Revelations of a Rolex Thief
by“You remember that famous movie, the one shot in Naples?” shouted Officer DC. “In this restaurant they filmed that movie. The whole world knows…
Travel Advisory
An excerpt from the book “Travel Advisory: How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams While Traveling.”
Hotel Front Desk Safe Theft
byHotel front desk safe Natalie is a tour sales manager for one of the major cruise lines. She’s an experienced world traveler and accustomed…
Watch-stealing
byWristwatches are a classic subject of seizure. The problem is not widespread, but concentrated largely in specific locales. Naples, Italy, is only one of…
How pickpockets take advantage of natural distractions
byLONDON—Anthony Powell hovered on the fringes of Princess Diana’s funeral, lifting wallets from the handbags and pockets of devastated mourners. Princess Diana’s funeral! He…
How pickpockets use razor blades
byA Close Shave, or, Honey, There’s a Hole in my Handbag Archil Zantaradze keeps a razor blade in his mouth the way someone else…
A thief at the theater
byOn a trip to London, Diane Breitman went to see the hit musical Mamma Mia at Prince Edward’s Theatre in Soho. She had seat…
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,…
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…
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….
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…
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…
Bad behavior in Cairo
byI’m mortified to remember the time I refused to shake hands with an Egyptian. It’s a sad commentary on the state of the world…
Knock-out gas on overnight trains
byAtul and Smriti Shah experienced it first-hand. “It happened during the night,” they concluded. “The entire compartment was sprayed with some sort of gas…
Theft on overnight trains
byOvernight train travel requires watchfulness. Stations can be seedy. They’re open and available to anyone, with or without tickets. They attract a varied population…
Central and East European Train Crime
byRailway mafia groups fight over territory along the thousands of kilometers of track across Central & Eastern Europe. The most lucrative connections are those…
The flower gift lift—Part 3 of 3
byThe Offer of a Flower is a Foil for Filching Palma de Mallorca, Spain— Bob and I trailed a trio of young women through…
The flower gift lift—Part 2 of 3
byPalma de Mallorca, Spain— Thirty to forty women practice this form of filching every day in Palma. They linger where the tourists are: around…
The flower gift lift
byPickpockets with flowers Palma de Mallorca, Spain— She looks like your grandmother—possibly even your great-grandmother. With a gap-toothed smile, she offers you a single…
Fake police, aka Pseudo-Cops
byIn Bangkok, seemingly corrupt police are extorting large sums from foreign visitors. In South Africa, pseudo-cops are stopping drivers and pedestrians, requesting wallets in…
Traveling with luggage
byI’m sure it sounds obsessive to mention the necessity of onboard watchfulness when you fly. The likelihood of theft while on an aircraft is…
Skimmers for credit card fraud
byA little background, as reference for my next post: A skimmer is a battery-operated device smaller than a deck of cards with a slot…
Nigerian Nightmare
byThe moment Michael Griffith turned his back, his wife let out a bloodcurdling scream. He whipped around to see Nancy jumping up and down,…
Humor in the book business
byIs it humorous, or just pathetic? I got a letter in the mail this week from a literary agent. His letter was dated and…
Purse stolen off lap at restaurant
byShould Have Left it in the Hotel—Gisela and Ludvig Horst checked into their Barcelona hotel and immediately got into an argument. Gisela did not…
Thieves in airports
bySo you’ve made it through security. Does that mean you’re in a secure area? Not secure enough to relax your attention. Thieves have been…
Confessions of an airport thief
byKharem’s Lucky Haul Kharem, a pickpocket in Spain, sometimes chooses Barcelona’s airport over the rich pickings of the city. When Bob and I again…