10 ways to rob you on the street

[Tomcat]

Last year there were 44,000 pickpockets in Russia, and this is only the number of recorded cases. Many victims of pickpockets think that they simply lost or forgot their wallet, smartphone or something else valuable. The best way to deal with attackers is to know how they operate. That's why Meduza have compiled this guide to the methods of pickpockets. So, how can your wallet or other valuables be stolen on the street, in public space or transport?

Yes, just pull it out of your pocket​

Contrary to popular belief, most pickpockets are not tricksters or masters of hypnosis. Their main skill is situation analysis. To steal something valuable from you, you need to know where you keep it. You will show it yourself. For example, when you withdraw money from an ATM or pay at a cash register in a store, you are likely to be seen as a potential victim by a pickpocket and remember where you put the cash.
Thieves also have a more inventive method. Imagine: you are in a crowded subway car. Someone on the side shouts: “Oh, my wallet was stolen!” You immediately realize that there is a pickpocket operating on the train, and you instinctively begin to check the safety of your valuables. This is what pickpockets are waiting for. A whole carload of people demonstrated where their most valuable things are - choose an easier target, stand next to them and pull them out! In many tourist capitals of the world you can see signs in the spirit of “Beware of Pickpockets”. Thieves usually actually operate next to them, only they are going to rob you not here, but in another place. When people see a pickpocket warning, they often check to make sure their phone and wallet are still there. And observant attackers remember everything!

Cut your bag or pocket​

This method was shown in the film “The meeting place cannot be changed.” A pickpocket uses a blade, knife, or sharpened coin to rip open an unsuspecting citizen's bag or pocket. More often than not, he doesn’t even make a hole, but slightly widens the too-tight pocket with a sharp object to make it more convenient to take out the wallet. Today this method is considered pure retro. The thing is that pickpockets try to think about their alibi in case of capture, and a razor in your pocket certainly won’t provide it.

Run into you in the crowd​

This is the modus operandi of pickpockets. You just bumped into a stranger in the crowd. Or he's on you! Mutual apologies and other polite rituals follow, but after 10 minutes you realize that your wallet has been shamelessly stolen. This trick has three variations. Firstly, at the moment of collision, a pickpocket can knock your wallet out of your pocket with an upward movement of his hand (and immediately catch it). Secondly, he may dive his hand into your pocket, running towards you. Well, there is a very difficult option: the person in front of you stops abruptly, and you crash into him, and then the next passerby behind you crashes into you. Both strangers, of course, are accomplices, and now they begin to swear loudly, in every possible way involving you in their proceedings. Your attention is diverted, so it’s easy for the third participant in the scam to get all the valuables out of your pockets.

Play on your kindness​

This is a very cynical method. After all, it is completely normal, even noble, to help a person who has spilled a handful of change or dropped shopping bags. So, this poor fellow may well be one of the participants in the cunning scheme. It works like this. You rush to help a stranger: bend down or sit down to collect fallen things. At this moment, the side pockets of the outerwear protrude and hang freely, and the back ones (if you are wearing something short) best expose the contents. The perfect moment to rip you off! But of course, it's still worth helping strangers, you just need to keep your things safe. We'll tell you how at the very end.

Feel you good​

On the one hand, too close contacts inspire mistrust. On the other hand, people often press and push against each other in a crowd - there is nothing unusual about this. When physical stimulation is concentrated in one area, our brain becomes less alert and perceives it as something familiar. This is what pickpockets take advantage of. For example, when someone rests on your thigh for a couple of minutes, he can easily pull your wallet out of your pants pocket. And most likely you won't even feel it.

Enchant you​

A charming unknown girl, in a fit of light mood, wants to hug you. Or it could be a handsome young man. Awkward? Yes. But overall, why not? Sometimes these people can be pickpockets who, through spontaneous intimacy, are looking for access to the inside pockets of your coat. In this case, the targets of attackers are most often people who leave bars, nightclubs and similar establishments - relaxed and in high spirits. By the way, pickpockets rarely look the way we imagine them. It looks like it should be a slippery guy in a cap, but in reality it turns out to be some gentleman in a nice suit or a lady in furs.

Mistake you for an old friend​

In this case, a stranger will catch you in a public place and hug you and pat you on the shoulder. Perhaps he will come up from behind and close his eyes, offering to guess who it is. In the end he will apologize: he made a mistake. It seems to happen - you also sometimes see people on public transport who are exactly your former classmates. Your confusion plays into the hands of the pickpocket. While you are trying to remember who it is, peering into an unfamiliar face (it’s somehow inconvenient not to recognize it, right?), he will do another round of hugs to make sure that you no longer have valuables.

Surprise you with compassion​

It's quite nice when a stranger on the street shows concern and, for example, starts dusting off your jacket, which is slightly dirty on the back. And if it’s not very pleasant, then it seems awkward to refuse—the person is doing a good deed. He may even have a cleaning agent with him that needs to be used immediately, otherwise everything will be lost. So, know this: this is very suspicious. Pickpockets like to stain the outer clothing of a passerby they like, follow him, and then offer help in removing the dirt. And a wallet, of course!

Wave my hands in front of you​

Yes, some street scammers are proficient in hypnosis techniques, but this is rather the exception. Much more often you can find those who manipulate our consciousness with the help of everyday gestures. It has been proven: a person’s attention is concentrated on a hand that moves in an arc or in a wave, while a person will most likely not notice a linear movement. That is, a pickpocket may come up to you on the street with some question or suggestion and begin actively gesturing with one hand. While you are trying to keep up with his movements (and also complex thoughts), he will quietly pull your phone out of your pocket. Or whatever you keep there.

Walk with you through the turnstile​

Finally, turnstiles. Whatever they are, it's a pickpocket's paradise. Here you don’t even have to bother and pull out your wallet with a sharp, brutal movement. Yes, you will notice something is wrong, check your pocket, make sure there is no wallet, and probably even spot the person in the crowd who could have done this. Grab him by the scruff of the neck and call the police. Only he doesn’t have your wallet - he quickly transferred it to an accomplice on the other side of the turnstiles, minimizing the possibility of persecution. It won't be easy to prove anything.

Why are we talking about pickpockets?​

Firstly, because this is a real danger in most large cities and it is really difficult to protect against it. Try to follow at least these rules: store valuables in hard-to-reach places, take them out in public as little as possible, and try not to look lost so as not to attract intruders.

(с) https://meduza.io/slides/10-sposobov-obokrast-vas-na-ulitse