Here in Denmark we are craving warmer days, but an increasing threat appears when it is summer.

The amount of trick thieves increases when the weather is great, but that does not mean that there are no trick thieves during other seasons, it is just a bigger problem during summer. Since I am based in Copenhagen I have observed and heard stories about the different ways of fooling people to steal something. Based on what I experience and what different people has told me, I can tell you that trick thieves are an increasing problem in Copenhagen and with this blog post I hope I can prevent bad things to happen to you.

I may be paranoid, but whenever I am out in inner city there are people that tells me that they lost their phone, forgot their phone or the phone is broken and they need help from you. It could of course be a person that legitimate needs your help, but you really do not know the motive of the person that may or may not be a trick thief. I just find it very suspicious when the person just goes directly to you when many other people has passed him or her for a long time. I get it that if you need help you do not ask a random guy, but you want to ask someone you believe is friendly and one that can actually help you.

I feel like a jerk for not helping, but sometimes I get too suspicious and I do what I can to protect me and my belongings, since people around me have been victims of tricks thieves and pickpockets and I hate losing stuff. It does not mean that I do not help strangers I just do not help every single one like I used to and I feel really bad about it. I have always been very observant on my surroundings, which is why I like working with user experience where you need to observe and understand how a product, system or service can be improved and how it can benefit users. Some people might say I overreact from time to time, but I prefer to be on the safe side. I do not have the solution to be safe while at the same time helping a person that might or might not be a trick thief, but I hope I can help you out by listing some of the tricks I know:

• If there are people dancing around you, you should be on guard. In Denmark we call them dance thieves and they confuses you by dancing really close to you where they go after your belongings. Sometimes it is only one person that all of a sudden greets you and shakes your hands while he or she starts ‘dancing’ and moving his legs around your legs.
• People that wants to borrow your phone for an emergency. As soon as they get their hands on your phone they will run
• People claiming they need help, because someone just stole his or her wallet and it is the persons birthday
• Someone that wants to sell or give you fake jewelries. Do not look at it nor wear them, because as soon as they get your attention they will remove something you are wearing (watch, necklace, bracelet etc.) or take something from your pockets
• Do not let strangers that appears out of nowhere hug you
• People asking for directions with a map. After a short while fake English speaking police arrives to check your ID and will find ways to get your belongings
• A Person points at some cash on the ground and claims you dropped it. While the person got your attention a partner will go after your pockets or maybe something you have on a table or your card inside the ATM
• Your phone or wallet should not be visible on a table. Trick thieves will use a map or some paper to cover it and take it away while speaking to you
• Most of us are not very good at hiding our credit card pin code and there are trick thieves that look after it inside a store or supermarket. They might even try to take to take the card just right after with the help of a partner. Otherwise they will follow you and take it from you when the timing is right
• A person talking very loudly on a phone near you while a partner goes after your belongings

Then there are trick thieves that are related to cars and bikes:

• Cars in emergency lanes. Usually there are a few people and they claim to have problems with their car, but in reality they want to steal your valuables
• Cars stopping near you and wants directions. Again they are usually a few inside the car. No matter what you must not get near the car
• There can also be different tricks to get you out of the car while the engine is running. If you see a piece of paper sticking to your back window you must not get out of the car without pulling the key with you. Also do not easily get out of your car and trust strangers that claims your tires are flat.
• You should also be careful if you put your bags in a bike baskets where they are not secured. There are even stories about thieves that smashes car windows to take the purse on your lap

Lastly there are also home related trick thieves:

• People that claims they are here to fix the water, heat or something else.
• People that needs to use your toilet
• People claiming they are some sort of social worker

Trick thieves will do what they can to get inside your home and what is most important is to never let them get in. In most cases the trick thieves claims they need your help and that is very frustrating, because you want to help someone in need, but in reality they are after your belongings. What I can say is that you should not get near a car, do not receive things from strangers, do not let strangers carry your bags. Trick thieves will do whatever they can to distract you while they act or a partner acts. If you realise that something bad is happening you should scream and yell, because that scares most of the trick thieves away.

A French friend of mine sees a bad development in Copenhagen and he knows that places like Paris has a bigger problem, but he thinks that Copenhagen might end up like Paris if something do not happen soon. It is very understandable since it is a growing problem in Copenhagen. I do not have the right to tell you to become an ‘asshole’ to your fellow citizen, but right now I do not have another solution. You can of course be more careful when dealing with strangers, but trick thieves always have new ways to fool you.

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