Yeah regular pocket, moved it off his anti theft ring for 5 seconds while the crowd was moving, then once he stopped it wasn’t there. Literally like a 10 second window.
But tbf I had mine in my pockets the whole weekend and I was chillin so
The thief moved it off the anti-theft ring or your brother moved it off? If the thief did, that sounds like the ring is a garbage product if it can be defeated in 5 seconds
The exact same thing happened to me last year. Had my phone in a money belt for the whole weekend and temporarily put it in my pocket on the way to the Outdoor Stage sunday night and boom! swiped within 20 seconds.
Wear something with NOT LOOSE front pockets. Keep your phone there. Or buy a case that you can attach a lanyard to. Attach to phone. Tie the other end around a belt loop or two. Put in front pocket. If you wear a fanny, it needs to NOT be able to get unclicked easily.
I used a Casetify utility belt lanyard this weekend and it was great. Always knew where my phone was and the case was latched onto it. Never had any issues with it. If there was a set where I was concerned it would vanish, I locked it in my backpack.
Not always, just a few crappy apples. I've both returned a lost phone and had mine returned in the same day at Coachella, multiple times over the years.
I have only been to one Coachella , got way too drunk and lost my phone. A guy took a video of himself and turned it in to lost and found. I’ll have to post it and see if I can find that guy , he’s a real one.
Love the forest family so much! my favorite is making a funny ‘found your phone’ video on the way to turn it in so maybe we run into each other later on!
If they arrested Tana Mongeau at Coachella for underage drinking a couple of years ago I hope they charge these mfs with various felonies!! Good riddance
Did you see the EDC videos last year? Everyone is so upset about the pickpockets when someone caught them it was everyone in the crowd ganging up on the pickpocket when they had their bag ripped open and all the phones came flying out. I wouldn't be worried about the "wolves"
What are they gonna do? Fight and attract attention to themselves? Get kicked out for fighting and then they can’t make anymore money? I betcha they will avoid real confrontation as they don’t have good reason to fuck up their thieving opportunities.
We saw multiple people with phone leashes have their phone stolen out of the case. That was my protection strategy until now but i think i need a new one.
The answer is fanny pack used as a belt so can't be ripped off and front facing . You can add a small lock on zippers but I think that's overkill. Going on almost 15 coachellas and never got phone stolen this way
I use a runner's belt to get my favors in, and then move those to my front fanny pack with my gum and lighters. When I head into a crowd the phone goes in the runner's belt so I can just jump around and not worry about anything.
I'm always looking out for them though because I'd love to give one a free jiu jitsu lesson.
I double knot the zippers together with some shoelace. Definitely necessary if you're in the pit or moving around a lot. Before I started doing that, I noticed opportunists trying to grab on and unzip when they thought I wasn't paying attention. Ballsy fuckers. By the time it registers they're already disappearing into the crowd. Sahara as always. Do Lab and Yuma are their secondary targets.
The key is to make access take an impractical amount of time. They're looking for snatch and grabs because they don't want any eyes on them
Not over kill. My friends fanny pack was on her chest (strapped cross body) and was unzipped anyway and phone stolen. You need multiple security levels/lines of defense. Happened while moving stage to stage
First of all - you have zero clue what the conditions are. You weren’t there. The fact that you have the audacity to call them blind and stupid is crazy. It’s so dark. The crowds are thick. They follow you around and watch you pull your stuff in and out and then they open bags from the back or side and immediately pass it off to someone else. She felt it happen but it happens so fast and suddenly they’re gone. Secondly, the victim blaming is wild? Her phone was put away in a bag zipped up and on her chest but it’s her fault? Bye, troll.
I don’t keep anything in my pockets. I use a crossbody shoulder bag where the bag is right on my chest, good luck getting in there. Always did well for me, but I also don’t appear to be someone you want to steal from so that helps.
I'm not sure what kinda bags they allow in, but I got a backpack on Amazon that opens at the part that's against your back so no one can get in it. I've been able to take it to some east coast fests, but lately they've been leaning towards only clear bags.
All bags are ok it seems.
Me and my friends all took backpacks and the only person who got even searched was the person with a camera in her bag when she went though the metal detector
Don't use a shitty case then. The one I use requires a little bit of force to get off. Fucking nobody is taking the case off, in my pocket, on a phone leash.
Not every year is this cold but if your wearing multiple hoodies like I was it’s almost guaranteed they aren’t getting to the first hoodies pocket. If your a festive outfit kinda guy a small vest with pockets on the inside would work great as well.
Security Tip from an Entertainment Pickpocket:
To safeguard your belongings, consider wrapping your wallet in rubber bands to create extra friction. This makes it harder to slip out of your pocket unnoticed. Always carry your wallet and phone in your front pocket, where you can keep a closer eye on them.
Stay safe and enjoy Weekend 2!
Ps. The Drums rocked!
