Unfortunately, petty crime exists almost everywhere. Some place more than others, however, have a propensity to attract these pickpockets because of the popular tourism that occurs there. Barcelona, Rome, London, and basically a major European city is secretly speckled with people just itching to stick their hands into your pockets and swipe your cell phone, ID, and cash.
One way for women to prevent pickpockets is to purchase an over the shoulder bag to wear across your body. It is important that this bag has a variety of zippers and that when you wear it, you told the bag in front of your body, preferably under a jacket or holding the purse where the zipper ends.
Having a lot of zippers and keeping your hands on your purse at all times is extremely important. It’s the moments when you have your purse more towards the back of your body when pickpockets will typically be able to swipe your belongings. Especially on public transportation, too, is when you should be extra careful about keeping your bag in front of your body.
There have been instances where women and men have worn bags that seemed pretty secure but have worn them over the shoulders and gotten them stolen. For example, if you are wearing a bag over one shoulder and are close to the street, it is super easy for pickpockets on motorcycles to grab your bag as they zip by on their motorcycles. So, moral of the story is to be very careful when going abroad and make sure to purchase a bag that will prevent the intrusion of pickpockets.