Beware...Stolen Phones in the Meditarrean

[odiesam]

We were not on a cruise vacation but land based vacation In Rome this past June. Same scam at an outside cafe and my 28 year old son's iphone got stolen.

[celebrity]

Do your cell phones have locks on them? Do you have a tracking app installed?

 

I have a lock and find my iPhone app.

What else do I need to install?

[awhcruiser]

Lookout app is a good one if its available for iPhone.

I have a lock and find my iPhone app.

What else do I need to install?

[Bobal]

McAfee have a free mobile app which you can dowload then create a log in online. If your phone goes missing you log into your account and it will send a text to the phone - you have a choice of a few different messages - when the person holding the phone reads the text it takes a picture.

 

Now this may not be much use to someone who has their phone stolen on Ramblas but could prove useful in other situations.

[Desert Cruizers]

Sorry to hear of your Phone loss, yet having been to Barcelona, one never sets things down, put a purse on back of chair etc, you need to keep a firm hold on your belongings at all time. I didn't even carry a purse while there.

[poncho1973]

We scream money when we travel, so it's always good to be extra vigilant.

 

Perhaps you should avoid that? If you keep yelling about your money, of course everyone listens. It can't be good for your throat, either.

 

:D;)

[ehfl]

Can you please elaborate? If heaven forbid it does happen to me, I would have no idea how to remotely wipe and block it.

Thanks

 

It depends on your phone. On Android phones, log into play.google.com. On the settings menu (gear icon), click on device manager. Select your device, then click on ring, lock, or erase.

 

It's a good idea to try this right away to make sure your device is registered (just don't click on the Erase icon unless you really want to erase it!). If you don't see your device, go into the settings menu on your device, and select Security. Then go to Device Administrators and make sure Android Device Manager is checked. Once it's checked, it should show up on play.google.com.

 

For iPhones, I believe remote locking/erasing is done through iTunes, but I'm not sure about the details.

 

To encrypt your Android device, go to the Security settings and select Encrypt Device and Encrypt SD Card. That way, if it's stolen, they will not be able to access any data on your phone or storage card by bypassing the logon screen.

Edited September 29, 2014 by ehfl

[bigeck]

Just downloaded Lookout.

Thanks for info on it.

[LondonTowner]

I find it quite amazing that somebody would lay down an expensive phone on a table in a public place. it is common knowledge that these thefts happen all the time. In any city one has to have their wits about them.

 

My OH and self were in Barcelona earlier this year (not on a cruise). We didn't feel at all threatened or even think we were going to be robbed because we had taken the right precautions to keep our belongings safe.

 

We did see many tourists dithering around, looking at their maps, looking lost etc and more importantly, totally unaware of anything going on around them. Obviously, this makes for a prime target in any place, you don't have to be in Barcelona to be robbed.

 

I think the problem in Barcelona has escalated because it has become one of the main cruise ports in Europe. Therefore, the thieves know there will be a lot of easy pickings in a small area, but why make it easier for them by leaving something of value on view on a table, it's just madness. Sorry, can't be sympathetic when it is such a common crime wherever you are.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

I find it quite amazing that somebody would lay down an expensive phone on a table in a public place. it is common knowledge that these thefts happen all the time. In any city one has to have their wits about them.

 

My OH and self were in Barcelona earlier this year (not on a cruise). We didn't feel at all threatened or even think we were going to be robbed because we had taken the right precautions to keep our belongings safe.

 

We did see many tourists dithering around, looking at their maps, looking lost etc and more importantly, totally unaware of anything going on around them. Obviously, this makes for a prime target in any place, you don't have to be in Barcelona to be robbed.

 

I think the problem in Barcelona has escalated because it has become one of the main cruise ports in Europe. Therefore, the thieves know there will be a lot of easy pickings in a small area, but why make it easier for them by leaving something of value on view on a table, it's just madness. Sorry, can't be sympathetic when it is such a common crime wherever you are.

