When you travel alone, sometimes you are at a higher risk of falling victim to a pickpocket then someone who travels with another person.  This is mainly due to the lack of "additional eyes" to help keep a look out for potential scam set ups. The following are some tips on how to avoid being a victim of pickpocketing when traveling alone:

• Do not put your purse or travel bag on the floor, not even in between your legs. If you have absolutely no other option, make sure that the straps are securely wrapped around your leg and your bag is completely closed.
• Be wary of the subways and the metro. If someone is too close to you or is pushing you while you are entering or leaving the car, he/she might be causing a distracting sensation so that you don’t notice he/she is searching through the contents of your purse or travel bag.
• If someone approaches you on the street and sticks a piece of paper between your face and your travel bag, beware. While you’re listening to why that person wants your signature or asks you to locate a destination on a map, their hand may be inside your bag.
• If you see a nicely dressed man or woman with their jacket lying over his/her forearm, he might be a thief. Under their coat is the perfect hiding spot for snatching your valuables.
• If you have your luggage with you and you are switching trains at the metro from the airport line, beware. Thieves will automatically think you are a tourist and will target you if you look like an easy mark.
• If you get on the metro and suddenly you are surrounded by a bunch of people, you might be standing in the middle of a gang of thieves. Usually they don’t move to make room for you or make eye contact, but just keep you trapped so that your eyes look for a way out while someone’s hand is in your purse.
• If you feel your purse or bag move and it is not a blustery day or you are not somewhere packed in like a sardine, look around. If the person standing next to you looks a bit suspicious but does not look you in the eye, beware, this is a good sign they may be the possible pickpocket.
• When sitting in a public place, do not hang your bag on the back of your chair. Instead, keep your bag on your lap or resting behind your body where you can feel it at all times.

While their are countless variations of these scams, take time to review the other pickpocket pages within this section for more in-depth pickpocket prevention tips.

The below is a video of a pickpocket who targets lone travelers who visit a cyber cafe in order to check email.