Paris, the City of Lights, is also a haven for pickpockets, especially targeting unsuspecting tourists. It’s a sad reality that many visitors fall victim to these skilled thieves who operate in popular tourist spots like museums, crowded subways, and train stations. Easy targets are identified by their language, clothing, guidebooks, and cameras, signaling they are tourists, often carrying significant amounts of cash and distracted by their unfamiliar surroundings.
The Modus Operandi of Parisian Pickpockets
Professional pickpockets often work in pairs or larger groups, using clever techniques to distract and steal from their victims. The unfortunate tourist may only realize their wallet is missing when they remember being jostled on the subway earlier. A lady’s purse with a zipper or clasp is no problem for a skilled pickpocket if it’s left dangling carelessly out of sight or carelessly placed on the floor in a restaurant or shop. Shockingly, 70% of pickpocketing victims in Paris are women. Sadly, men are also easy targets with an open outside pocket.
Protecting Yourself: Tips for Staying Safe in Paris
The pickpocket’s primary goal is your money, but often, they end up with more, as many tourists carry important documents in easily accessible travel wallets. Losing a passport, identification, tickets, cash, credit cards, and traveler’s checks can quickly turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. While a stolen wallet might eventually end up in the Paris “Lost and Found” office, the real hassle for the victim is replacing all the essential documents and enduring the stress of dealing with a compromised trip.
Here’s how you can protect yourself:
- Minimize what you carry: Leave valuables like jewelry, Euro passes, airline tickets, travelers’ checks, extra cash, and your passport in your hotel safe.
- Don’t carry your passport everywhere: After entering France, American tourists aren’t required to carry their passport constantly. A student card or driver’s license is usually enough for identification checks. Carry your passport separately from your wallet or handbag. This can be challenging for women, but men can keep their passports in a front pants pocket instead of an inside jacket pocket. Never let one person in a group carry all the passports, and avoid putting all passports in the same bag or briefcase.
- Hold your purse or shoulder bag securely: In crowded areas, hold your purse or bag tightly under your arm. Keep it on your lap or in plain sight in restaurants and public places. On the street, women should walk away from the curb and carry their handbag close to their body to prevent motorcycle thieves from snatching it. Avoid standing close to the curb while waiting to cross the street. Be extra cautious around groups of noisy children with distracting signs or papers begging for money; they might be skilled pickpockets.
- Don’t leave valuables in your car: Locks are easily bypassed by skilled thieves, and even the trunk is not secure.
- Don’t resist a mugging: You risk getting hurt. If you see a pickpocket in action, don’t confront them unless a police officer is nearby. Some pickpockets carry knives.
- Don’t panic if you get robbed: It’s a distressing experience, but try to stay calm. Ask for the location of the nearest police station (commissariat). Each of Paris’s 20 districts has three or four police stations, and train stations also have one. Report the theft or loss to the police, who will provide a Récépissé de Declaration de Perte ou de Vol. This receipt is essential for insurance claims and helps with temporarily replacing your identification documents. If you lose your passport or require other assistance, contact the American Embassy.
Practical Tips for Safeguarding Your Money and Documents
To minimize the risk of losing your valuables, follow these practical tips:
- Carry only the minimum amount of cash.
- Divide your money into several places on your person.
- Use small or medium denomination banknotes.
- Keep your PIN numbers secret and don’t throw away receipts.
- Record your credit card numbers and keep them separately.
- Make photocopies of your passport and driver’s license. This will be extremely helpful if the originals are lost or stolen.
- Write down your temporary address and carry it with you.
- Don’t write your name and address on your key ring.
Additional Precautions in Public Transportation
Public transport, especially buses, subways, and RER trains, are particularly vulnerable to pickpockets. Therefore, exercise extra caution:
- Be wary if you are jostled.
- Ensure the opening of your handbag faces you.
- Don’t carry valuables in your side or back pockets.
Leaving valuable items in your vehicle significantly increases the risk of theft. Taking simple precautions can help you protect yourself from this crime:
- Always close your windows and lock your doors, including the trunk, even while driving.
Resources for Further Information
For more information on staying safe in France and international travel, visit the State Department website pages on Country Information for France and International Travel, and the French police website.
By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of pickpockets and enjoy your trip to Paris without worry.