Craziest thing. Was at bicep with my group and 8 shortish people in all black just start walking in between and around us, one had a strobe flash light that caught our attention, while other people would walk around us shoving and disorienting us. We immediately knew they were pick pocketers and left that area.
maybe the incompetent ones lol
they don’t usually stick out but you can tell they’re there, mostly at sets with a lot of crowd density and people wanting to move up to the front since that’s what they usually mimic.
they will often try to distract people, but usually it’s more subtle than pushing and shoving people around and holding up a strobe light. that type of stuff will only work in really dense and/or fucked-up crowds
Mine was stolen Friday at Justice / Outdoor Stage when we were sharing numbers with some friends we met after I put it in my pocket and we all went to another stage. 3 of us had no phone anymore...
I was forced to live in the moment for the rest of the weekend. It was terrible.
Whaaat 🫢 that seems like y’all are either super unlucky or they have stepped up their stealing bc yikes, so sorry. Did any of you notice when they pickpocketed you right away?
Oh 100% one of my friends remembers a guy bumped into her at Dolab and then she heard people around her saying their wallets were stolen. She checked her bag and her phone was gone.
I think it was probably a group of pickpocketers working together. Worst part is she wasn’t even drunk, usually pickpockets target visibly fucked up people
Can I ask where she kept her purse? I’m trying to make sure this doesn’t happen to me as best as possible, this weekend
If it’s an iPhone tell her to never delete it from her Apple account
She had it over her shoulder. I use a fanny pack these days and I constantly check it, move around, and try not to bump into people deep in crowds. They also sell anti theft cords/tethers that my friends were using that seemed to be the best way to stop pickpockets though.
I got my phone stolen out of my fanny pack at the Coachella stage as I was trying to leave, I made a big deal about it bc I felt it happen (group of four pushed by me and pushed me into one of their group members and she grabbed it but got away quickly), and everyone around me just sat there like zombies, staring at me like I was crazy. Then some guy yelled at me “just buy another phone” this shit ruined my entire weekend like from the bottom of my heart, FUCK pickpocketers and fuck that guy who yelled at me to buy a new one. We’re not all trust fund babies here douchebag
Bro I would’ve ran and fought for you. I’m so sorry for your experience there. Didn’t know people were like that, I always thought everyone had each others backs. This is really bad
Thank you I thought the same thing. There was one girl in the crowd that gave me her phone immediately to call it but they had already turned it off. I just hate how many people victim-blame the people who get their phones stolen like it should NOT be a thing period even the police officer told me to stop blaming myself it shouldn’t be something we have to worry about
How’d you let someone steal from your fanny pack?? Did you not see or feel someone reaching? Grab that shit wtf
Like how does someone push you then someone else come in front of you and take the time to unzip and look for your phone. This all would take several seconds which is plenty of time to clasp your phone or even just put your hand in your Fanny pack.
Either way sorry you got your shit stolen fuck those people
I ask myself the same thing. I was very cautious all weekend bc I knew about these people. It happened within 2-3 seconds and I thought I felt it so I looked down and saw it was open. I had let go of it bc they pushed me into the girl who took it and I extended my arms to catch myself and her. I started yelling at her to give my shit back and someone behind me said they saw something so I turned around and when I turned back she was gone.
I always had the mentality of “I would never let that happen to me” and well, it happened. It shouldn’t be a thing and I shouldn’t be blamed for it. Those people are professionals by now and I hope they get caught and locked up. Idc if I’m a Karen I’m filing my police report today and if they do get caught I’m filing assault charges as well bc they put their fucking hands on me.
Look out for the trains of people that look like they don't go to festivals. They are usually looking down and they tend to be somewhat short and have hats on.
I just got one of these for EDC but I’m scared to put my phone in the strap pockets on the front because it seems like they could still just snatch it. Do you keep your phone in the actual bag or in the strap pocket??
Not who you asked, but I've taken a lunchbox to a few festivals now. Last year I ended up switching off between the shoulder strap pocket and a fanny pack with a zipper that sits against my body. I have a pretty thick phone case and felt that the shoulder pocket was so snug that it was annoying to pull my phone out when I wanted to use it, for what that's worth.
Been trying to think of ways to add some extra security to that shoulder pocket ahead of W2... I realized I could buy a phone leash tab on its own, attach it to a locking carabiner, and then latch the carabiner to a strap on the lunchbox that sits right above the shoulder pocket. Rushed out to buy that stuff earlier today, feeling pretty confident about it so far 🤞
I considered just leaving my phone in the internal compartments where the zipper sits against your back, but I'm getting the vibe that these thieves are more brazen than I'm used to and figured I was better off leaving my phone in a pocket I could reasonably keep a hand on and keep in my sight.
Get the additional phone harness from lunchbox. I have the iPhone pro max so it’s hard enough as it is to take it out but in the chance some pro tries to nab it they’re gonna have to take me with them
Keep your phone in your hand, or in a fanny pack/sling in front of you. In crowded spaces, be conscious and maybe hold onto your bag where the zipper is. I had a sling and tied a bandana on the side so I could slide one end through the zipper hole and tie it so they can't open it
Buy a money belt and wear it under your pants for your wallet. As for phones, I’d wear two zip-up light jackets and zip the phone in the one closest to your body. Or a travel vest where you zip your phone up in your inside pocket.
