London is Cracking Down on Large-Scale Cell Phone Theft

Pat, a usually savvy friend from your corner of the world, was sitting in a quiet corner table with a friend in a bar in Spain; set it down on the table for a minute and while sitting there with it inches from her hand...grabbed and gone.

KD, so sorry. Wishing you better fortunes on future trips!

Pat, great article! Unfortunately, the link doesn't work if you don't have an NYT account. Here is a link to gift it - feel free to swap this one for your link above (notice it has the word "unlocked" in it. And always click on the gift-boxed link when you "gift" an article, FYI).

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/world/europe/london-police-phone-theft-china-gang.html?unlocked_article_code=1.tk8.c1eT.tSFZMX-R13_e&smid=url-share

I especially liked this remark, and it's so true!

“You wouldn’t count your money on the street,” said Lawrence Sherman, an emeritus criminology professor at the University of Cambridge. “But when the phone is worth £1,000, it’s like pulling £1,000 out of your wallet and looking at it as you walk.”

Mardee, I did all that, but whatever. I'll just indicate, "see below". Thanks , as always, for everything.

It's a decent article. I'm not sure why they mention Lime Bikes though. Those are SLOW! You're not making a quick getaway on a Lime bike.

I think it was just a confluence of things. The availability of very fast e-bikes, the way phone use has progressed to some people having one in their hand constantly, combined with high demand abroad for phones made for a perfect storm in London the last few years. This article is the evidence of the Met Police taking it seriously, as they seem to have been doing in the last nine months or a year. They are talking a good game about enforcement now anyway, and I think they are stopping and nicking people much more proactively than they have done in the past to be fair.

They have been quite slow to react I thought. I could have told them five years ago that anyone dropping several grand on a Sur Ron (like a small electric dirt bike) was doing it because the return on investment as far as crime goes is so good. The Met even have their own Sur Ron unit, as much for PR as anything else I'd guess, that you can see in this video (Youtube, 13m 36s).

I think all crime waves that happen in big cities fade after a while. I think we're on the tail end of phone theft, in Westminster and The City at least. I think it's become a whole lot less attractive for folk on bikes to come up into Westminster to steal phones in the last six months or so. The City is a total bust. They have a separate police force and they've come down really hard to the point of stopping people who shouldn't really be being stopped. I think The City has reduced this type of crime.

Between the Met's enforcement on phone theft, and there's less folk involved in pickpocketing around in London in the winter, it's probably a bit better than it was earlier this year.

“You wouldn’t count your money on the street,” said Lawrence Sherman, an emeritus criminology professor at the University of Cambridge. “But when the phone is worth £1,000, it’s like pulling £1,000 out of your wallet and looking at it as you walk.”

What a strange way of putting it. I wonder how Prof. Sherman looks at those who wear GBP1,500 Aquascutum raincoats and GBP50,000 Rolex wristwatches. Not to mention driving even GBP10,000 Fiat Pandas. All can be stolen, and all are essential tools in the eyes of their owners, though probably none so useful in 2025 as a smartphone.

Bottom line: it's a tool. One doesn't lock up one's tools if doing so prevents their use. Instead one secures insurance to cover the cost of replacement.

I sat outside tonight with a friend at a local Eastern European restaurant, and we read and discussed the article... until my phone rang and I knocked over a wine glass, reaching for it across the table. My friend quietly slid her phone off the table and into her lap. We looked at each other and laughed. Okay. Its not London .... yet.

Its not London .... yet.

Budapest will never be London.

It's good to hear that the police are starting to provide the resources to deal with this problem. I've seen a few articles on this and it seems to be rampant, especially in London but also in other cities in Europe. Hopefully they can dismantle and jail some of the criminal gangs behind this.

Especially when travelling my phone is always out-of-sight, either in a belt clip under my coat, in my travel vest or in a zippered pocket. I occasionally have to use Google Maps or take a few photos, but that's about the only time it's visible. I would never place it on a restaurant table!

Certainly keeping a phone zipped up in a pocket or in an otherwise secure place will help prevent its theft. It will also prevent ease of use.

Everyone needs to make their own risk management decisions, in this as in other aspects of travel (and for that matter, everyday life). For my own purposes, I'll continue to use my phone whenever and wherever I find it useful. But knowing that London is a particularly fraught place in which to do so is very important.

The concern now is that I am constantly pulling my phone for walking directions and use of a number of apps that help with subway and bus lines.

The apps have become so good that on my last few European trips I don’t even bother with paper maps anymore.

While I try to remain conscious of how I am holding my phone in order to prevent someone from grabbing it and never pull it out in crowded areas, I realize it wouldn’t take much to distract me in the busy streets.

For added insurance I plan to look for a method to tether my phone to my belt. If someone has suggestions with this please post.

Of course in Milan a couple of days ago I estimate 50% of people were on their phone. It was crazy.

