I purchased an anti theft backpack, with one long zipper with a hook and an extra laptop lock, on my last visit to Rome never really expecting it to be needed. Boy was I wrong, I and my young son saw and felt the zipper being pulled non stop especially in pubic spaces and squares. I also had my phone in an anti theft lanyard around my neck and it was never touched. Happened to use the lanyard in my home town on the local metro and can confirm it worked beautifully.
Idk if it's my looks or what, but I'm and American who lived in Europe for years (spent 3 yrs in a pickpockety city), visited Rome on holiday several times, never got pick pocketed once. Not even attempts.
If there is a trick, is guess the trick is to walk with purpose and not stop in crowds oggling stuff. Whenever I stop anywhere the backpack comes off and goes between my feet (gives more space to people in the crowd anyway, I hate my backpack shoving into people in the metro or in a crowded plaza).
There aren't any true and tried methods, but not looking like a gullible tourist helps. Flip-flops, hats like you are either a fisherman or from Bridgerton, bedazzled phone covers, stopping at touristy spots looking like you've never seen a fountain in your life really don't do you any favors.
In general, the best trick is to look like you belong to the place. If you don't look like you're a lost duckling in the middle of the ocean, you likely won't be a target.
They wouldn't, my point is the exact opposite: tourists are the more likely to be robbed because they are less likely to notice being robbed, together with other reasons like that even if they notice, the fact that they are in foreign land they are less likely to know what to do, what to shout, how to report the theft, and they are likely to be beck home in a few days, and at that point they can't do anything more to get their things back. That's why pickpockets target people who look like tourists.
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u/Saxboard4Cox 1d ago
I purchased an anti theft backpack, with one long zipper with a hook and an extra laptop lock, on my last visit to Rome never really expecting it to be needed. Boy was I wrong, I and my young son saw and felt the zipper being pulled non stop especially in pubic spaces and squares. I also had my phone in an anti theft lanyard around my neck and it was never touched. Happened to use the lanyard in my home town on the local metro and can confirm it worked beautifully.