10 Things to KNOW to OUTSMART Pickpockets in Paris

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Visited France for the first time with my wife. Went into the train with a suitcase and a sling bag containing over 3000 Euros and my passport. A young couple with a baby in a trolley positioned very close in front of us. Another man positioned on our right side and was also squeezing us. Finally a man in a suit stood on our left side. I was thinking probably nice French people. When the train started to move, I looked up to hold on to the metal rails above and when I looked down, a jacket was already covering my bag in front of me. My instinct kicked in and pushed the jacket away (being a Captain in the armed forces and a black belter in various martial art disciplines). I saw a hand already inside my bag holding my documents and money so I grabbed that hand and gave it the most painful locking twist which almost broke the hand. The man started swearing at me and shouting expletives, the other 3 people were also starting to confront me while my wife was wondering what was happening. I was prepared to fight them all but at the back of my mind, I was a bit worried as I was in a foreign land and do not know what will happen to me if I beat them all up. Luckily, my wife pulled me away and we immediately went out of the train when it stopped. The 4 people were still getting more aggressive (specially the suited man who now has a very painful wrist) but to be honest, they were all lucky as we were in France and not in where I came from as I do not tolerate people stealing from me. The sad thing was that not a single word or intervention came from the many people in the train. Maybe it was a French culture or they see this everyday and no longer care. Anyway, I did not enjoy my holiday in France as I have to be hyperactive whenever we were in a crowded place. This is a true story and I hope everyone will look after themselves when they go to France or any other holiday destination.

I'm french and have lived in Paris and around almost my whole life. Simple tricks are, put your bag in the front. If you have a backpack, flip it so its on your front. Nothing on your backpocket, and if you have wide pocket that can't close on your jacket or pants, Don't carry your phone/wallet in it put it in your bag. They will check the bulge of your pockets. Also when you are walking with your phone in your hand, don't leave your hand hanging on the side and place it in front of you. I've seen people get their phone snatched out of the hands while walking. They walk behind you and pass you on the side your holding your phone on and run. If you keep your hand in front they can't do this as it has to be quick. If you are withdrawing money, check the people behind and around you before you put your code. They do everything to go unoticed so look at them straight in the eyes while you stop what you do and they will walk away. Don't be scared of looking at people in the eyes when suspicious. If they have no ill means they will just look at you back wondering what's wrong or avoid eye contact. Scammers and pickpockets tho will go away in fear of being confronted. Keep a hand on your bags/luggage in the metro if you can too! Stay safe people!

I've been to Paris numerous times, and thankfully, I have not been targeted -- at least not that I was aware of. I'm too much of a New Yorker and never let my guard down. I leave the expensive stuff at home, wear minimal jewelry, don't carry gadgets or electronics, never, ever carry backpacks , and always keep my suitcase locked when I leave the hotel room. I never put money in my pockets, keep most cash concealed on my body, with the minimum that I'll need for the day in my purse. I usually wear a cross-body bag and put my jacket on over it. I carry only essentials, and I hold the bag in my arms when I board the train or am in crowds rather than let it dangle. I carry a cloth tote bag as well with a folding umbrella and water bottle and to stash any small purchases. I also move further inside the trains or try to find a seat. I NEVER hang my bag anywhere, like on the back of a chair and always keep it in my lap in a restaurant, zipped up and still tethered to me. I ignore anyone who tries to stop me or get my attention and will often just push right past them. Same thing with anyone who stops in the middle of the sidewalk or top of a staircase disrupting the flow of traffic. I know this may sound harsh, but I am always mindful that these kinds of bottlenecks are created by design to entrap potential victims.

Me and my husband were at a Copenhagen station with luggage and needed to look at a map. Clearly vulnerable, mid aged tourists 🙄 but we were aware. We each noticed a ‘triangular’ team - 3 people at different points watching us. One came over to ‘help’. The other two moved forward at the same time. Both of us surprised each other by suddenly shouting extremely loudly ‘ go away, get away from us!’ They disappeared so fast, we weren’t sure if it had happened but it did and a sixth sense had come into play, thank goodness. Drawing attention is the last thing they want!