London’s phone-snatch stuff is getting crazy. I’m treating my phone like cash now: no curb-side scrolling, no leaving it on café tables, and I only pull it out for a quick map check. A cheap wrist lanyard or belt tether sounds nerdy, but losing your phone mid-trip is worse, especially in busy London streets.

We've decided for our next trip to London we are bringing two empty tin cans (Wolf Brand Chili) and a lot of string.

That might not be a bad idea Mr E.

As we ramp up into summer it's going to be the testing time for the police to see if they can get a handle on it. The City of London Police have reportedly done a good job in reducing it to virtually nothing, but they have a much more tightly controlled, geographically small area to contend with. The Metropolitan Police look after the west end and central London, but it does seem to be being pushed out into other boroughs than Westminster too, possibly by enforcement in the west end. I saw a contributor in another thread here mention an incident a colleague had suffered in Knightsbridge.

The ebikes are a major contributor, but you wouldn't like to see the civil liberties of innocent young lads being infringed by a crackdown on that. Loads of normal young people ride fast bikes for transport or the food delivery industry. We've already had issues in London going back 40 years or more with stop and search. It's a thorny subject if the coppers want to get ahead before things happen. Once someone is riding off on a 3kw ebike, there's not much anyone can do about your phone being stolen after the fact.

and to add, to the people who suggest lanyards, I'm not really for that idea as I've spoken about on here before. They're designed to break at a given force being applied anyway. They either break or you get dragged by it. I'm not sure it would be a visual deterrent either. Just stick to being cautious where and when you use your phone.

It feels like an overreaction to say it, but Mr E might not be far off the mark with his tin cans idea. I suppose an equivalent would be a cheap burner phone if you usually use the latest iPhone. A cheap used, unlocked phone from eBay or Marketplace that you don't care abut losing. Put a £3.00 UK SIM in it and use that around town for maps and whatever.

If you do use your regular phone, make sure all your valuable pictures and documents which only exist on your phone are backed up somewhere. If you do happen to lose your phone, best that you can minimise the drama by being able to recover your data on another phone if need be.

New business idea:

Kiosks at Airports/Train-stations that don't sell burner phones but rent them. Preinstall common traveler needed programs. Maybe work out a deal with the local public transit for credits already loaded.

Then, when you're done with your trip, you drop it off at the same type kiosk (different city?) you rented it at.

Could work.

It's feels a bit sad someone from London suggesting using a burner phone because it might get stolen, but it would give a bit of peace of mind.

Folks from here are in the most at risk group if you're seeing the main tourist sites and spending time walking around the west end. Being a tourist automatically means you're going to have your phone out more to look things up.

All the same, you walk around and see thousands of people with their phone in their hand. Some people are TikTok'ing, Whatsapping, or whatever constantly, not being careful with their phone at all. My phone tends to stay in my pocket most of the time.

I could be dead wrong, what do I know, but I always assumed this sort of theft was theft of opportunity so if you became a more difficult target than the guy standing next to you, you were safe. So, I would do a lanyard and forget the worry. Connect the other end to my belt and put the slack in my pocket. https://www.alza.hu/EN/alzaguard-universal-phone-lanyard-turquoise-d12346819.htm?gad_campaignid=21279401492&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2xsm6K6WNIdLOAfXxMIWBlOeerl&gclid=CjwKCAiAwNDMBhBfEiwAd7ti1DgnIyP-ybaMCilIDdUWwSteYilLC9zvDHHbvz2iBMRfyfZHpOl16xoCUMoQAvD_BwE&kampan=adw1_alza_pla_all_privatky_alza-guard_c_9198825___710250126426_~165916623989~&setlang=en-GB

Plan B is my traveling companion has a phone if something does happen to mine. So never completely S.O.L.

The other thing I did years ago was the photo on the lock screen. The photo says call my other phone number (I still have my US phone but rarely carry it, you cold use your traveling companions phone number) for a 50 euro reward.

Update on new measures being deployed to try to prevent these crimes: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/17/met-police-drones-ebikes-phone-thieves-gangs-recruit-children-london

I'll repeat what I've said elsewhere- it's important to be aware that most of these phone snatchings are done on e-bikes, so you need to be particularly vigilant when on/near a road as that is where they are most likely to take place. Of course you should be vigilant generally, as crime can happen anywhere, but it helps to know a bit about how they operate. If you're walking around and need to consult maps pull over to the side near a building.

That is quite a timely article Cat, since we're just talking about it.

I hate to profile people by age and gender, but the article reinforces what I was talking about it being young lads. The young guys who style themselves as "gang members" would barely even see me around here though. If they're not up in the west end taxing phones I'm pretty invisible. Crime rates soar in London when the high schools break for summer. Young lads want to get out "on road" when the weather's nice and they have time on their hands to get up to no good. I think the big seizure of stolen phones mentioned in the New York Times article was in my neighbourhood if I remember correctly. It's probably slightly older guys at home fencing phones for the teenagers, but I doubt there's many "grown adults" involved in this business.

