Bob Arno pickpocketed in Bali—video
byWhat kind of monkey business is going on when the thief rejects cash and throws bills taken from the pocket onto the ground? Watch…
What kind of monkey business is going on when the thief rejects cash and throws bills taken from the pocket onto the ground? Watch…
For various reasons, my luggage is hard to steal from. I take hundreds of flights every year, and so far, thank goodness, nothing has…
“New figures out today show 381 TSA officers have been fired for stealing from passengers and their luggage, and members of Congress think that…
Atlanta Airport Police tell a business traveler that luggage theft from the carousel is currently an “epidemic” and “out of control.” The busines-traveler-victim plays…
A strategist thief is one who creates his own opportunity, one who operates on a specific plan, one who steals with malice aforethought. The…
Since recently coming to understand the high numbers of smartphone theft in Barcelona, the manners in which they’re stolen, and the strategic refusal of…
Barcelona police are eager to report a theft when they catch the thief and return the victim’s property—if the following story is any indication….
Thieves who operate on the principles of stealth, motion, or impedence strive to minimize contact with their victim. Zero face-time is their preference. Minimal…
I met the elderly British victim moments after her bag was stolen. She’d been sitting on the beach in Alicante, Spain, eating potato chips….
Smartphone theft Smartphone theft is out of control. Phones are flying off cafe tables right under the noses of their owners. The thieves are…
Barcelona police are turning away theft victims who come to report the theft of their phones. Why? The victims can’t provide the stolen phones’…
Bob and I visited the Barcelona police station for information and found the usual line of victims reporting thefts. I asked a young Norwegian…
Kharem is another opportunist who doubles as a minor-league strategist. When we first met him, he was prowling the perimeter of a breakdance performance…
Are you going to London for the Olympic games this summer? Are you going to Europe? Are you going anywhere? Bob Arno urges you…
Ever use an ATM at a bank after hours? Was it inside a locked vestibule, where you had to swipe your bank card to…
When gearing up for a heist, thieves try to look relaxed and natural, but fail. In this, they send signals that trained security personnel…
All these Mumbai stories of trains, crowds, swamis, the slum called Dharavi, and promises of more stories… What you’re really wondering is: did the…
A pickpocket-proof tank top that comfortable to wear. Pickpocket-proof underwear with zipper pockets. Boy shorts for women with zip pockets.
I have to laugh at the great sense of humor shown by the creators of Stashitware, men’s and women’s pickpocket-proof underwear. Start with the…
I’ve never noticed these height-markers before, but I’m told they’re found everywhere. I saw this one in a bank in Stockholm last summer. Pasted…
Press the play button: Awful sound, isn’t it? Sorry to subject you (if it autoplayed in your browser), but I’m making a point. This…
A postcard from Naples! I recognized the image of the thirteenth century Castel Nuovo right away. It was an old postcard, but lots of…
Thieves find us. “Police, police! She took my wallet!” That’s Bob screaming at ear-splitting volume. Not his usual reaction to pickpocketing! Usually, he turns…
On making a documentary. As I said, you’d think a documentary is just a camera following the action—but the action must be lit and…
Thiefhunting, Day One, still more. This is an old-fashioned town, lightly touched by the 21st century. Vendors ply the streets like the horse-and-buggy days…
Thiefhunting, Day One, more. We’ve been standing in the tiny coffee bar more than an hour, speaking loudly. Eventually, the owner throws us out….
Thiefhunting, Day One, continued. Bob and I were on a high, having found a talented pickpocket team on the first bus ride of our…
“They’ve bugged our room,” I postulated to Bob in the taxi from the airport. “I bet they hid video cameras inside.” That aspect of…
“I, too, was a victim of Barcelona street scams…” said more than a hundred people. And they described their own thieves, con artists, fake…
Your greed + a deal too good to pass up = bait and switch: Buy-a-Brick “Pssssst. Come ’ere. A brand new video camera with…