One of my best decisions for international travel (where I take mostly public transportation) is to buy travel coats/bags optimized for security (but don't look it). 1) All my coats MUST have internal zip pockets where valuables are secured and I don't fuss with them on the move 2) I carry a travel phone with local sim and keep my primary phone in the hotel safe 3) I carry a dummy wallet with an expired card, transit pass, and a few local dollars should things get ugly and I need to hand something over 4) Small slings/bags worn on the chest are a strong deterrent as the perpetrator would struggle to gain access Finally, if you are lost or confused, don't be a cheapskate. Take a cab and pay more to get where you need to be. Looking lost = increased risk. These small adjustments allow me to travel happy and safe

I'm a train operator in Paris this tips should be known by every tourists who coming in Paris. Nice job

Great advice!  My wife and I used to go to Paris nearly every year for several years. In 2011, I made a decoy wallet and put it in my back pocket. It was an old wallet of mine that I stuffed fat with flyers for strip clubs in Las Vegas. I then took the electronics from a speaking greeting card (the cards that have a funny voice greeting when you open them). It said "Hey baby, do you want a piece of this?". We had spent several days roaming around Paris with the wallet in my back pocket. On our final morning, I commented to my wife that I was a bit disappointed that nobody had stolen it from my back pocket yet. That day we were at the Philippe Auguste Metro station and it was crowded. I walked my way to the turnstile which suddenly locked on me. The man in line behind me bumped into the back of me and I didn't think much of it. When we returned to our apartment in Saint Martin, I suddenly realized that the decoy wallet was gone! We had a good laugh about it and imagined the pick pocketer's expression when he opened it up.

For me it was over 20 years ago on our honeymoon. My husband and I were travelling from Disneyland. We were very tired. we placed all our bags and shoppings in the seat in front of us because it was late and the train was almost empty (we were young and very naive-we did not expect bag snatchers in Paris). My husband fell asleep. In one train station, a group of young men(6-7) came in, looking around - I thought they were just looking for a place to sit. But I still got my tourist hat on, so I just observed them, curious about the youth culture. One young man kept coming towards our direction and slyly looking at us and our things. He tried to not make it obvious, but i was following where his eyes are going. He was benignly smiling, but I felt something was off. Then they all decided to go back out, but the young man went for one of my bags. We grabbed the handles at the same time, and for a few seconds we just looked at each other to see who will let go. He looked surprised that I was holding on to my bag. I was thinking "This is dangerous, the bag is just filled with snacks" but for some reason i could not let go. Thankfully the train door started to close and he ran back out without his loot.

I used to teach self-defence. There is an innate tendency in all humans to look to the front. You really have to force yourself to look around and behind. Awareness is always number one. Pick-pockets tend to sense when you’re switched on and leave you alone anyway. Merci pour les super vidéos.

Very good advice. I was in Paris alone in 2019 for ten days. I felt very safe even at night . As a solo female, I made sure to be aware of my surroundings and applied the tips in this video. Also: 1- I bought a Travelon anti theft purse. 2- I had another thin anti theft hidden extra thin belt bag that I wore inside my pants. 3- On the metro platform made sure to walk alongside a wall, to avoid being surrounded on all sides. 3- Avoided being in a crowd. 4- Looked around for those young Kids, and weird People. 5- In the trains, I made sure to be far from the door and against the train wall, or in a corner, to be able to see what was in front of me. 6- I made sure not to look like a tourist, so, no map watching, or travel book . 7- Dont use your phone as much as possible in train station or in train, some pickpockets are specialised and will run and grab your devise.

As a security pro I can confirm that this is solid info. I would add that there are bags and clothing (pacsafe & clothing arts are examples I trust) specifically designed to thwart pickpocketing and they are certainly worth a look to protect your valuables. Inside the waistband money belts are also worth considering.

Excellent advice. The only time I have encountered problems of this kind was when my travel companion who had not done her homework was distracted while she was loudly telling me off for being "paranoid". Needless to say that my friend learned the hard way that my concerns were justified.

Thanks for these great tips, I think you covered all the bases. I once saw a guy reaching into a lady's shopping bag on the bus. Lots of people saw him do it and called out to the woman that he was stealing her things. If people look out for each other this way, the pickpockets have much less chance of success.