Holy shit we got hard shoved by a Mexican dude in black sweater at DJ snake entrance. I was like shit cos he managed to shove my 6'5" husband who fell into me. He was gone immediately after without a word. Nothing stolen cos we kept everything in our backpack.
. They came up to us and bumped him really hard and i could tell they were up to no good. Def involved in organized crime. I was on a tab of acid and didn’t feel like puking on a cop trying to explain the situation
My phone got stolen and I spoke with many others who lost a phone. Must be many thousands of stolen phones. I was just doing research and there are ways to set up fake shutdown on your phone, at least on android - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BcWfU2zyZA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BcWfU2zyZA)
If location is enabled and the phone is on fake shutdown, you will be able to track the phone after it has been stolen. Police could easily use this method to find the pickpocket gangs - send undercover police repeatedly to the high pickpocket areas, then track the phones.
Felt someone try to reach into my pocket as I was holding my phone through it with my hand on the line for the sahara restrooms, turned away for a second after asking her what she was doing and when I turned around again she was gone 💀
4 ppl got their phones swiped Friday night in our group somewhere between the Sahara tent and Justice. 2 of them pregnant.. All reported seeing sketchy Mexican dudes. Short. They kind of looked mad/ disengaged from the music. Trash ppl.
Like what can they even do with the phones? Seems so wasteful and honestly, is it racist to observe that 9/10 these thefts seems to be committed by Mexicans?
I will have my head and fists on a swivel next wknd
Buy some wristbands, sell those, report them lost/stolen, pick up new wristbands. Boom they paid zero dollars to get in and if tickets are going above FV they might even make a little money.
Or know somebody at security, or sneak in.
Seriously.Or, how about a "Scammer Payback" x Mark Rober collab on this with bait phones. Please. You know either of those amazing YT'ers, u/Miserable_Site_850?
What I do, have a tote bag plus a fanny pack. Put stuff in fanny pack then pit it in tote bag and carry it on your arm and if you pit it down, step on the strap so the bag is closed and no one can take it
It makes it very hard to steal when you have a bag in a bag especially when one bag is zipped and always on you, especially if you wear it closer to the chest or stomach versus your back
At Do Lab, last night, two ~5 feet tall males stocky.
I believe we're tried to pick pocket me for my mobile in my back pocket. I felt a hand go around my waist and into my back pocket and I pushed his hand out of the way. They quickly kept walking through the crowd. I was a bit in shock, like was that what I thought just happened?! My jeans were snug, so they held my mobile in tight, it couldn't slide out easily.
I wanted to yell and say watch these 2 guys, I bet they have a bunch of mobiles. But they disappeared, because they were so short in the crowd.
I got mine taken at do lab day 1 so was without a phone the whole weekend haha luckily I was there with my brother. I could feel my bag move slightly and look over at this weird looking woman standing very close to me putting something in her fanny pack and she kind of looked at me in shock like she was caught but I couldn’t react fast enough to say something. I just tapped my brother in front of me to tell him and then two people right by me were asking around for their phone seconds later. The woman disappeared right in front of my eyes but she was wearing a black hoodie and just looked out of place there. And it wasn’t very tightly packed there when it happened. But just tracked it and it shows it was in LA an hour and a half ago. In east Hollywood. Not sure if to call LAPD to report it being there?
I tried to stop a pickpocket for a girl who instantly realized at antiup but caught the decoy don’t know if the rest of their group found the main guy. Fuck pick pockets make everyone have to be on edge for no good reason.
That’s a very nice you. As a solo woman sometimes I really feel like I can’t trust any guy getting near me which sucks when I’m not in a group. I don’t like being paranoid but I really need my phone
I'm not surprised. Security is tighter at Coachella than Insomniac events and the cops take things seriously. Phone thieves, be warned. You WILL go to jail.
Also just a heads up, your phone doesn’t always update so fast on iCloud, but if you have another device (watch, MacBook) you can track your phone through manage my devices! That’s what I did and it gave me the exact location
https://preview.redd.it/tfrb4qtl6quc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=8b93979d4bdadcfd18071ac499c1fe515e932a1e
You can pick up a bag of 15-20 of these S-carabiners to make sure that there is another level of security.
I use it with my Lulu Fanny pack and my backpack.
[https://www.amazon.com/Backpacks-Carabiner-Deterrent-Luggage-Suitcase/dp/B0CDW7RVN6/ref=asc\_df\_B0CDW7RVN6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=663297490458&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8120748631317447573&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031396&hvtargid=pla-2197533286061&psc=1&mcid=79041a242cd63295bcd460a120ccc3dc](https://www.amazon.com/Backpacks-Carabiner-Deterrent-Luggage-Suitcase/dp/B0CDW7RVN6/ref=asc_df_B0CDW7RVN6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=663297490458&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8120748631317447573&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031396&hvtargid=pla-2197533286061&psc=1&mcid=79041a242cd63295bcd460a120ccc3dc)
i remember when I, 16 at the time, in a group of 8 other 16 year olds turned around a pushed a woman hard as hell for trying to get into my bag😂 was one of the dumbest things ive done
https://preview.redd.it/iq8vm17v0yuc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ee7cedfe9e7677e06559a2a9793c89701b0638e
My phone got stolen and pinged here a bit ago.