Mr E, I'm not sure what you linked to would be legal to retail in most EU countries or the UK for safety reasons. Anything that's long enough to put around your neck needs to have a breakaway. Things like the cords on venetian blinds are regulated too, for similar reasons.

It's maybe a different mindset, but I'm not going to tough it out with someone who's grown up in the hood being a tough guy. My personal safety is worth more to me than my phone. I'm fortunate enough to have never needed to make a snap decision about that though. I find it difficult to endorse making it more difficult to take your phone from you by snatching. I'm a guy in my 50's with minor mobility issues and it's worth bearing in mind that many here are approaching or have passed their 70th birthday. Even if you're fit, it's not worth it to me. I think the things Cat says are more effective in keeping your phone safe.

The Met Police will likely be publicising their response to phone thefts this week because it is half term.
If you want to see more detail their press release is here
https://news.met.police.uk/pressreleases/met-cuts-phone-theft-by-10000-offences-following-year-long-crackdown-3432888

They have also released a video on social media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yPjJiFOrzM

Phone theft is obviously still an issue in London but it is important to keep a sense of proportion about the risk. Yes the number of thefts is high but the likelihood of being a victim is still low, and will be even lower with a bit of common sense.

If using a burner phone makes you feel better do it but there really is no need. If you need to use your phone stay near a building. If you aren't using your phone put it in your bag or pocket. Stay away from the kerb, that is just good safety advice whether you are on your phone or not.

Personally I think lanyards are a bad idea and slash proof lanyards are simply dangerous and should be illegal. Someone coming at you on an ebike is unlikely to see the lanyard, or will simply ignore it. Having a phone attached to your body is dangerous.
If someone tries to snatch your phone just let it go. Your safety is worth a lot more than your phone and in a fight between a middle aged 'have a go hero' tourist and a teenage gang member on an ebike, only one is likely to come out of it well!

It's probably a controversial opinion but I also don't keep everything on my phone. I don't use it to make contactless payments. I use an actual Oyster card when travelling. I will store tickets on my phone but if there is an option to print I will. For me it makes sense to keep 'valuable' items separate so that I don't risk losing everything if I lose access to my phone. This is more to do with me being scatty than a particular fear of theft. Also in case the internet is unavailable or systems go down.

Bad form to quote myself, but,

I think the big seizure of stolen phones mentioned in the New York Times article was in my neighbourhood if I remember correctly.

Not to be too down on my neighbourhood and its young people, it's maybe worth mentioning that the high schools and sixth-form colleges around me here in Hackney also regularly send young people of all creeds, colours, genders etc. to the best universities across the UK, including the Oxbridge colleges. Mossbourne Academy pioneered the "Academy" style of high school, which has subsequently been rolled out right across the English education system.

Maybe slightly off topic and boring, but possibly interesting for those interested enough in London to look at the bigger picture culturally, albeit from my personal perspective. Apologies for over-posting in the thread.

Emma thanks for the additional info. And the video you linked really shows how quickly the theft happens - in the blink of an eye.

I recall in the old days, if you were to wander the streets with a paper map or guide book out in front of you, gawking around, you basically could have a beacon on your head saying "pickpocket me". Being distracted, and unaware of your surroundings is just opportunity for them, easy pickings.

We have moved to the phone, and it really is no different, except that a third of the people around you are doing the same.

Just like the paper map, the advice is the same. Get out of the traffic flow, get your bearings, come up with a route, put it away and head off. You don't need step by step guidance. If you get a bit lost, that is usually when the best travel moments happen.

Of course then you need to resist using the phone to scroll Facebook, check e-mails, watch that funny video, and all the other things that are so important to do when walking on the street. You do not need to lock the phone away under zipper and Velcro, or strap it to your body with a metal cable, just keep it present, and focus on your surroundings and what is going on. The same with sightseeing, or taking a picture, if you want to see the things around you, get out of the traffic flow, off to the side, and then enjoy it, avoid the walk and gawk. Maybe the Met, as part of their anti-theft strategy will address "Distracted Walking" along with stopping the bad guys.

Same with other use, examine your habits, yeah I'm guilty of having my phone on a restaurant table or the bar when I am around home, I have to resist that urge when I travel. When I sit in a piazza or park to rest, I instinctively reach for my phone, why? Probably nothing important I need to do, just habit, I try to stop myself and enjoy where I am

Take a look around while travelling or at home. The vast majority of people have their phones out and are using them.

For me, I worry more about dropping my phone. When I am standing on some high viewpoint taking a photo, I sometimes get a queasy stomach, rubbery legs and sweaty hands.

That is why my phone has a tight fitting cover with a good wrist strap. Whenever the phone is out, which is about 90% of the time because I am always snapping photos, the phone is attached to my wrist. We're not using it, I zip it away in my hip pack.