Excellent and clear advice. My father was the victim of a pickpocket in Paris at the Tuileries Metro station. He was on an escalator and the pickpocket team was in front and behind him. At the top of the escalator the one in front hesitated to move away from the escalator, creating a moment of confusion. My father yelled at him and return to the family shaking his head about how someone could be so stupid to stop at the top of an escalator. Then he realized that his big fat wallet that he always kept in his back pocket with his passport we're gone. This was the last day of a 3-week once in a lifetime family vacation. We spent half a day at the police station and then the embassy to report the theft and get a replacement passport. For the entire trip we had been telling my dad not to put his wallet in his back pocket the way he always did at home. He just refused to do it. He thought he'd be able to feel it and then catch the person. Instead, thie.theft killed the fun for the day and ended the trip on a sad, sour note. He was really down for a couple of days with remorse, embarrassment, and anger at himself. And, of course, that was always one of the big events when we talked to other people about our trip so he had to keep hearing about it over and over. So, for all you stubborn guys, take everything in this video to heart and save yourself from a really embarrassing story about you.

Thank you for this video. We watched this video before our trip from US to Paris in early June. The tips provided were super useful. We (2 kids and 2 adults) got off the Eurostar at Gare Du Nord, bought metro tickets and headed towards one of the metro entrances for our hotel. As I was helping our younger child navigate the ticket turnstile, a guy slipped his hand into my pocket and put his hand on my wallet. My child by that time had made it to the other side to my wife. I immediately sensed the hand in my pocket but was in motion to make it to the other side of the turnstile. So I stopped midway through the turnstile, the gate slammed on me but I grabbed my pocket and guy's hand so tightly that he let go off the wallet in the pocket and acted as if he has was just making his way past the turnstiles. He also had an accomplice in the adjacent aisle who was there for cover. Both guys seemed like african immigrants and were mum when I confronted them on the other side. While we were shocked at how close we were to losing the wallet and all the trip cash, ids, cards etc, we were thankful for this video and its tips and to the Lord Jesus for protecting us from such a loss. Overall, we enjoyed the rest of the Paris trip and we are thankful for videos in this channel. Thank you Antoine and Colleen.

I read of a great tip also. In Europe you sometimes come to an area where there is a sign saying “watch out for pickpockets” which I legit. But the habit (I’ve done this) for many when they read that sigh is to feel in their pocket where they have valuables/cash/credit cards. So pickpocket apparently wait around those areas, and many of us pretty much tell them exactly where we have our valuables!

About 40 years ago, 3 of us (males) on the Ponte San Angelo bridge in Rome were surrounded by about a dozen kids and a 45ish woman. We were all experienced travelers and immediately went tactical. Our wallets were in our front pockets and the kids pressed asking for money. We all shouted NO, swung our arms around and made faux kicks. One of us (ex cop) felt a hand, he grabbed it (the woman) and had her on the ground flat on her back in half a second. The kids ran and we shouted GET LOST. She got up on her own and fled.

Great tips. I'm a solo traveller in my 60's and quite often get approached by seemingly benevolent people who want to "help" me. But I'm experienced and I'm not afraid to say "no thanks" I'll even rehearse this phrase in whatever language I need. My day-backpack only contains clothing and a water bottle. All my valuables are in a reliable slash-proof, tamper-proof across the body bag with special locking devices that makes it a pain to open but I have the peace of mind knowing that pickpockets will struggle with it. My pockets contain nothing of value. The main thing is to be situationally aware, don't flash money or valuables either. A great traveller told me once that "Paranoia is the ultimate state of awareness." Just know that while you're out enjoying your holiday, someone is certainly watching you in tourist areas. My attention isn't on my phone either, but sometimes I have to consult Google maps to find my route which makes me a target so I use tactical glances on my phone navigation App, no volume to attract attention, and keep scanning as I move through crowds. It's all become second nature to me now,

This video is spot on! I was recently the victim of pickpockets and I currently live here. I was with my 2 daughters. A group of young girls (14-15 yrs old) rushed onto the train before the doors closed. They started asking us directions to get to the Eiffel Tour to distract us. One of the girls opened my purse and took my wallet while one was distracting me with questions-textbook scenario and I fell for it. My daughter said she saw these girls walking the platform before the train arrived. It was line 1 train. I’m sure they heard us speaking English and targeted us. Many of these groups are Eastern European teenagers. Don’t talk to anyone on the metro, shake your head no or shrug your shoulders. I notified the RATP and filed a police report. Also when I carry a backpack I put a small luggage type combination lock on the main compartment zipper. As they say in the video, stay off your phone and be vigilant.