Pickpocketing is widespread all over the world, especially in larger cities. These are often organised groups, trained in various tricks to distract the victim.

Pickpockets are among us, pay attention to them

Their prey consists mainly of cash, cheques, payment cards and other documents, but less often of jewellery, watches or other valuables in the victim's possession. Particularly typical are the cases (especially in larger cities) when they catch up with the victim on bicycles or mopeds, snatch treir purse and disappear.

Only constant attention and a little distrust of people can protect you from them.

The police advise you

• Do not carry large amounts of cash with you.

• Do not pay with cash and be careful with cheques and payment cards.

• Take care of your personal luggage, carry it as close to your body as possible.

• Always keep your handbag closed and never leave it unattended (in a bar, waiting room, on a train...).

• Carry your wallet and documents as close to your body as possible, and not in your handbags, especially not in the outside pockets.

• Avoid crowds; perpetrators like the effect of surprise and speed and take advantage of the victim's inattention.

• Watch out for passing motorbikes and bicycles.

How do pickpockets work and what methods do they use?

Pickpockets love crowds and close contact with their victims. They can take advantage of crowded railway stations and trains, as well as elsewhere, for unnoticed theft.

Most thieves and pickpockets cooperate with each other and work in groups. A typical example of theft is when one of the pickpockets distracts a person and an accomplice steals their wallet.

Pickpockets know different ways of committing thefts, so in the videos below we present the most common ones so that you can properly protect yourself from them and prevent them from being robbed in time.

Prevention project Stop Pickpockets

The listed animations were created within the framework of the European prevention project Stop Pickpockets, in which the Slovenian police also participates and with which we want to encourage self-protective behavior among people and warn them of the presence of pickpockets. This is a pan-European campaign to prevent pickpocketing on trains, in which the German police have joined forces with several European countries. Europol and Railpol are also participating in the prevention campaign, and in Slovenia, in addition to the police, the Slovenian Railways is also active in the project. Although the project is primarily aimed at preventing pickpocketing at railway stations, the described methods of pickpocketing are used by perpetrators wherever there is a higher density of people (streets, shops, shopping centers, trains, buses, bus stops, etc.).

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