What to do if you are pickpocketed while travelling

While travelling, you may always be careful about your belongings and valuables. But, even then, one can be pickpocketed or have his belongings stolen in any part of the world.

First, you should research your destination and know if the city/region explicitly reports many such cases yearly. If that is the case, you can often find tips from other tourists or city dwellers online. Several popular touristic destinations like Barcelona, Paris and Rome are supposedly risky. In fact, during the Carnival, you should also be careful in Cologne. However, irrespective of where you are, you should always be careful in crowded places like metro trains or stations, as people are often easy targets in crowds.

 

If, unfortunately, you do lose your wallet or belongings, this is what you should do (based on personal experience):

 

1. Rush to a police station, or ask some officials at the nearest station for directions to the right post.

 

2. Block your credit and debit cards immediately. The police station has all the emergency numbers of major card companies. You can also look up your bank’s 24-hour hotline (if you have internet access) and call them directly. 

 

3. File an FIR. You will be given a form in which you would have to state all the items you lost, including the description of your bag/wallet, amount of cash(if any), cards, keys, etc. Make sure you state everything. Also, you would need to write down the place, time and any details you remember of the incident.

 

4. After submitting the form, you should be given a copy. Keep it safe, as it will help you track the case further.

 

5. If you lose your passport, call or visit your country’s embassy in your current location. Carry your FIR and request a temporary travel document to fly back without hassle.

 

6. If you leave the city shortly, you can email the police station for a follow-up, stating your reference number in a few days.

 

7. You might be asked to submit copies of lost documents if you live nearby. At such times, it is beneficial if you already have stored scanned copies of your important documents, such as visa, passport, insurance card, etc.

 

8. If you are left without your wallet and cards and are out of money, you could either call up someone you know in the city or ask a friend to transfer some money to you via Western Union or Moneygram, for instance (whichever mode of transfer is most suitable at that point).

 

9. Once you return from your trip, you could contact your insurance company and claim some of your losses if you are covered by travel insurance. Your copy of the FIR will be necessary proof if you plan to make any claims or ask for a re-issue of your essential documents, like your residence permit, passport, etc.

 

For those travelling abroad from India, you can refer to the list of companies officially recognized for the Schengen Visa.

 

Here are some ideas for theft-proof bags and accessories to prevent pickpockets from slashing your bags or stealing your information: Travel accessories- theft-proof

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