How do you track down pickpockets?
I stuff my wallet with paper and keep it in my pants pocket. Then I linger in prime tourist spots in foreign cities. Sooner or later, someone steals the wallet, and I try to steal it back.
Really?
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Yeah. If I successfully steal the wallet back -- and I often do -- the thief is usually willing to share the latest techniques.
What's a classic ploy?
A pickpocket squirts mustard on you unawares. He approaches you, points at the stain and starts to clean it. While he distracts you with one hand, he robs you with his free hand.
Why don't you study pickpockets in the U.S.?
Pickpockets are rare here because we train our cops well, we use security cameras and the consequences are too severe.
How do you make money?
I serve as a consultant to government officials in about ten countries, studying legal systems that fail to stop crime. I also educate tourists on luxury cruise ships.
Are tourists easy prey?
You bet. In my demonstrations, I steal wallets and watches of some passengers. (I return the items, of course.) In big European tourist destinations, such as Rome, there are 100 to 200 incidents a day.
What's the profile of a typical pickpocket?
In Europe, it's a gentleman in his fifties. Or else it's an immigrant, often of Romanian descent, usually a woman surrounded by children. In Latin America, it's often a teenager.
What's your advice for travelers?
Stash most of your money in a security pouch that you wear over your shoulder, around your neck or around your waist. A good pouch costs about $15.
Are you a former thief?
No! (Laughs.) When I was a teenager in my native Sweden, I read everything about con games that I could. Later, when I traveled in Asia, I got tired of seeing travelers get duped, so I began leading workshops on the topic.
-- Interview by Sean O'Neill
-
AI vs the Stock Market: How Did Alphabet, Nike and Industrial Stocks Perform in June?AI is a new tool to help investors analyze data, but can it beat the stock market? Here's how a chatbot's stock picks fared in June.
-
Stock Market Today: A Historic Quarter Closes on High Notes"All's well that ends well" is one way to describe the second quarter of 2025, at least from a pure price-action perspective.
-
How to Guard Against Identity Theft in 2025Scammers are getting better at impersonating legitimate businesses.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute VacationTravel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
Social Media Scams Cost Consumers $2.7B, Study ShowsScams related to online shopping, investment schemes and romance top the FTC's social media list this year.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day? Everything We Know So Far, Plus Early DealsAmazon Prime Here are the key Amazon Prime Day dates and details you need to know, plus some of our favorite early deals to shop ahead of the sale.
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Stepsinsurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
