How to avoid Pickpockets in Italy ?!?

We were very fortunate on our trip that this did not happen to us, however we were also very aware of this pick pocketing issue before going on our trip.  A friend of mine were pick pocketed on a bus, a guy held out something sharp to his back and whispered for him to give him his wallet, after my friend handed the wallet to him, he actually opened it up to check to see what was in there, luckily my friend only had his secondary ATM card with only a small amount of cash that he had transferred in there the night before but he did have too much cash, he lost 100 euros ($150 dollars).  And I read on multiple blogs and travel forums, that pick pockets work in groups, 3 or more at a time by creating diversions, while the others work the crowd.  Individuals in this group can be young girls or boys or women, so it will not be so obvious, so just beware of your surroundings.

Suggestions and tips:

1.     Get a money belt or ankle belt or any other under money holder that you can keep under your clothes.  You can keep your stash of cash in here or a copy of your passport or credit cards(see my blog for Traveling to Europe Checklist)

2.     Get a 2nd wallet (for primary use throughout the day) and where you will be keeping your daily spending just in case this does happen to you, this will not ruin your trip.  Put a couple of fake credit cards in your second wallet (the ones you get in the mail or just use an old gift card), you want to make it look legit in case they open it up to examine as mentioned above. 

3.     Do not have your 2nd wallet in your back pocket, keep your 2nd wallet in the front.

4.     Backpack, when walking through a crowded area (metro stations, sites), keep your backpack in the front.

5.     Purses, where across your body and in the front.  I had mine in the front with my jacket over it.

6.     Be alert of your surroundings, especially in train stations or metro stations or any where that is very crowed (Colosseum and Vatican are both favorite pick pocketing spots).

7.     Don't stand too close to strangers.

8.     Avoid talking to strangers, it is not common that Italians will try to start a conversation with you.

9.     When in restaurants, keep your backpack/purses/belongings on the table or in between your legs (not on the floor next to you or hanging off the back of your chair).

10.  Put your map in a magazine or a local paper to use when you need to reference while walking around.

11.  Walk with a purpose, try not to look lost by planning your course ahead of time or go to a nearby cafe or bakery or find a place to sit down before proceeding to look at a map.

12.  Beware of diversions as I mentioned above, pick pockets work in a group, someone may try to bump into you, someone trying to talk to you - this is not a common thing - so beware (unless you are on a tour with these folks).

13.  Leave your expensive jewelries at home, for women with a nice wedding band or wedding set, leave these expensive items at home (I suggest wearing a simple band if you feel naked without your ring).  Same with your diamond studs, leave those at home, don't wear blingy jewelry.  There is no need for you to draw attention to yourself and become a target.  It is better to look poor.

14.  If you are traveling alone, try to avoid taking buses late at night (in Rome specifically) since Metros stop running early, pay extra for a cab (for safety).  But if you must, act confidently like you been there for a while, and if you need to ask a question about where to get off (ask the driver, not the folks on the bus).  We took a late bus one night, there was a large group of teenagers and we were missed our stop so we were talking among ourselves and this one teenager boy started a conversation with us, told us to get off with him on the next stop and he would walk us to the a different bus stop (of course, this is a definite NO NO, we said no thank you, waited until they all got off and we went and talked to the driver and stayed on the bus until it went through its cycle and ultimately got off at our stop on the 2nd round).  We lost some time but it is better a little bit of time than your life.

This is a lot of information however this could save you some trouble and help you avoid ruining your entire trip. Feel free to email or comment with questions for anything I may have missed.  Enjoy your trip.