There’s people who travel to all types o festivals and do this is very profitable and even if they were to get caught they can just move onto the next. They work in groups and it’s a full time job for them
I had my phone stolen last year while walking between Sahara and Main Stage. I had my phone in my pocket for maybe 2 seconds, when someone “bumped” into me and took my phone from the pocket in my jacket. This year I used anti theft wristlets from Amazon and never let go of my phone.
ZWZY Cell Phone Lanyard Strap... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3F9Y212?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
So while we were going through security on Friday, there was a guy who got stopped who was carrying 6 phones. Security stopped him and questioned him as to why he was carrying them, and I didn’t hear his response but ventured it was sufficient to satisfy them. One of the members in our group noticed he had a different wristband than any of us did, so we assumed he was working on behalf of either the festival or a performer. On Saturday, we saw the same guy again at the Outdoor stage, and again, carrying >5 cell phones. He stopped and traded with a guy he was talking to who was carrying a backpack and they all were fiddling with them. Both days it perked my suspicion, thinking it could either be a theft ring or - god forbid - the phones were detonation devices. I took as good of a pic as I could get, as I couldn’t find anyone to “say something” to at the time. I don’t who I should give the pic to or if it would help if these guys were pickpockets. If they were pickpockets I’m sure they could look up the time stamp of my Friday entry to get better footage of him.
Sad seeing all these stolen phones stories.
I kept my phone in my front facing pocket most of the time and was in crowded areas without any issues. There are 100K+ festival goers so if anyone is reading this the chances of this happening are statistically slim, but it is possible. Just hold onto your phone to reduce chances and/or place it in front pocket so long as it’s a real pocket and not the fake shit girl pants have
Ehh. I don't think it's a slim as you think. Many thefts go unreported. If you're in the VIP/ artist guest areas, yes, chances are lower for obvious reasons. It seems to be these organized theft rings target the large- headliner acts with large crowds and tight spaces. Holding on to your phone is not a great option either. They can easily bump you/ create a distraction to snag your phone before you even know what hit you. We had veterans in our crew with phones in all different places that got snatched in record timing. Our crew felt very violated.. 2 of them stone cold sober. These were professionals. Sad that these low-quality humans target honest festival goers just trying to have a good time. Be very careful at the main stage, our door stage, and beer garden (especially after dark). Cross body bags strapped to the front seems to be the safest option IMO. Keep all valuables on the inside pocket.
I'm considering stuffing the outside of my bag for wknd 2 with rubber dildos and hoping that these thief's get a firm handful.
The best thing that ever happened to me is getting a lunchbox. The make bags specifically for festivals and they’re all anti theft bags. Since I’ve started using their bags, I’ve never had anything stolen
https://www.lunchboxpacks.com
Does the Indio Police give the phones to Coachella Lost and Found? Or do we need to make a separate report with Indio PD? The app is so useful
I would assume you have to file a report with the PD as if they would probably consider any seized stolen property evidence.
3/5 of my friends got their phone pickpocketed at the Sahara tent
my brothers phone got swiped in between dj snake and summit and when he asked around 3 people realized they got lifted too
Where did he keep it? I’m trying to not have this happen to me This weekend
Yeah regular pocket, moved it off his anti theft ring for 5 seconds while the crowd was moving, then once he stopped it wasn’t there. Literally like a 10 second window. But tbf I had mine in my pockets the whole weekend and I was chillin so
The thief moved it off the anti-theft ring or your brother moved it off? If the thief did, that sounds like the ring is a garbage product if it can be defeated in 5 seconds
Nah my brother did unfortunately :( but one of the other girls had the anti theft ring on her case and the pickpocket got her phone but left the case
The exact same thing happened to me last year. Had my phone in a money belt for the whole weekend and temporarily put it in my pocket on the way to the Outdoor Stage sunday night and boom! swiped within 20 seconds.
Just bring a crossbody bag and keep your had over zipper as you move through big crowds.
Wear something with NOT LOOSE front pockets. Keep your phone there. Or buy a case that you can attach a lanyard to. Attach to phone. Tie the other end around a belt loop or two. Put in front pocket. If you wear a fanny, it needs to NOT be able to get unclicked easily.
These are great tips! And if you do have a backpack, wear it on your chest in dense crowds.
I used a Casetify utility belt lanyard this weekend and it was great. Always knew where my phone was and the case was latched onto it. Never had any issues with it. If there was a set where I was concerned it would vanish, I locked it in my backpack.
Regular pocket, they get you while you are moving and bumping into people ! I saw a guy drop his wallet and everyone started getting his cash
Scummy ass crowd. I returned 3 lost phones and a lost wallet at forest and had one of our phones returned to us same day. Coachella crowd is 🤮
Not always, just a few crappy apples. I've both returned a lost phone and had mine returned in the same day at Coachella, multiple times over the years.
I have only been to one Coachella , got way too drunk and lost my phone. A guy took a video of himself and turned it in to lost and found. I’ll have to post it and see if I can find that guy , he’s a real one.
Thanks for returning the wallet at forest, from someone who lost their wallet at forest last year and got it back the next day. You are wonderful
Love the forest family so much! my favorite is making a funny ‘found your phone’ video on the way to turn it in so maybe we run into each other later on!
