Pickpockets are, unfortunately, a risk for tourists around the world, with some of the popular theft hotspots including Paris and Rome according to recent data from Quotezone.co.uk.
Visitors to the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon in Rome, the Duomo di Milano in Milan and the Gallerie degli Uffizi in Florence mentioned having items stolen in 1,906 online travel reviews in 2022. France, meanwhile, has the second-highest number of pickpocketing mentions at 283 per million visitors.
But, there are things you can do to protect yourself against pesky thieves, as one holidaymaker discovered.
Sharing to her TikTok page @postcards.from.tamara, an American holidaymaker preparing for a holiday in Europe discovered a “cheap find” to help beat pickpockets before they even have the chance to strike.
In her video, Tamara showed viewers a very nifty backpack, which claims to put a stop to theft.
“This Travelon anti-theft bag is amazing. It has clipped zippers for the two main compartments that are super hard to open which would make it super hard for someone to do without me noticing,” she said.
“It also has RFID blocking technology in this main opt to keep my cards, passport things like that. It also has slash-resistant straps and [a] convenient strap to put over my luggage.”
Travelon has a whole array of bags and luggage items with similar anti-theft properties, perfect for keeping your belongings safe while in busy tourist destinations or bustling city centres.
Price ranges vary depending on the type of bag, but a Travelon anti-theft backpack can be purchased on Amazon for £50.30 (currently reduced in a limited-time sale from £61.83).
Alternatively, if you prefer a smaller bag, the brand offers a similar crossbody style for £52.61.
Travel enthusiasts raved about the purchase in the comments of Tamara’s video, with one writing: “Currently planning my backpacking for summer. This backpack looks like such a good purchase.”
The Travelon bags included in their anti-theft range have a number of features to prevent pickpockets from slyly getting into your bag without you noticing. Main compartments have zips which lock together to stop people from being able to quickly unzip them and slip their hand inside.
Bags are also made with slash-resistant materials, lock down straps and RFID blocking card and passport slots and pockets. RFID blocking systems reduce the transmitted signal power of a reader, preventing people from stealing important details and information from your bank cards and passports.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
