Worksheet for

Bob Arno | Schooled by the

Professor of Pickpocketry
(Episodes 530 & 531)

Bob Arno can make you laugh, but he isn’t your

average comedian. Tickling your funny bone is just
a distraction while he steals your watch and wallet
— but it’s all for a good cause: education. With
sleight-of-hand mastery honed by real-life
observation and practice in criminal hotspots
around the world, Bob uses his talents to show
would-be victims how to avoid being robbed. He’s
the co-author of Travel Advisory: How to Avoid
Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams While Traveling, and
is featured in Pickpocket King, a National
Geographic documentary that shows Bob in action
on the streets of Naples, Italy.

In this two-part episode (part one here; part two

here), Bob teaches us how the psychology of
pickpocketing actually works; what we can do to
avoid being seen as an easy mark; some of the
tricks of the trade that he’s learned in the wild, and
how we can spot, catch, and protect ourselves
against thieves, pickpockets, and scam artists at
home or abroad.

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 Pickpockets Work in Groups
Bob notes that pickpocketing thrives in
places where unwary tourists congregate —
from airports to train stations to cruise ship
ports of call. And in cities like Naples,
pickpockets work in groups, with each
individual assigned a specific role in the
operation. A group of three will typically
close in on a victim, and the heist looks like
this:
● The Blocker boxes in a victim and
distracts them, while…
● The Cannon does the actual stealing,
and then passes what’s been stolen
to…
● The Shade, who takes it and hides it
out of sight.
Then, the group will split up. In this way,
even if the victim immediately notices their
wallet or other valuables missing and goes
to confront the person they perceive as the
thief (most likely the Blocker), the evidence
is long gone — even if law enforcement is
called in to investigate.

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 Why Are Police Clueless?
How can law enforcement often be
so clueless to this and other
common pickpocket strategies?
One of the main reasons, Bob says,
is a disparity in the level of
experience between thieves and
the police charged with tracking
them.
While a pickpocket may have been
practicing their craft for decades,
people in law enforcement are
often shuffled between
departments every couple of years.
Because of this, it’s more likely
someone in a group of pickpockets
will spot an undercover cop before
the undercover cop spots them —
and they’ll simply move on to a less
surveilled location to commit their
crimes.

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How to Protect Yourself When Traveling
So how can you make sure you’re as safe as possible when
traveling? Bob has these tips:

● Always read about your destination ahead of time. Get

familiar with the different neighborhoods in the area
where you’re staying and if they’re notorious for crime
or generally considered safe. You’ll easily discover that
you’re more likely to get pickpocketed or mugged in
Barcelona, Spain than Stavanger, Norway.
● Ask the person at the front desk about local crime and
the safest times to leave/return to the hotel. Even
better: ask the porter who stands on the street all day
and may actually live in the neighborhood.
● Carry easily accessible “give up” money you can afford
to let go if you’re mugged or pickpocketed. Keep your
passport (or a copy of it to easily report at the embassy)
and the majority of your cash and credit cards in the
safe at the hotel.
● If you are on a bus or subway, stay away from the door.
Pickpockets congregate here because it’s the easiest
place from which to escape.
● Wear clothes that are form-fitting. Baggy clothes make
things easy for even the most inexperienced
pickpockets. In a crowd, keep your hand in contact
with your wallet through the fabric of your pocket so
you’ll be aware if someone’s trying to lift it.
● If you have to carry a purse, try to make sure it’s one
that zips up or closes in some way. Squeeze your arm
around the purse and try to protect it under an extra
layer of fabric like a coat or shawl. Keep phones, wallets,
and other valuables at the bottom so they’re less
accessible to pickpockets who might still manage to
open the purse.

Full show notes and resources for this episode can be

found here.

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