A new map has revealed areas in London where phone thefts are prevalent, with thieves using scooters, electric bikes, violence, and distraction techniques to target victims. According to the British newspaper "Daily Mail," nearly 52,000 mobile phones were stolen in London last year. The most affected area in 2023 was Westminster, where tourists flock for theater shows and shopping, reporting 18,863 incidents, a 47 percent increase from 12,836 the previous year. Camden was the second most affected area, with 4,806 incidents, followed by Southwark with 4,376, Hackney with 2,761, Newham with 2,585, Lambeth with 2,394, and Islington with 2,117.
Shocking videos have shown thieves wandering near pedestrians before snatching their phones and fleeing quickly. One thief recently brought to justice stole 24 phones in one morning. A video shows a man dressed in black grabbing a mobile phone from a pedestrian before running away on a busy road near Tavistock Square in Marylebone, central London. In a separate incident, two thieves on a bike were filmed attempting to steal a man's phone. The victim, standing on the corner of a street in Tottenham, North London, was looking at his mobile phone but luckily turned around just as the bike approached him. The thief in the back tried to grab the phone, but the man managed to pull it back. Similar incidents are frequent in London, which has been classified as the most affected city in England and Wales, with criminals targeting wealthy shoppers and foreign tourists.
