This week a large part of the Netherlands is enjoying the autumn holidays. If there's one thing that can really ruin a vacation, it's getting rolled over and running out of money, credit card, or travel documents. International Card Services (ICS) investigated where tourists should be most alert to pickpockets. Who is most likely to get rolled and why? The analysis shows that most pickpockets are located in southern European countries.
15,000 reports of stolen credit cards were analyzed over more than 1.5 years and it was found that Dutch tourists are most rolled in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece. You have to be very careful around busy squares, streets and sights, but pickpockets are especially active at metro and train stations. A well-known trick is that the PIN code is copied when buying a ticket. Once in the train or metro you are surrounded or tapped and at that moment your pass is stolen.
What is striking is that young people between the ages of 18 and 21 and people over 75 are twice as likely to be rolled. “With these groups you can clearly see that naivety and being less alert play a major role. Young people also pay less attention to their belongings.” Another well-known tactic is creating a distraction, after which the pickpocket makes his move. Think of football players or acrobats who demonstrate tricks in front of you and distract you, while a co-perpetrator makes his move. Or someone who asks for directions while his or her accomplice empties your pockets.
