Phone snatching in London

[Letitrock]

Going to London next weekend and all I’m being warned about is phone snatching being rife.

We go a couple of times a year and I’ve never been particularly worried about this but a few colleagues have said it’s quite a problem now.

Is it worse than before? I often need to get my phone out as I approach a tube station to check the route and tap through the turnstile. Also I like snapping pics etc.

Is there something I can buy to kind of attach it to my body? 😂
Insights from Londoners please!

• keep your phone in your pocket, in your bag or in a lanyard around your neck
• always be aware of your surroundings and check them before getting your phone out
• don't get it out on the tube and mindlessly scroll through it - people may be watching who can follow you off the train and snatch it
• many phones are snatched right outside tube stations as people exit and immediately get their phone out to text or check their route, so don't do it!

Pretty much everywhere, I’m surprised you haven’t heard of this.

I also live in Zone 2 (in the south) and had it happen to a neighbour on our residential street. The nearby bus stop also seemed to be a hot spot for a time, and the large park nearby.

My DH had his phone snatched outside Barnet tube station. It's rife at the N. London stations. There was an article a few weeks ago in one of the papers which had a map of phone snatchings - I'll see if I can find it.

https://metro.co.uk/2024/04/26/map-reveals-worst-london-boroughs-phone-thefts-cases-rise-20727508/

Someone tried to snatch my phone, they were on a bike. They dropped it (idiot). My colleague had her phone snatched by someone on foot and a friend has his nicked by someone on a bike. We're obviously an unlucky bunch!

I live in London and yes, someone did try and snatch my phone once. They were on a moped and I was waiting to cross the road. I have no doubt in my mind that they saw pretty last minute I was heavily pregnant and changed their mind as they clearly swerved towards me and then last minute drove off. I had my phone in my hand.

To add I was actually on the phone holding it to my ear at the time in Hackney!

I have to be honest. Its a real problem at the moment and it seems to be very targeted.

My sons school has issued warnings (as have other local secondary schools) and have plain clothes police patrolling in both morning and afternoon. It is the younger secondary kids who are being targeted.

Tourists and tourist areas are also being hit really badly.

I'd definitely invest in something - not sure how effective wearing your phone round your neck is?

Just use common sense.

If you must use your phone on the street, do so on the inside (away from the road, lots of snatches recently are by people on mopeds / bikes).

Stop to check your phone if you can, don't walk around with your phone held out in front of you.

Keep your wits about you.

I'm 20 years having a phone and living in London and I've only ever had an attempted bag snatch one time (ironically on a really "posh" road and this was in 2007 when they were definitely after my bag and not my phone!)

I don’t like the neck straps but you can buy wrist straps online that attach to your phone and then go round your wrist.

I live in London and never see it but it does happen, my friend who had hers snatched while back and now uses one of those crossbody lanyard cases.

Yes, teens are a particular target

When I was younger a rumour went round that people in London would steal your watch by just cutting your arm off with a chainsaw. I was living in a small country town in the middle of a desert so it sounded plausible to me at the time

😆 Can't move for chainsaw wielding watch thieves here in London.

It can happen anywhere. I was walking in residential area London zone 3, when a moped, with two guys dressed in black in balaclavas came up on the pavement behind me and attempted to snatch my phone from my hand. Somehow I managed to hold on to it. I was on the inside of the payment but it made no difference as the moped mounted the pavement behind me.

I had my phone lifted from my jacket pocket last year in Spitalfields. I'm technically a tourist nowadays, but one who lived in London for a decade in an ungentrified area and so not totally naïve.

The driver of the cab I took from the police station where I reported it said he sees it happening daily, particularly when people are managing other luggage at train termini. And two of the six friends I met had had it happen in the past year, so anecdotally it seems to have escalated a lot recently.

I live in a big city that has lots of visitors, especially for the nightlife, and phones being snatched from people's hands isn't spoken about. Not saying it never happens, but it's definitely not at London levels.

You can factory reset it from locked and resell it, but what is increasingly happening is snatches where the person is using it so it's not locked and they have access to everything in your phone.

Someone posted this on the other thread it's got some really useful steps to take even though they are a bit overwhelming. Bolt the stable door before the horse has bolted instead of dismissing the risk! (I speak as someone who beefed up security after a burglary and not before)
www.moneysavingexpert.com/mobiles/steps-to-take-before-your-phone-is-stolen/

Yeah- there were a couple of things on this list I hadn't thought about. Also made my teens do them.

I was in London yesterday. I was just cautious of being aware of those around me and was careful when taking pictures. I kept my phone in my crossbody bag. I wouldn't put in pocket because that is a very easy pick. Unlikely to be grabbed while tapping at tube but I took my debit card for that so I didn't have to take phone out. It is rife currently.

Mine was taken from my pocket in theatreland. As the venues emptied out the pavements were rammed so it was easy to get close to people. I was being careful and keeping my hand over my pocket but took it away for a few seconds to hitch my bag strap and my phone was gone.

In my fairly small organisation three have had their phones snatched out of their hands near work and one had it attempted on the doorstep of our building but managed to keep hold of it. That is in the Fleet Street area. It's scrotes on e-bikes.

I wiped the data from my phone and then tracked it. It went to East London, then Dubai, then China. This isn't a random kid nicking it to get 50 quid to buy some weed. It's organised gangs.

It's on the increase, not because they want the actual phone itself, but it's the potential access to your apps at the point at which your phone is unlocked.

We recently travelled extensively around Europe by public transport and used a lanyard and a phone case with a wrist strap to avoid the phones being snatched.

@fanaticalfairy I know because I’ve seen it myself, had a meeting in a cafe outside of my work and watched through the window as three phone snatching occurred in an hour at one busy bus stop. Colleagues frequently post in Teams to alert others that they’ve just seen a phone snatch occur when they’ve come back from getting lunch/coffee/meeting. Building security who sit facing the road will also mention when it has happened. We seem to be located in a hotspot for this sort of stuff.

I work near Buckingham palace and I have seen it happen so often. I keep my phone in a crossbody phone bag (from Accesorize) under my coat. I tap in and out with my Monzo card.
I have three colleagues who have had phones stolen - all 3 from their pocket.

If someone steals my phone though my banking app is locked so surely they can’t access that? I guess they could do some contactless payments?