Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
While pickpockets can be found in nearly any city, but the largest concentrations are in cities
that attract the most tourists (no surprise there). Below is a list of pickpocket hotspots in
Europe:
• Barcelona, Spain
• Rome, Italy
• Paris, France
• Madrid, Spain
• Athens, Greece
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Florence, Italy
• London, England
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
But don't think that pickpocketing only occurs in big cities. I have a friend who had his wallet
stolen in a small town in Switzerland, so it's wise to keep your guard up.
WHO ARE THE PICKPOCKETS?
This group of pickpockets got caught—most don't.
Most people assume pickpockets are sketchy looking men, but a large number of pickpockets
are actually young girls and boys—usually around ten to sixteen years old. Most tourists don't
suspect a young child would steal from them so they let their guard down. Additionally, po-
lice have a harder time arresting minors and most travel without any sort of identification, so
even if they're caught, the police usually have to let them go. Other times pickpockets are well
dressed and you'd never expect them to be thieves.
Pickpockets almost always work in groups. One or two people will do something to distract
the victim while another member tries to take their stuff. Once the theft has occurred, the
thief who stole the item will often hand it off to someone else and they'll all run in separate
directions. This makes it very hard to track the culprit.
PICKPOCKET HOT SPOTS
