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What to do if you are pickpocketed or robbed?

There has been lots of discussion here about ways to avoid pickpockets, etc., but as far as I can see, no one has given any suggestions or advice about what to do if you are pickpocketed.
Has anyone posting here actually been pickpocketed, robbed, scammed resulting in a loss of money?
If so, what did you do or what do you think you would do if this would happen to you?

Posted by
23178 posts

First, if you take reasonable precautions, the probably is quite low. If it happens, your report to the police just as you would in the US. Hopefully it is only cash or a camera, etc., If credit/debit cards then you need to call the non-800 numbers collect to report the cards stolen. Finally, if you lose a passport, then it find the nearest consulate or embassy and get a new one. That could be another city. This where having a copy of the old one is extremely helpful. Then you go back to enjoying your vacation.

In our plan the most cash I will have available is about a 100E in a secure pocket. So if that is gone I not going to worry about. Will have a credit, maybe debit card in another pocket. Doubt if they will get both. If it is a camera, might report it if it is convenient. For insurance claims later you will need a police report.

Getting scammed is one thing. You probably played a part in and there is little to report. An actual robbery with a gun, knife, physical force is pretty unlikely but it might happen. Pickpocketing is a bit more common and you probably will not be aware of it until well after it happened. If the lost is not too great, just move on. We have spent nearly year traveling in Europe since 72, and have never had a problem. Doesn't mean something cannot happen on the next trip. And I absolutely do not think, "we have been lucky" because that implies a degree of randomness. Pickpockets are not randoms. They choose their targets. We try hard not look like an easy target.

Posted by
11613 posts

I also have a list of phone numbers and my account numbers.

What you do depends on what you lose. If your passport is stolen, go to the nearest US Consulate. If you lose all identification, you should have a copy of your document to show who you are. If you have no documents, a travel companion who has a passport can vouch for you. Getting a replacement passport takes about an hour if there is no line. If you arrive outside consulate hours, the magic words are "passport emergency". You need to provide two passport photos unless the consulate official can take the photos for you. You also need to be able to pay for the replacement passport. This passport is good for one year.

Getting replacement credit cards and bank cards can be tricky. If you have an American Express card, call the customer service number and they can wire you up to $500 within 24 hours. Some credit card companies will fedex you replacement cards at your hotel (American Express will, after verifying your reservation), some will only send them to your home address. Same for banks - mine is particularly unhelpful. International FedEx takes about five business days.

Posted by
10344 posts

Has anyone posting here actually been pick-pocketed, robbed, scammed
resulting in a loss of money?

There have been posts by victims. But I suspect most travelers that have been victimized don't want to talk about it and don't post about their bad experiences.

What you do depends on what you lost. If you had your "trip is over if I lose this" items in a money-belt, then you didn't lose those.
But if you lost those, it would be hard to recover; the trip would either be over or severely disrupted. Some of it can be replaced but probably takes days.

Posted by
8094 posts

I was once had a pickpocket experience at the foot of a busy escalator in the Paris Metro (subway.) One pickpocket tripped and the victims began falling over him in a pile. They're just after cash--and nothing else. What's so bad is that the police see the same faces day after day, and they know they're up to no good.
My suggestion is to carry no billfolds in plain sight. And carry very little cash on you.
My wife walks close behind me when we get into congested places, and we tightly hold on to back packs, etc.
Americans are rather passive in crowds--often too mannerly and naive. I'm 6'3" and 235 lbs., and when someone gets into my space, bumps into me or gets close trying to sell me something, let me just say I lose all manners.

Posted by
5471 posts

I've been pickpocketed in London coming out of the Notting Hill Gate tube station. It was a Saturday morning so the station was jam packed. I discovered my wallet was missing when I walked into a coffee shop and noticed my purse was unclasped.

After I discovered my wallet was missing, I walked back to the tube station, found the transit police office, and reported the theft. The police had the Visa International toll free number and they let me call from their office. I was able to cancel three cards with one call. I went back to my flat ( I lived in London at the time). Called AmEx. Called the Visa issuing banks to arrange for replacement cards. I was offered emergency service but I declined as I was at home and had plenty of food in the fridge. On Monday, I received the Citibank card from my London bank and picked up the Amex card at their office. The other cards came later that week.

What I mostly learned is that getting pickpocketed is inconvenient, but certainly not the end of the world. I learned not to carry everything in one place. When traveling, I leave a spare card in the hotel safe. i learned that you don't need to know your credit card number to report a theft as Visa can look it up. I learned to put my hand over my purse clasp when I am in crowded places.

Posted by
14482 posts

Totally agree that Americans are too "mannerly and passive" in crowds, too concerned about being nice. That's also one reason to their being spotted out easily. Several years ago, 1999(?) I was an attempted pickpocket target, my bag was unzipped but nothing was taken. The incident took place in the Paris Metro station. I noticed it later. The perpetrator only saw 35mm plastic film containers but couple were filled with francs, not film, which obviously didn't occur to them, a mother-kid team. Then I was told that particular Metro station was notorious for pickpockets. Still you're in Paris, be glad, deal with it or avoid them.

More recently, I had my cell phone stolen on the morning train going from Frankfurt to Düsseldorf Hbf. Once I discovered the phone missing after transferring in Düsseldorf, the train had reached Mönchengladbach. I thought I had better call to cancel/stop any cell charges and also get to a police station. I made a couple of phone calls, one to the credit card to get the AT&T tel #. I didn't care that much about the cell phone, no important numbers or info was stored there as long it was stopped. Anyway, I went to the police station to make a report. The police in this small town was professional, didn't change over to English when they saw my US passport. I answered several detail questions, finally they typed up a summary (in German, of course) of the incident reported. They asked me to sign it, I did. All very helpful, courteous, professional. True, I was careless in packing that morning in the Frankfurt hotel. After I got back, I checked with AT&T and found out the thief didn't use the cell phone even once before I had it locked.

Posted by
2829 posts

The "told you so" , the "I feel bad for you but you kinda asked for it" and the "brush it off and move on" crowds on websites like these usually shy away from posting those who had actually being victims of pickpocketing or other forms of non-violent street crimes while travelling.

I have never been pickpocket myself. Twice I was harassed by scammers, once at a public plaza, once at a road rest stop. Harassed as in feeling cornered, if not immediately physically threatened. One was someone trying to "help" me at a train ticket machine (I felt nervous because there was this guy and a girl somehow trying to distract me). The other was a typical "buy this silver ring because I lost everything, only have my car and need to feed my baby", pleeease" (baby in sight, actually, with what must be the mother).

If that happened to me, my first concerns would be cancelling the bank cards, getting a replacement passport, and, if my smartphone were involved, making sure to remotely kill it with the apps I have installed. I have key documents I need to get replacements for cards and ID on my email/Dropbox, so that I can easily print copies if needed.

Just as prevention of larger hassles, I prefer to keep my driver's license separated from my wallet, in the car, when travelling internationally, as it would be a significant headache to drive if I lose my license, whereas the chances of getting a car stolen are lower IMO than being pickpocketed.

Posted by
17639 posts

Fortunately I travel with my wife and we each carry half of everything including duplicates. I've only been hit once (Paris) where the Gypsy girl tried to unzip my backpack while I was wearing it. I turned, she smiled and just walked away. Later we sat near the Eiffel tower and watched the girls stealing wallets. We weren't the only ones watching; the Paris police quietly watched as well. These girls had an amazing system going; it was pure art. Maybe its the French appreciation of art that caused the police to just watch without intervening.