Imagine yourself walking up to the counter at McDonald’s looking at the menu with you hungry eyes, you order your hearts out and are ready to gorge on burgers and fries but hold on a second. You need to pay the fellow behind the counter before that; but horrors of horrors you cannot find your wallet! It’s gone and along with it the credit cards, driver’s license and more! The pickpocket has robbed you off the joy of the burgers and more!
How would you get it back? Lodge a complaint at the police station you would think. Well that could hardly be of any use as the person who performed the little magic trick on you may have long disappeared into the crowded streets and also because you may have a jam packed itinerary!
Want to avoid the above situation then read on!
It is very difficult to spot pickpockets in India; you could be extremely careful but still they may hit you. But again it’s always better to be careful and at least make it very difficult for them to make you a victim. Pickpockets generally disguise themselves. They may appear as wealthy businessmen and women carrying babies, or even impersonate tourists to strike unsuspecting targets.
How protect your valuables from the pickpockets in India
Never carry your wallet in your back pocket, as it’s very easy then for a pickpocket to sneak it away from you. The safest options are Front pockets or money belts or bags under your clothes. Backpacks and purses also draw the attention of pickpockets. If you need to carry them, you should hold it under your arm, cover it with your hand and never ever carry it on your back.
You could also actually carry an easily accessible “mock” wallet in your pocket so pickpockets never hunt for your real wallet.
Also remember do not look like a target to them. They generally hit tourists or people who look lost, bewildered, unfocused or distracted. If you seem sure of yourself, your surroundings and have an air of someone who knows what he’s doing then there are less chances of you being hit. Remember, most pickpockets want to avoid altercation. If you don’t look like the safest mark in a crowd, they would most likely let you be.
However as I said before; you could take all the precautions and still fall victim to the pickpockets of India. To minimize the damage keep a separate list of everything in your wallet or purse, especially all credit card numbers and the customer care numbers you could call to block the cards. This makes it a lot easier to straighten everything out if somebody does dupe you. You could stash your money, credit cards and identification in different places, so you’re less likely to lose it all at the same time.
Such steps however small they may be actually help you have a holiday free from rogues in India feasting on your money at the expense of your vacation and peace of mind. Remember pickpockets in India is everywhere and are well trained. They use their trade to steal every single on unsuspecting tourists.