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4. Spain, Madrid
Spain is another European tourist destination that is overpopulated with tourists. In addition to Barcelona holding the top position in our list, the capital Madrid is flooded with pickpockets. (来源:www.EnglishCN.com)
When on your way to a bull fight you better look out – what seems like an ordinary crowd can be a crowd full of people hungry for your wallet!
Technique used to steal your money in Madrid: Someone with a camera approaches you and asks to take a photo of them. You will drop your bag for a minute in order to take the picture – at the same time someone from behind snatches your bag and runs away
3. Czech Republic, Prague
Czech Republic – the home of cheap beer and all night partying! The capital Prague is known for its popularity among British lads who wish to enjoy the weekend but it is no place to be when you are too drunk and have lost all your friends.
In 2005 the city of Prague ran an ad campaign to notify tourists of pickpockets. Here is what 1 ad looked like:
Here is what a victim had to say about how he lost his money in Prague:
I had just paid at McDonald’s and put my bulging wallet back in my left inside jacket pocket. I picked up the tray and was holding it, when I got distracted. Some teenagers with brightly coloured hair were ordering various ‘Happy meals’ and discussing the merits of the plastic toys that came with them. Maybe it was an orchestrated distraction, but it must have been the time that my wallet disappeared. My wallet contained my passport, driving licence, credit cards, a wad of cash etc. It was very unpleasant.
Technique used to steal your money in Prague: A young women makes eye contact with you on the street. This temporarily gets your attention while you are being robbed by the beautiful girl’s accomplice.
2. Italy, Rome
Pickpockets are an increasing problem in Italy. In addition to Florence (number 6 in our list), Rome is the countries busiest tourist center. But that is not all it is – it is also a heaven for pickpockets. The pickpocketing problem in Rome is so big that it is mentioned in almost all materials intended for tourists. The thieves however are almost never local – they are poor immigrants looking for a way to make a living.
The pickpocketing problem is especially big in public transport. The inner city bus number 64 is known as “the wallet express” – it is the best way to get rid of your money.
Technique used to steal your money in Rome: A young gypsy girl or a woman near you will appear to trip and accidentally drop her baby – it almost seems that she throws the baby into your arms. You reach to save it from falling and in the process drop whatever is currently in your hands. The accomplices quickly pick up whatever you dropped, go through your things and leave. You will of course realize that instead of a baby you are holding a doll.
1. Spain, Barcelona
Barcelona is the number 1 tourist attraction in Spain! In addition to a number of sights it also has a dozen or so pickpockets for every attraction. If pickpocketing would be on the Olympics, Barcelona would be the definite gold medalist!
When you disregard pickpocketing, Barcelona is a relatively safe place to be. Spanish people are not very fond of drinking, they much more prefer smoking pot – and that makes people sleepy and friendly.
When walking on the famous pedestrian street La Rambla be sure to wear your backpacks in your front. Pickpockets work in teams – 1 person distracts you and another one opens your bag or goes through your pockets. They don’t hesitate to use scissors or a razor to cut their way in!
Technique used to steal your money in Barcelona: A friendly local notices that your clothes are dirty and offers to provide you with a napkin so that you can clean yourself. What really happens is that the local himself or his partner in crime has secretly spilled something on you to get your attention. After accepting the napkin and starting to clean yourself your mind is occupied and it becomes easy to go through your bag or your pockets.
What Google Thinks
Below is a screenshot of the places that Google thinks have the most pickpockets! Here is what people usually search for:
It looks that our list is dead on – 8 out of 10 places searched in Google are all somewhat featured in our list. As you can see – pickpocketing tends to be a larger problem in Europe than in anywhere else!
Source:financialjesus.com |