How to Avoid Getting Pickpocketed in India

A busy scene in front of the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi.

Anyone who has spent significant time in India has likely been pickpocketed. The teeming bazaars and crowded, narrow streets typical of most Indian cities make it easy for local pickpockets to carry out their shady trade. By following these simple steps, however, you'll manage to fluster even the most experienced street thief on your next India trip.

Things You'll Need

• An empty wallet

Instructions

How to Avoid Getting Pickpocketed in India

1. Avoid loose-fitting pants. You want to be able to feel your wallet against your leg at all times. Following this simple step alone will most likely save you any hassle from a street thief.

2. Carry a dummy wallet. Before heading out each day, slip the dummy wallet into your back pocket, making it more obvious to someone who might be following you. Carrying your real wallet in your front pocket.

3. Store most of your wallet's contents in a safe place in your hotel room, including unnecessary cards, forms of identification (like your passport), and extra cash. Carry only what you think you might need for that day's activities, plus a little extra in case of emergency.

4. Keep your wallet's contents hidden from view when making purchases. In other words, don't flash your cash to every taxi driver, street vendor, and hole-in-the-wall shopkeeper you meet.

5. Slip a couple extra 100-rupee notes inside your shoe, directly under your foot (or in some other equally-inaccessible area on your person). This way you'll always have a reserve, no matter what happens.

Tips & Warnings

• In India, tourists are generally expected to tip often, so keep some small bills--"tip money"--handy so that you don't have to pull out your entire wallet every time you're handing out a small tip.

• The same thing goes for beggars, who abound; whatever your feelings might be about handing out alms to beggars, it's not a bad idea to have some very small bills and coins in a small zip-up pocket that is easily accessible and apart from your wallet.

• Avoid large crowds when possible. It's when you are shoulder-to-shoulder, pushing your way through a crowd, that pickpocketing is most likely to occur.