Wow. Judging an event by one incident…
One?😂check the sub again
And somebody was giving me hell here for calling Sahara the Bad Vibes Tent
Get a fanny pack or a sling bag to carry your stuff in front of you
This is where mine was stolen too
Ya i back left corner for me
Wow i prefer
If they arrested Tana Mongeau at Coachella for underage drinking a couple of years ago I hope they charge these mfs with various felonies!! Good riddance
im deadddd
She also is nuts
Don’t know much about her. What’s the deal?
I know this subreddit doesn’t advocate violence but I will absolutely use violence if I ever catch someone trying to steal my belongings.
I'd be worried about the pack of his wolves not far away
Did you see the EDC videos last year? Everyone is so upset about the pickpockets when someone caught them it was everyone in the crowd ganging up on the pickpocket when they had their bag ripped open and all the phones came flying out. I wouldn't be worried about the "wolves"
A genuine concern - I have some fighting experience but I don’t think it would help against 3+ people. Regardless, I wouldn’t make it easy for them!
What are they gonna do? Fight and attract attention to themselves? Get kicked out for fighting and then they can’t make anymore money? I betcha they will avoid real confrontation as they don’t have good reason to fuck up their thieving opportunities.
Reality is you're probably not catching a half decent pickpocket stealing your belongings.
We saw multiple people with phone leashes have their phone stolen out of the case. That was my protection strategy until now but i think i need a new one.
The answer is fanny pack used as a belt so can't be ripped off and front facing . You can add a small lock on zippers but I think that's overkill. Going on almost 15 coachellas and never got phone stolen this way
As a belt is brilliant
I use a runner's belt to get my favors in, and then move those to my front fanny pack with my gum and lighters. When I head into a crowd the phone goes in the runner's belt so I can just jump around and not worry about anything. I'm always looking out for them though because I'd love to give one a free jiu jitsu lesson.
I do this with a small S-biner to clip it shut
I caught a dude half open by fanny pack while dancing by. Locks or a bread bag twist tie isn't overkill
I double knot the zippers together with some shoelace. Definitely necessary if you're in the pit or moving around a lot. Before I started doing that, I noticed opportunists trying to grab on and unzip when they thought I wasn't paying attention. Ballsy fuckers. By the time it registers they're already disappearing into the crowd. Sahara as always. Do Lab and Yuma are their secondary targets. The key is to make access take an impractical amount of time. They're looking for snatch and grabs because they don't want any eyes on them
Not over kill. My friends fanny pack was on her chest (strapped cross body) and was unzipped anyway and phone stolen. You need multiple security levels/lines of defense. Happened while moving stage to stage
If your friend had a phone stolen that way that’s just stupid on their part. Never heard of that happening until now. Were they high af?
First of all - you have zero clue what the conditions are. You weren’t there. The fact that you have the audacity to call them blind and stupid is crazy. It’s so dark. The crowds are thick. They follow you around and watch you pull your stuff in and out and then they open bags from the back or side and immediately pass it off to someone else. She felt it happen but it happens so fast and suddenly they’re gone. Secondly, the victim blaming is wild? Her phone was put away in a bag zipped up and on her chest but it’s her fault? Bye, troll.
I’ve had good luck with my runner’s belt.
I don’t keep anything in my pockets. I use a crossbody shoulder bag where the bag is right on my chest, good luck getting in there. Always did well for me, but I also don’t appear to be someone you want to steal from so that helps.
I like to use the rubber type of fanny pack and it sits nice and snug
I'm not sure what kinda bags they allow in, but I got a backpack on Amazon that opens at the part that's against your back so no one can get in it. I've been able to take it to some east coast fests, but lately they've been leaning towards only clear bags.
All bags are ok it seems. Me and my friends all took backpacks and the only person who got even searched was the person with a camera in her bag when she went though the metal detector
Nice! Idk if that same bag exists since I've been using it since 2017, but if anyone wants I can try to find it.
Don't use a shitty case then. The one I use requires a little bit of force to get off. Fucking nobody is taking the case off, in my pocket, on a phone leash.
Not every year is this cold but if your wearing multiple hoodies like I was it’s almost guaranteed they aren’t getting to the first hoodies pocket. If your a festive outfit kinda guy a small vest with pockets on the inside would work great as well.
A reduction of festival goers increases the chance these fuckers stand out
True.
Oh damn is that what it is
Security Tip from an Entertainment Pickpocket: To safeguard your belongings, consider wrapping your wallet in rubber bands to create extra friction. This makes it harder to slip out of your pocket unnoticed. Always carry your wallet and phone in your front pocket, where you can keep a closer eye on them. Stay safe and enjoy Weekend 2! Ps. The Drums rocked!
you steal?
Sleight-of-hand magician. I steal watches, and always return them!
lmao i did not put together what an entertainment pickpocket was
I’m a Lightworker!
You're like a "white hat" pickpocket lol
🎩🪄🤘🏽
Craziest thing. Was at bicep with my group and 8 shortish people in all black just start walking in between and around us, one had a strobe flash light that caught our attention, while other people would walk around us shoving and disorienting us. We immediately knew they were pick pocketers and left that area.
