A pickpocket is a thief who steals from people's pockets or bags without them noticing. These thieves work in crowded places like busy sidewalks, subway trains, or tourist attractions where people are distracted. While you're focused on crossing the street or taking a photo, a skilled pickpocket might slip a hand into your backpack or jacket pocket and disappear into the crowd before you realize anything is missing.

Pickpockets rely on misdirection and quick fingers rather than force or threats. They might bump into you “accidentally” while their partner steals your phone, or they might ask you for directions while reaching for your wallet. Some work alone, using techniques practiced over years to remove items so smoothly that victims don't feel a thing.

Charles Dickens wrote about pickpockets in Victorian London in his novel Oliver Twist, where the character Fagin forces orphaned children to become thieves. Today, travelers learn to guard against pickpockets by keeping valuables in front pockets, using bags with zippers, and staying alert in crowded places.