How to Not Get Pickpocketed

Despite the fact that crime rates haven’t actually risen much in recent years—and remain much lower than they were a few decades ago, in general—people still worry a lot about being victims of a crime (or maybe unwitting participants in one). And just because crime rates aren’t all that high doesn’t mean you’ll never be a victim of a crime, so a little caution is certainly warranted.

One of the most common crimes people experience? Pickpocketing. Although law enforcement once predicted this kind of old-fashioned crime was dying out because younger criminals weren’t learning the Sting-style, magic-adjacent skills necessary, that hasn’t proved true. Heck, it’s so common it’s become a current meme out there on the Internet. Cities around the world are still plagued by these sneaky thieves, and since you’re probably overestimating your situational awareness, you’re very much at risk. Whether you’re traveling as a tourist in an unfamiliar area or just hanging out in a crowded urban center, a few simple precautions can spare you the shock of discovering you’ve been robbed without even knowing it. Here’s how to avoid being pickpocketed.

Spread out your valuables

The most basic and obvious thing you can do to protect yourself from nimble-fingered thieves is to carry nothing in your back pockets. Not only are these pockets out of sight, making them easy targets, it’s much harder to be mindful of back pockets. Simply by keeping them empty you’re decreasing your chances of being robbed.

That said, you should also take the next obvious step and not keep all of your valuables in one pocket, even if it’s a front pocket or inner pocket. Spread everything out into different pockets or more hidden spots. This way, even if you do get nailed by a pickpocket, they at least won’t clean you out.

Dress for action

Moving your money, cards, and phone to front or inner pockets and splitting them up is a start, but if you want to get serious about defending against pickpockets, consider all of your clothing:

• Zippered pockets. Keeping everything inside a zippered pocket makes it much harder for thieves to rob you. Pickpockets rely on stealth and speed, so having to tug down a zipper is often all the obstacle you need to make them move on.
• Pickpocket-safe clothing. If you want to ascend to a higher level of anti-pickpocket power, you can buy a wide variety of clothing designed specifically to protect your stuff. Companies like Bluffworks include hidden pockets and other security features in their clothes, and companies like Pacsafe make anti-theft backpacks and other products that will foil sneak thieves.
• Money belts. If you’re traveling and doing the tourist thing and don’t want to leave all your cash and other stuff at a hotel, invest in a money belt. These are designed to be worn close to your body and not accessed—meaning you don’t use them as some sort of weird wallet. You don’t reach for them at all; you keep your money and cards being used in your wallet or other accessible (but hidden and secure) place, but you stash the rest (including a backup credit card) in the belt. Even if your pocket does get picked, you’ll still have the bulk of your funds.
• Use anchors. Luggage locks, zipties, or cable locks on your zippers, backpacks, and handbags can offer an extra line of defense against pickpockets who seek out unattended bags to unzip and rifle through or simply grab and run away with.

Situational awareness

Once you’ve got your valuables secured, you still need to be on the lookout for common pickpocket scenarios. Picking a pocket is a lot like performing a magic trick—the criminals use distraction to keep you looking elsewhere while they perform their dark sleight-of-hand:

• Avoid crowds. The simplest thing you can do is avoid extremely crowded areas. Pickpockets love crowds because they provide plenty of excuses and opportunities to get very close to you, and plenty of opportunities to just melt away once the crime is done.
• Be aware of distraction. Many pickpockets work in teams, and they utilize a variety of tricks to distract you. This includes crowding you unexpectedly—a common ruse is for a group of young people with clipboards to crowd around you asking for donations or signatures; while you’re recovering from the surprise and making sense of what they’re saying, someone has a hand in your pocket. Pickpockets also commonly use “bump” techniques, where an accomplice bumps into you just as the pickpocket lifts your wallet.
• Choke points. Another common trick is causing backups at choke points like escalators or turnstiles. An accomplice stops suddenly, causing everyone behind them to bunch up and bump into each other. The pickpocket makes a show of crashing into you, and steals all your stuff.

The worst thing about pickpocketing is the delay: With a skilled criminal, it could be minutes or hours before you even realize you’ve been robbed. Your best defense is to assume someone will try. Secure your stuff, be aware of sudden changes in circumstances around you, and be suspicious whenever you’re forced into close physical proximity with other people.