BEWARE –

We have seen it coming.  Late  night  in Boystown,  people  getting  robbed.

Now they are going right into the bars!

Keep  your wallet and phone  in your front  pockets! Secure your valuables in a front pocket. While a skilled pickpocket can swipe your stuff from your front pocket, it’s more difficult to do than when your stuff is in your back pocket. 

Beware when talking to friendly  strangers.

The helpful stranger. A friendly stranger approaches you to wipe off some lint from your jacket. A few minutes later when you go to retrieve your wallet to buy a drink, you find it missing. Sometimes the ruse is even more elaborate: one person “accidentally” spills something on you, another helps you wipe off the mess, while a third takes advantage of the hoopla by stealing your wallet. If someone acts a little too friendly and helpful towards you, be suspicious. They could be a pickpocket (or the distracter in a pickpocketing team).

Taking advantage of the Good Samaritan. A stranger approaches you asking for help — maybe they have a map and are asking for directions, or they could fall in front of you, dropping everything they have in their hands. The clumsy person is really the distracting half of a pick-pocketing team; while your attention shifts towards helping them, their partner swoops in and stealthily makes off with your wallet.

Keep the bare minimum in your wallet. The less you have in your wallet, the less of a hassle it will be if you do get pickpocketed. Just keep a single credit card, a single form of ID, and a small amount of cash. That’s it.

We have ALL DONE THIS –  Never put your phone on the table when you’re eating. I’ve never understood why people put their smartphone on the table while eating; it’s rude and prevents you from being fully present with the folks you’re dining with. But if you’re one of those people who absolutely must keep their phone on the table while you’re at a restaurant, be aware that pickpockets are targeting you. A growing number of enterprising pickpockets are casing restaurants with outdoor eating areas and looking for phones sitting on tables. When they see one, they’ll swoop in as a team — one guy acting as the distraction (selling flowers, newspapers, candy, etc.), while his accomplice grabs the phone.

Lesson: Keep your smartphone tucked away on your person while you’re eating. The text messages can wait.