It's a nightmare come real. You go out the door feeling good, stand in line for the bus you take every day and seconds later end up wallet-less and angry. Pickpockets—they're the bane of not only tourists, but of everyone, Chinese and Western alike. However, foreigners can become easy targets. Here are some ways that thieves make a living off of ruining your day and some common-sense tips for how to keep your valuables safe where they belong—with you.

A hand in the crowd

For Western people used to their personal space, crowding in China is hard to get used to and it might be difficult to distinguish between somebody's innocent brush past you and a pickpocket's hand in your handbag.

A friend of mine moved to southern China from a small town in Canada where crime was rare and crowds rarer. He used to keep his cash in the front pocket of a backpack. My friend was lucky, but when our Chinese colleague had her mobile phone stolen out of the same pocket of her own backpack, he invested in a wallet.

Pickpockets often work in pairs or groups. Be aware of your surroundings. If you feel like one or two people have been following you through the crowd, stop walking and make eye contact with whoever's directly behind you. Let them pass you. If you're queuing up for something you can shift your body posture to make a moving target of your pockets, and make sure you have a firm hand covering your wallet, handbag or other valuables.

Kids and other innocent-looking people

A man once tried to pickpocket me when I was in Europe. He both looked and smelled homeless, and it was easy to avoid him. Unfortunately most thieves after your valuables in China ,or anywhere else for that matter, won't make it that easy to tell them apart from anyone else. Respectful looking children or young adults dressed in clean school uniforms, other tourists or even a guy reading a carefully folded newspaper —any of these could be a pickpocket. But before you get paranoid and start putting safety locks on your trouser pockets, remember that vigilance is also a very useful an anti-theft device. Pickpockets are less likely to target you if you look like you're confident and paying attention to the crowd.

Tools of the trade

When my parents came to visit me in China, I talked my mother into wearing a money belt and my father into separating his money, keeping some in his wallet for daily purchases and the rest of the cash in a separate, hidden, pocket. They did this to humour me, but it was hard to truly convince them that pickpockets could be wily enough to take your money out of your pocket or bag without anyone noticing. That is until we were walking down the main street of a small city one day after sightseeing. Suddenly Mom motioned us to stop and pointed out a man strolling a few feet behind two women. As we watched, he stretched his arm forward, as if exercising a tense elbow, and a long thin pair of tongs came out of his sleeve and into his hand. He deftly used this extension to probe in one of the women's coat pockets, came out with nothing but a packet of tissues, and, before we could cry out to warn the woman, tucked the tongs back in and strode away across the street.

Pickpockets can use tools to extend their reach, razor blades to slit your bag or pocket, dust or powder blown from a straw so you cover your eyes with your hands and leave your bags free, shoe polishing kits to draw your attention to your feet and away from your valuables, and other creative props.

Distractions

Creatively staged situations can also distract thieves' targets. A friend of mine got her phone stolen on a local bus in Kunming. Some teenagers in front of her were arguing about the fare and when another teenager pushed past her, supposedly to pay for them, he took her wallet. She realized it just seconds later, but the teenager had already passed it to someone getting off the bus and by the time she asked the driver to stop, the phone was gone. Any public spectacle, even a music performance, is a possible chance for a pickpocket.

How to protect yourself

The best way to protect yourself from pickpockets is to be aware that they are there. Scan crowds and when you find yourself in distracting situations, keep an eye on—or better yet, a firm grip on—your stuff. Don't put anything you wouldn't want to lose in the back pocket of your trousers or backpack.  Use carabiner clips or small padlocks to secure zippers on backpacks or large shoulder bags. Trouser and jacket pockets with fasteners like buttons, snaps or zippers are harder for pickpockets to target. A few companies, for example Pacsafe, make anti-theft bags with slash-proof paneling and straps that can't be cut.

Be aware that when you flash money in a public place, for example at a cash machine, there may be people watching you. Put money away securely before starting to walk. Keep your passport separate from your money, and if you must carry it, do it under your clothes in a money belt if possible. If your camera has a wrist or a neck strap, use that instead of carrying it loose in your hand. If something distracts you, you might put it down, and in a split second it could be gone.

In short, if you make yourself a less attractive target to the pickpockets, with a little luck, they'll likely leave you alone.

What to do if it does happen to you

However, even the most vigilant of people sometimes find themselves victim to this kind of crime. If this happens to you, first and foremost make sure that you're safe. Try to put your back to a wall while you check your other possessions. Get help from a police person or other authority figure. If you've been targeted, it’s likely that the other people around you are at risk too. If your passport, credit card or other identity documents were stolen you may need to file a police report to facilitate getting another one issued. The nationwide number for police is 110 in China. More info on how and when to call the police in China here.

Understanding how widespread of a problem pickpocketing is, the city of Beijing has a special hotline for pickpocket victims, 6401 1327, or you can even send an SMS to them at 13911991234. Many cities in China have special task forces devoted to stopping pickpocket crimes—the Shanghai government recently announced it has 200 officers working on stopping street thieves, and railway stations and trains everywhere have extra officers on duty during peak holiday travel times.

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