 

No one asked for your sympathy.

The FACT is I've owned phones since the earliest days including bag phones (for work). I've never had a phone stolen or lost for that matter. Perhaps the area of town you live in it's common place.

 

I posted this in an effort to warn others of what occurred and can occur. If you feel you don't need the warning... then move along and take your sympathy with you.

[cberge]

Just downloaded Lookout.

Thanks for info on it.

 

How do you do that with the bug. So totally cool!!

[LondonTowner]

The theft of phones is rife in any major European city, so we don't need to be told to look after our belongings, we do it automatically. Here in London it happens every day. In fact, I'm sure it also happens in NYC, Chicago, LA or any north American city too. I just don't understand why people don't look after their belongings. Neither do I understand why it needs a warning, just plain common sense.

[cruisemom42]

Barcelona has made virtually every travel website/magazine's "Top 10" list of cities for pickpockets and tourist scams for over a decade -- and they are often #1. Also, there are frequent threads here and on other travel websites full of stories of tourists and the various scams they encountered. It took me less than 5 minutes to find many similar reports to the OPs.

 

To me, this points out the necessity of doing some research on one's destinations before traveling. I wouldn't think of going to an unfamiliar destination without doing at least a little research to figure out how to be "street savvy".

 

Also, I see many posts here from folks who think they are too clever or too vigilant to be pickpocketed. Trust me, you aren't. Under normal circumstances, you might always be able to keep your hand in your front pocket where your wallet is (something I read again and again). But when someone bumps you hard, and you momentarily reach out to steady yourself against falling, the pickpocket has his or her opportunity.

 

The ONLY way to safeguard against this is to limit what you carry with you, and keep anything hidden away where it is inaccessible (inside a shirt or pants as an interior pocket or money pouch). Never leave something in an accessible pocket, an unguarded bag or -- worst plan -- on a table in plain view.

Edited October 3, 2014 by cruisemom42

[daisy-mae]

A friend of ours visiting Toronto from Germany a few years ago set his Iphone down on a table behind him in while watching a World Cup game in a sports

bar. Needless to say, it was not there when he turned to retrieve it a few minutes later.

 

Sadly, crimes of opportunity are not limited to a few select cities or countries.

[mare s.]

Yes, it can happen anywhere in the world. A few years back in St. Petersburg I was taking a photo (I had my purse strapped across my chest) and happened to look down and there was a hand in my purse! A young woman had sidled up next to me and, while I was occupied, quietly unzipped the purse and was fishing around inside. Fortunately I caught her, yelled and she quickly ran away. And more fortunately, I had nothing in the purse except tissues, hand sanitizer, and a brush and mirror. I did and still do keep money, credit card, documents, etc. in a pouch around my waist under my clothes. Awkward to get to when I want to make a purchase, but much safer. I also like the idea of having someone in your group standing next to you if you are going to take a photo. On this one occasion, I had lagged behind our little group in order to get the right photo.

 

I don't think there is any way not to look like a tourist (we all have to consult a map occasionally and we generally have the camera at the ready) so we are going to be prime targets. We just have to make it harder for the pickpockets and scam artists and not have anything of value in plain view.

[quercus alba]

My wonderful PacSafe bag served me well in Barcelona and Italy.

 

Unfortunately, it was not immune to "user error" of leaving it unattended under a table in Jamaica 2 years later... :(

[chloe kitty]

I am sorry that this happened to you. This kind of theft is so common in Barcelona, Italy, and Greece. They are wonderful places to visit. It is too bad that you have to be on guard for any possibility. Personally, I know people who have been robbed in Barcelona, Naples and Athens. I use a PacSafe purse now when going to most countries.

[poncho1973]

Moving to PacSafe bags was a great move for us. We love them.

