Semester safety Abroad suggestions...

The biggest thing is to use common sense.

1. He shouldn't walk around holding his phone out in the open, or leave his phone sitting on a table, or have anything in a back pocket or even a front pocket that's accessible.

2. He should pay attention to his surroundings. Tell him not to be distracted by things going on around him and avoid someone who comes up and offers to help if he didn't ask for it.

3. Have him leave his passport in a secure place where he lives instead of carrying it everywhere. Instead he can make a photocopy of the passport in case he's ever asked for it.

Here is an article by Rick Steves that has some very good tips on pickpockets and safety: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams/outsmarting-pickpockets

An interior pocket is much better than an external pocket. There are lots of people (mostly male) who think a front pocket or a cargo pocket is a safe place for a wallet right up until they realize their wallet has been stolen.

You can buy hidden pockets that attach to belts or belt loops and then hang inside slacks; check on Amazon for starters. They seem like a solid solution for holding something like a wallet. Other options are money belts (absolutely must be worn inside clothes) or--for folks who wear collared shirts--neck pouches.

Phones are tougher; I think the phone solution needs to take into consideration how the phone will be used. I use my phone constantly for taking pictures and keeping track of where I'm walking. It's a Samsung, so not as attractive a theft target as an iPhone. I wear the phone on a lanyard around my neck, which has the advantage of preventing damaging drops. It's not a perfect solution, because if a thief didn't see the lanyard and grabbed the phone, I could end up falling to the ground and being injured.

Edited to add:

Rick's tips on avoiding thefts and scams are linked here: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams

Rick's tips on handling money can be found here: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money

I'm not sure that material is as up to date as some of the information on this forum. The key money tip is to conduct all transactions (purchases as well as ATM withdrawals) in the local currency. Choosing US dollars will increase the cost of everything, because it allows the merchant or bank to use whatever exchange rate it wants to use, and that rate will always be bad for the customer.

The other thing to consider is ATM fees. They may be charged by the owner of the ATM (these can vary by ATM and will be announced on the screen during the transaction) as well as by the issuer of the ATM card (these fees will only show up on the monthly bank statement). These days credit cards can be used for most purchases in western Europe, so there's much less need to get money from ATMs.

Some credit cards charge fees for overseas use. Your son should check on his credit card's policy as well as his ATM card's policy. It's only prudent to know how much extra things will cost, depending on the payment method.

It is very useful to have more than one credit card, because loss or theft is possible, but I realize for young people that may not be practical.

Google "pickpocket proof pants" and you'll come up with a lot of options. This is one that I know of clothing arts

once he's there, have him talk to his fellow students and learn from them what locals do.