operators, gaffers, powder-puffers, etc. The atmosphere was lively, jokey, fun, and efficient. Among the crew, there were winks, high-fives, and laughs, though within a sense of electric urgency: let’s get this done, but have a good time doing it.

On the set of Access Hollywood with hosts Kit Hoover and Billy Bush.
On the set of Access Hollywood with hosts Kit Hoover and Billy Bush.
KCAL's human-free newscast studio.
KCAL's human-free newscast studio.

Contrast that with KCAL’s Studio City set at KCBS. The huge set was dark and completely empty of humans, except for the two hosts. Acres of polished cement were trod only by electronic cameras, which glided silently, each trailing a thick tail of bound cords. The atmosphere was…dead. The interview was humdrum. Uninspired. Perhaps there was a party going on in the control room, I don’t know.

NBC Nonstop L.A. with Colleen Williams
NBC Nonstop L.A. with Colleen Williams

Same went for the KNBC Studio. Robotic cameras clicked and whirred in the darkness, rolling across the floor, rising, lowering, like ghost-spys. Their thick yellow umbilicals were, presumably, coiled by flesh-and-blood hands. Lack of human warmth leads to stilted talk, at least with a performer used to working in front of a live audience. The interview with Colleen Williams was interesting and informative, but dry.

Electric Playground's adorable Miri Jedeikin interviews Bob Arno in the street
Electric Playground's adorable Miri Jedeikin interviews Bob Arno in the street

Understandably different were the streetside interviews. Electric Playground’s adorable Miri Jedeikin obviously had a blast interviewing Bob in the heart of Hollywood, and it shows in the finished product.

The Examiner‘s Danielle Turchiano and KABC-TV’s Ric Romero did lively sidewalk interviews in which Bob was able to demonstrate on passersby—always fun and successful.

In two trips to New York City, Bob appeared twice on Fox & Friends and once on The Today Show (which I can’t find online).

Yep, we’ve been busy.

© Copyright 2008-2011 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.

Postcard from Naples

Naples postcard

A postcard from Naples! I recognized the image of the thirteenth century Castel Nuovo right away. It was an old postcard, but lots of things in Naples are old. I turned it over and looked at the signatures. Luciano! One of the pickpockets in our National Geographic documentary! I read the handwriting.

“Dear Bob, Grazie mille for you to come to Napoli. We have very great dinner insieme.”

Great dinner together. It sure was! I was smiling already.

“We all hope you come next year aigain and we have dinner. Molto bene tempe.”

And at the top: “Very great film, Bob”

Wow, the thieves are happy with the film! They’re inviting us back. I was bursting with happiness, and eager to show Bob. This postcard will make his day. His week, even.

I scrutinized the five signatures. Luciano was clear and obvious. Giuseppe, though, who’s that? I don’t remember a Giuseppe. Mario—we know two pickpockets named Mario in Naples, but neither was in our film. Andrea? and what’s that other scribble?

Franco, our favorite thief, had recently emailed us and mentioned that some of his crew had been arrested and thrown in jail. “We both know why,” he’d hinted. Did he mean because they’d made the film? Because they’d flaunted omertà and revealed too much? Bob and I felt guilty. Our intention was not to have the thieves arrested or to otherwise change the course of their lives. Besides, in Naples, everyone knows who the pickpockets are—it’s no secret. They’ve all been arrested numerous times.

Luciano must have been one of those arrested, I surmised. He’s in jail with a bunch of other pickpockets we don’t know by name, but they all saw our film and liked it, and wanted to let us know through Luciano, whom we’ve known since 1998.

They liked it! They’re not mad at us. They don’t feel exploited. They don’t blame us for jail time. They’re inviting us to another festive dinner in a den of thieves!

And they actually went out and found a postcard, dug up our address, bought a stamp, and mailed us a postcard! Bob and I were deeply touched.

[Let me pause here to reiterate what a conflict it is to “like” these criminals. We’re well-aware that their daily business wreaks havoc on their victims. Some victims are scarred for life. They suffer financial loss, sometimes great financial loss, as well as inconvenience. They may lose nonrefundable flights they miss because their passports have to be replaced, they may lose work because they have to extend their stay, they may have to arrange for child care at home, etc. Their vacations are ruined. They depart despising the destination they came to experience. I know. But as we research the methods and motivations of these thieves, we come to know some of them. And some, I have to say, have likable qualities. Their work is despicable, but they themselves often seem to have some redeeming attributes. While we find ourselves “liking” some of these characters, we feel queasy about it on examination. We realize how it comes off, too. We struggle with the contradiction.]

We called Kun, the film’s director, on skype and held up the postcard, front and back. “Wow,” Kun said, “that’s so great. Will you send me a scan?” Kun seemed to feel the postcard was better than film industry praise.

We were telling the world. Anyone who’d followed the adventures of our filmmaking heard about our postcard from the pickpockets. A week after receiving it, we gloated to Bob’s brother in Stockholm.

“Was it signed by Luciano and Giuseppe?” he asked. I saw Bob’s face fall. The self-proclaimed country bumpkin, the infamous practical joker, had gotten us. Bob cracked up. Brother-in-law had snuck off to Italy without telling us, scouted the antique shops of Rome for a Naples postcard, and scribbled the pidgin text. He couldn’t remember all the names of the thieves we’ve spoken of, but one was enough for credibility. We’d eaten it up.

Watch out, brother-in-law. It’s our turn now…

© Copyright 2008-2011 Bambi Vincent. All rights reserved.