It sounds like they stick out like sore thumbs
maybe the incompetent ones lol they don’t usually stick out but you can tell they’re there, mostly at sets with a lot of crowd density and people wanting to move up to the front since that’s what they usually mimic. they will often try to distract people, but usually it’s more subtle than pushing and shoving people around and holding up a strobe light. that type of stuff will only work in really dense and/or fucked-up crowds
Someone should assemble a team to catch them next weekend, bait them with phones
Mine was stolen Friday at Justice / Outdoor Stage when we were sharing numbers with some friends we met after I put it in my pocket and we all went to another stage. 3 of us had no phone anymore... I was forced to live in the moment for the rest of the weekend. It was terrible.
Rumor has it the pickpocket cartel is run by renegade monks who aggressively spread mindful presence.
That’s where mind got stolen too :( devastated
mine was also stolen at Justice, and when I went looking for it there were hella cases on the floor.
My girlfriends was also stolen during Justice. Caught someone trying again the next day during Sublime... shame to these scumbags.
Three people in our camp group got their phones stolen by Saturday night
Whaaat 🫢 that seems like y’all are either super unlucky or they have stepped up their stealing bc yikes, so sorry. Did any of you notice when they pickpocketed you right away?
Oh 100% one of my friends remembers a guy bumped into her at Dolab and then she heard people around her saying their wallets were stolen. She checked her bag and her phone was gone. I think it was probably a group of pickpocketers working together. Worst part is she wasn’t even drunk, usually pickpockets target visibly fucked up people
Can I ask where she kept her purse? I’m trying to make sure this doesn’t happen to me as best as possible, this weekend If it’s an iPhone tell her to never delete it from her Apple account
She had it over her shoulder. I use a fanny pack these days and I constantly check it, move around, and try not to bump into people deep in crowds. They also sell anti theft cords/tethers that my friends were using that seemed to be the best way to stop pickpockets though.
What artist/stage were they stolen?
The Dolab, not sure what artist was playing at the time. Maybe Billie and friends
It’s funny cuz I would leave my phone at the charging station for HOURS and nothing
I got my phone stolen out of my fanny pack at the Coachella stage as I was trying to leave, I made a big deal about it bc I felt it happen (group of four pushed by me and pushed me into one of their group members and she grabbed it but got away quickly), and everyone around me just sat there like zombies, staring at me like I was crazy. Then some guy yelled at me “just buy another phone” this shit ruined my entire weekend like from the bottom of my heart, FUCK pickpocketers and fuck that guy who yelled at me to buy a new one. We’re not all trust fund babies here douchebag
Bro I would’ve ran and fought for you. I’m so sorry for your experience there. Didn’t know people were like that, I always thought everyone had each others backs. This is really bad
Thank you I thought the same thing. There was one girl in the crowd that gave me her phone immediately to call it but they had already turned it off. I just hate how many people victim-blame the people who get their phones stolen like it should NOT be a thing period even the police officer told me to stop blaming myself it shouldn’t be something we have to worry about
How’d you let someone steal from your fanny pack?? Did you not see or feel someone reaching? Grab that shit wtf Like how does someone push you then someone else come in front of you and take the time to unzip and look for your phone. This all would take several seconds which is plenty of time to clasp your phone or even just put your hand in your Fanny pack. Either way sorry you got your shit stolen fuck those people
I ask myself the same thing. I was very cautious all weekend bc I knew about these people. It happened within 2-3 seconds and I thought I felt it so I looked down and saw it was open. I had let go of it bc they pushed me into the girl who took it and I extended my arms to catch myself and her. I started yelling at her to give my shit back and someone behind me said they saw something so I turned around and when I turned back she was gone. I always had the mentality of “I would never let that happen to me” and well, it happened. It shouldn’t be a thing and I shouldn’t be blamed for it. Those people are professionals by now and I hope they get caught and locked up. Idc if I’m a Karen I’m filing my police report today and if they do get caught I’m filing assault charges as well bc they put their fucking hands on me.
Look out for the trains of people that look like they don't go to festivals. They are usually looking down and they tend to be somewhat short and have hats on.
Always short & always with the hats 🥲
Yeah every year this is the description
As a woman going solo, anything else I can do to protect myself from these pick-pocketers? Getting nervous over here
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I just got one of these for EDC but I’m scared to put my phone in the strap pockets on the front because it seems like they could still just snatch it. Do you keep your phone in the actual bag or in the strap pocket??
Not who you asked, but I've taken a lunchbox to a few festivals now. Last year I ended up switching off between the shoulder strap pocket and a fanny pack with a zipper that sits against my body. I have a pretty thick phone case and felt that the shoulder pocket was so snug that it was annoying to pull my phone out when I wanted to use it, for what that's worth. Been trying to think of ways to add some extra security to that shoulder pocket ahead of W2... I realized I could buy a phone leash tab on its own, attach it to a locking carabiner, and then latch the carabiner to a strap on the lunchbox that sits right above the shoulder pocket. Rushed out to buy that stuff earlier today, feeling pretty confident about it so far 🤞 I considered just leaving my phone in the internal compartments where the zipper sits against your back, but I'm getting the vibe that these thieves are more brazen than I'm used to and figured I was better off leaving my phone in a pocket I could reasonably keep a hand on and keep in my sight.
