Vietnamese guests told of being pickpocketed twice in Europe

Returning home after a trip to Europe in early 2026, Ms. Tran Do Ngoc Lan, currently living in the US, shared her story of being pickpocketed twice and admitted she was “still lucky”.

Due to caution, during the trip to Rome (Italy), Lan always carried her bag inside her jacket. But the only afternoon she wore a bag outside her shirt, she was attacked by a thief.

That day the bus was very crowded, Lan put her hands on her bag. The car stopped, people kept getting in and out, pushing and shoving, so she and her daughter had to stand close to people they didn’t know. She also had to pull her child closer to avoid a foreign man trying to get in between them.

“At that time, I saw my daughter’s bag was open, but I thought it was because people were pushing and the lock slipped out. I didn’t think the thief would be so quick,” Ms. Lan said. There were no valuables in her daughter’s bag, so she didn’t pay any further attention.

“While my mother and daughter were talking happily, I suddenly felt uneasy. I looked down and saw my fingers opening my wallet. That was the man who wanted to stand between mother and daughter,” Ms. Lan recounted.

This man’s tricks are quite sophisticated. Their group had two people, one person observed at the bus door, the other person acted “innocent” and held a large jacket in his hand, so that people around could not see his “finger moving” into someone else’s bag.

“When I discovered it, I shouted “Someone’s hand is in my purse” and grabbed it back. At that time, I also knew who did it, but in a strange country, I didn’t know if they had weapons or not, so I just dared to shout. At that moment, the man stopped and quickly jumped out,” Ms. Lan said.

She said it was partly luck and partly early detection, so nothing was lost. “When I discovered the thief, my legs trembled,” Ms. Lan said.

Previously, during her journey in Paris (France), Ms. Lan encountered a similar incident. “On the subway, two women carrying large black bags pushed and pushed despite not being crowded. They pretended to hold on to my hand to keep from falling, but their hand found my wrist under my jacket. She immediately pulled the gold bracelet I was wearing but it didn’t break. I also screamed loudly,” Ms. Lan said. She said that often during train or bus changes are the time when thieves strike because if a problem occurs, they will jump out of the vehicle when the door is opened.

Ms. Lan has traveled to about 20 cities in Europe. She said that each place has different tricks. In places with many tourists, such as France, Italy or the Netherlands, thieves are more prevalent. “Experience is always the need to be careful and careful anytime, anywhere,” Ms. Lan added.

After two “misses”, Ms. Lan advised tourists to Europe to limit bringing cash. People can save money at the hotel, divide the amount of money they carry with them each day, and use credit cards or other means of payment. Ms. Lan also sewed pockets inside her jacket to store important things, limit opening them, and only leave a little change outside.

In the summer, if you don’t wear a jacket, you can use sunscreen, wear a belly bag… to keep money and important documents hidden.

In addition, visitors should avoid standing near the exits of public transportation such as buses or subways. These are positions that require contact with many people, and criminals also escape quickly after “the act”.

“There is no way to recognize the crooks because they have many tricks. It’s not until they lose money that they realize it, so it’s best to be careful at all times,” Ms. Lan advised.

On European travel forums, many tourists also warn about theft tricks and prevent theft. Tue Pham, a tourist who visited Paris in late 2024, also warned about collective pickpocketing in Paris.

“It was a group of about 15 people from 8 years old to 30 years old. Their trick was to surround and line up to board the train with passengers. When the train arrived, taking advantage of the crowd and jostling each other, they began to carry out the act. The group of adults surrounded themselves so that 3-4 younger people could pickpocket the passengers. They jostled and pushed and covered me from the neck down with their hands so I couldn’t see anything below. After stealing, everyone got off the train and the car door closed, I did nothing. Yes,” Mr. Tue said.

Thanh Thuy, a tourist who has also been to Europe many times, lived in the Netherlands, traveled to Greece, the Czech Republic and some other places, shared her experience of not using branded items in checked suitcases. The suitcase alone costs thousands of dollars, so of course the contents inside are so good that thieves cannot ignore it. The more colorful the suitcase color, the better. It’s easy to catch the eye. Anyone who pushes it will see it right away, and thieves often feel embarrassed when they see a colorful suitcase.

“Money, passports, and credit cards must be kept close to the body and never left. I often use bags made from recycled beer caps, compact, cannot be slashed, cannot be cut, worn very fashionable, suitable for many clothing styles,” said Ms. Thuy.

Ms. Thuy also added, choose a safe place to go. “The world is vast and vast. Traveling is for comfort and fun, so don’t go to messy places. Going around stealing things will make you lose your joy.”