[VIDEO] Malaysian Man Warns Tourists Of Pickpockets In London After Catching Them On Video
The thieves didn't know they were being recorded the whole time.
By Deborah Chan — 07 Mar 2023, 06:24 PM
A Malaysian traveller narrowly escaped the nightmare of having his valuables stolen when he noticed someone attempting to pickpocket him at Oxford Street, London on Friday, 3 March
In a TikTok posted by user @Izz_akrm, he is seen walking along Oxford Street with his friend.
A woman is seen approaching him and discreetly reaching out for his bag, attempting to steal the items inside it. However, the thief only manages to unzip the bag as the man remains unaware.
As they continue walking forward, the woman makes a second attempt and reaches her hands into his bag. The man quickly notices her presence and looks down at her.
When he confronts her, the woman retracts her hand, acts clueless, and quickly walks away.
"During the second attempt, I noticed her trying to pry open my bag, but when I confronted her, she did not admit it," said the man in the video.
According to his voice-over, the man initially suspected the thief to have two other accomplices, as they were all walking side by side.
The man and his friend had captured the entire incident on their camera, unbeknownst to the thieves
The man's friend had been recording their journey down the street with an Insta360° camera that went unnoticed by the perpetrators, and unknowingly caught the whole thing on camera.
"Beware everyone, take care of your belongings properly," advised the user.
The video has since garnered over two million views and thousands of comments from locals all over the world
A few users were impressed by the discreetness of the thieves at unzipping the bag.
"The real problem is how smooth they are while [swiping]. Clearly, they are trained. If it was me, the moment I were to stretch out my hand, I'd be caught," joked the user.
Many also speculated about the true amount of accomplices involved in the incident.
"Total thieves are actually four, not two people, said a user, to which the man replied, "There are actually a total of five (thieves in the video)."
Many users said that the pickpockets in London undergo a type of training to increase their stealth and develop the skill.
"They (the thieves) undergo pickpocket training in a group. My friend once lost his wallet even though it was kept in his front pocket," commented a user.
Some users shared their personal habits when travelling in foreign countries that help keep them safe.
"Usually, I would wear clothes that don't make me look like a tourist and I would walk fast. This helps me avoid becoming a target. So far, I've not encountered any pickpocketing attempts," advised the user.