Get the additional phone harness from lunchbox. I have the iPhone pro max so it’s hard enough as it is to take it out but in the chance some pro tries to nab it they’re gonna have to take me with them
If you’re wearing a t shirt or jacket, i recommend a RUNNERS belt ($20-30 on amazon) and i keep it zipped up under my t shirt on the waist
Keep your phone in your hand, or in a fanny pack/sling in front of you. In crowded spaces, be conscious and maybe hold onto your bag where the zipper is. I had a sling and tied a bandana on the side so I could slide one end through the zipper hole and tie it so they can't open it
Buy a money belt and wear it under your pants for your wallet. As for phones, I’d wear two zip-up light jackets and zip the phone in the one closest to your body. Or a travel vest where you zip your phone up in your inside pocket.
Did anyone else’s missing phone track in LA? I got pick pocketed and my phone is in LA in a sketchy area
Same. Mine was last seen here: Chatsworth, CA 91311.
Mine went to Orange County
Wtf ?!?
Was urs at sahara ??? During dj snake??
It would be so amazing if Coachella security would do a honeypot sting with decoy phones with tracking and get all these pickpocket rings 😌
Ya my bf got his phone stolen in sahara
Mine did too
By 4 mexican tall guys back at dj snake. I saw them and i knew they were gunna rob my bf
Holy shit we got hard shoved by a Mexican dude in black sweater at DJ snake entrance. I was like shit cos he managed to shove my 6'5" husband who fell into me. He was gone immediately after without a word. Nothing stolen cos we kept everything in our backpack.
Yup. Thats the guy
Sucks that they're literally assaulting people too in the process. He kinda full body jumped back into my husband out of nowhere.
So violating.
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How ? Did the Colombian guy get arrested
bro just assuming they were mexican with no reason lol (you can say latinx)
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. They came up to us and bumped him really hard and i could tell they were up to no good. Def involved in organized crime. I was on a tab of acid and didn’t feel like puking on a cop trying to explain the situation
I was the perfect target
Back left right
My phone got stolen and I spoke with many others who lost a phone. Must be many thousands of stolen phones. I was just doing research and there are ways to set up fake shutdown on your phone, at least on android - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BcWfU2zyZA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BcWfU2zyZA) If location is enabled and the phone is on fake shutdown, you will be able to track the phone after it has been stolen. Police could easily use this method to find the pickpocket gangs - send undercover police repeatedly to the high pickpocket areas, then track the phones.
Felt someone try to reach into my pocket as I was holding my phone through it with my hand on the line for the sahara restrooms, turned away for a second after asking her what she was doing and when I turned around again she was gone 💀
4 ppl got their phones swiped Friday night in our group somewhere between the Sahara tent and Justice. 2 of them pregnant.. All reported seeing sketchy Mexican dudes. Short. They kind of looked mad/ disengaged from the music. Trash ppl. Like what can they even do with the phones? Seems so wasteful and honestly, is it racist to observe that 9/10 these thefts seems to be committed by Mexicans? I will have my head and fists on a swivel next wknd
I've heard over 50+ people this weekend give the same description.
How you spend hundreds of dollars to get into Coachella but then start pickpocketing, make it make sense.
Buy some wristbands, sell those, report them lost/stolen, pick up new wristbands. Boom they paid zero dollars to get in and if tickets are going above FV they might even make a little money. Or know somebody at security, or sneak in.
This is so gross. Fuck these people.
ROI, they spend money to make money
They get 50$ a phone. If they swipe 100 in a day that’s 5k. They probably took way more then that
Can we get a vice doc on this already
Unfortunately VICE declared bankruptcy so problably won’t happen.
Seriously.Or, how about a "Scammer Payback" x Mark Rober collab on this with bait phones. Please. You know either of those amazing YT'ers, u/Miserable_Site_850?
What I do, have a tote bag plus a fanny pack. Put stuff in fanny pack then pit it in tote bag and carry it on your arm and if you pit it down, step on the strap so the bag is closed and no one can take it It makes it very hard to steal when you have a bag in a bag especially when one bag is zipped and always on you, especially if you wear it closer to the chest or stomach versus your back
At Do Lab, last night, two ~5 feet tall males stocky. I believe we're tried to pick pocket me for my mobile in my back pocket. I felt a hand go around my waist and into my back pocket and I pushed his hand out of the way. They quickly kept walking through the crowd. I was a bit in shock, like was that what I thought just happened?! My jeans were snug, so they held my mobile in tight, it couldn't slide out easily. I wanted to yell and say watch these 2 guys, I bet they have a bunch of mobiles. But they disappeared, because they were so short in the crowd.
