Beware of pickpockets when in Orchard Rd
A sign near 313@somerset warning of thefts in Orchard Road.
My Paper
Thursday, Jun 19, 2014
The number of thefts in the Orchard Road shopping belt has doubled in May and June this year, compared to last year, Lianhe Wanbao reported.
There have been 12 reported cases, compared to only five in May and June last year, the paper said.
It is understood that the perpetrators used tactics like bumping into their victims, and taking advantage of chaotic situations, to pick wallets from pockets or bags.
Some people have lost their valuables after leaving them unattended.
Most of the cases happened in ION Orchard and the area around 313@somerset.
Teacher Robert, 48, who is from Austria, told Wanbao that his wallet was taken at 313@somerset.
He realised it was missing from his pants pocket only when he wanted to pay for his cab ride home.
He returned to Orchard Road immediately to retrace his steps, but did not find his wallet.
It was then he recalled that a man in a yellow shirt had bumped into him earlier.
He lost about $100 and his identification and credit cards.
He has been in Singapore for more than a year, and this is the first time he has encountered a pickpocket.
Police advise shoppers to be wary, to avoid keeping their wallet in their back pocket and to secure their bags.
They also advise shoppers not to be distracted by people arguing on the street or creating a public disturbance, and to check their belongings if someone bumps into them, or spills a drink on them.