[spunks]

Sometimes they can be quite aggressive. I was once accosted by a "gang" of 5 women (in Lavorno) with babies in their arms. I was yelling as they litterally backed me into a wall. They only backed off when I balled my fists up and started swinging. They then just melted away and went to the next "opportunity"

 

Doug

[Girr]

I am sorry that this happened to you. This kind of theft is so common in Barcelona, Italy, and Greece. They are wonderful places to visit. It is too bad that you have to be on guard for any possibility. Personally, I know people who have been robbed in Barcelona, Naples and Athens. I use a PacSafe purse now when going to most countries.

 

As already mentioned unfortunately this is a world wide problem. A couple of years ago there was an article in USA today which reported 40% of the crime in New York City due to smartphone theft, and 50% in San Francisco!:eek::mad:

 

Crime can, and does happen, anywhere. I'm just always amazed/stunned when I see people leaving cell phones laying around, purses not zipped, etc. While many of these "characters" are well versed in their "trade" often we make it just too easy. Several years ago my sister and I almost had our purses picked in the Paris Metro. (It was the old ruse where someone getting on the metro/train all of sudden turns around acting like they're on the wrong train.) We immediately knew the ruse, and each of us grabbed our purses - sure enough there was a hand in my sister's purse. Now, we never have anything of value in our purses, and it's there just for them to go after. One of my favorite memories is watching my sister chasing the would be pick pocket, yelling at him the whole way, and getting in a few licks with her cane.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Girr

[poncho1973]

Several years ago my sister and I almost had our purses picked in the Paris Metro. (It was the old ruse where someone getting on the metro/train all of sudden turns around acting like they're on the wrong train.) We immediately knew the ruse, and each of us grabbed our purses - sure enough there was a hand in my sister's purse. Now, we never have anything of value in our purses, and it's there just for them to go after. One of my favorite memories is watching my sister chasing the would be pick pocket, yelling at him the whole way, and getting in a few licks with her cane.

 

I wasn't an older lady with a cane, but I totally got felt up in the Paris Metro by a pickpocket. He couldn't have been a professional, because he was so easily caught.

 

I'm standing on a very crowded Metro. I have no valuables in my pockets, at all. We went around a slight curve and my body shifted to feel a hand sliding in my front pocket. He was a little, squirrelly guy and I'm a big, strong guy. He received a really strong elbow to the gut. I'd bet good money that he felt that for days. It had to bruise.

 

As a polite guy, I almost immediately felt bad. Maybe I had made a mistake? Maybe I just gut-checked an innocent man? The next stop he flew off the train and the little French lady next to me nodded at me and said he was stealing so I felt better about my reaction.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Sometimes they can be quite aggressive. I was once accosted by a "gang" of 5 women (in Lavorno) with babies in their arms. I was yelling as they litterally backed me into a wall. They only backed off when I balled my fists up and started swinging. They then just melted away and went to the next "opportunity"

 

Doug

 

For those of us who either are not inclined to ball up our fists and start swinging -- or more likely -- have no confidence that our swinging would have any productive results, the recommendation is to scream as loudly as possible. Do not yell "help." Yell "pickpocket" or "thieves."

 

Your aggressive experience is actually quite atypical. Most pickpockets work as silently and discretely as possible so they can remain in the area and go after multiple victims. If you draw attention to the silent type of pickpocket, you force them to leave a favorite or "productive" area.

[daisy-mae]

There is an interesting tv program about pickpockets in large cities (I forget the name of the show). The episode on Barcelona featured a local resident who rides the Metro with a whistle around her neck and makes a lot of noise to warn fellow commuters whenever she detects pickpockets on the trains.

[Shawnino]

Any large city can be bad, but Barcelona is the absolute worst as far as so-called Developed Countries go.

 

It's frustrating that the government/citizenry don't do more to try to control it. Someday they may wish they had.

 

We all know of towns, near us and far away, that let something slide and got a bad reputation that was nearly impossible to shake. How many extra years did it take NYC to shake off its image as crime-ridden, well after the city had recovered to being no worse than other US cities and better than many?