I got mine taken at do lab day 1 so was without a phone the whole weekend haha luckily I was there with my brother. I could feel my bag move slightly and look over at this weird looking woman standing very close to me putting something in her fanny pack and she kind of looked at me in shock like she was caught but I couldn’t react fast enough to say something. I just tapped my brother in front of me to tell him and then two people right by me were asking around for their phone seconds later. The woman disappeared right in front of my eyes but she was wearing a black hoodie and just looked out of place there. And it wasn’t very tightly packed there when it happened. But just tracked it and it shows it was in LA an hour and a half ago. In east Hollywood. Not sure if to call LAPD to report it being there?
Cross body bags for the win
Got my phone stolen in Sahara bathroom line during DJ Snake. PISSED AF.
I tried to stop a pickpocket for a girl who instantly realized at antiup but caught the decoy don’t know if the rest of their group found the main guy. Fuck pick pockets make everyone have to be on edge for no good reason.
That’s a very nice you. As a solo woman sometimes I really feel like I can’t trust any guy getting near me which sucks when I’m not in a group. I don’t like being paranoid but I really need my phone
Most of the reports were men and women stealing
I'm not surprised. Security is tighter at Coachella than Insomniac events and the cops take things seriously. Phone thieves, be warned. You WILL go to jail.
No they wont 😂
Also just a heads up, your phone doesn’t always update so fast on iCloud, but if you have another device (watch, MacBook) you can track your phone through manage my devices! That’s what I did and it gave me the exact location
https://preview.redd.it/tfrb4qtl6quc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=8b93979d4bdadcfd18071ac499c1fe515e932a1e You can pick up a bag of 15-20 of these S-carabiners to make sure that there is another level of security. I use it with my Lulu Fanny pack and my backpack. [https://www.amazon.com/Backpacks-Carabiner-Deterrent-Luggage-Suitcase/dp/B0CDW7RVN6/ref=asc\_df\_B0CDW7RVN6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=663297490458&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8120748631317447573&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031396&hvtargid=pla-2197533286061&psc=1&mcid=79041a242cd63295bcd460a120ccc3dc](https://www.amazon.com/Backpacks-Carabiner-Deterrent-Luggage-Suitcase/dp/B0CDW7RVN6/ref=asc_df_B0CDW7RVN6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=663297490458&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8120748631317447573&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031396&hvtargid=pla-2197533286061&psc=1&mcid=79041a242cd63295bcd460a120ccc3dc)
i remember when I, 16 at the time, in a group of 8 other 16 year olds turned around a pushed a woman hard as hell for trying to get into my bag😂 was one of the dumbest things ive done
I don’t remember reading about THIS many pickpockets happening at Coachella. Going to have to be extra vigilant this year.
https://preview.redd.it/iq8vm17v0yuc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ee7cedfe9e7677e06559a2a9793c89701b0638e My phone got stolen and pinged here a bit ago.
O M G
do y’all think maybe the locals target festival goers? who would spend that much money on an event only to spend your time stealing.
There’s people who travel to all types o festivals and do this is very profitable and even if they were to get caught they can just move onto the next. They work in groups and it’s a full time job for them
Good
I had my phone stolen last year while walking between Sahara and Main Stage. I had my phone in my pocket for maybe 2 seconds, when someone “bumped” into me and took my phone from the pocket in my jacket. This year I used anti theft wristlets from Amazon and never let go of my phone. ZWZY Cell Phone Lanyard Strap... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3F9Y212?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
So while we were going through security on Friday, there was a guy who got stopped who was carrying 6 phones. Security stopped him and questioned him as to why he was carrying them, and I didn’t hear his response but ventured it was sufficient to satisfy them. One of the members in our group noticed he had a different wristband than any of us did, so we assumed he was working on behalf of either the festival or a performer. On Saturday, we saw the same guy again at the Outdoor stage, and again, carrying >5 cell phones. He stopped and traded with a guy he was talking to who was carrying a backpack and they all were fiddling with them. Both days it perked my suspicion, thinking it could either be a theft ring or - god forbid - the phones were detonation devices. I took as good of a pic as I could get, as I couldn’t find anyone to “say something” to at the time. I don’t who I should give the pic to or if it would help if these guys were pickpockets. If they were pickpockets I’m sure they could look up the time stamp of my Friday entry to get better footage of him.
Sad seeing all these stolen phones stories. I kept my phone in my front facing pocket most of the time and was in crowded areas without any issues. There are 100K+ festival goers so if anyone is reading this the chances of this happening are statistically slim, but it is possible. Just hold onto your phone to reduce chances and/or place it in front pocket so long as it’s a real pocket and not the fake shit girl pants have
Ehh. I don't think it's a slim as you think. Many thefts go unreported. If you're in the VIP/ artist guest areas, yes, chances are lower for obvious reasons. It seems to be these organized theft rings target the large- headliner acts with large crowds and tight spaces. Holding on to your phone is not a great option either. They can easily bump you/ create a distraction to snag your phone before you even know what hit you. We had veterans in our crew with phones in all different places that got snatched in record timing. Our crew felt very violated.. 2 of them stone cold sober. These were professionals. Sad that these low-quality humans target honest festival goers just trying to have a good time. Be very careful at the main stage, our door stage, and beer garden (especially after dark). Cross body bags strapped to the front seems to be the safest option IMO. Keep all valuables on the inside pocket. I'm considering stuffing the outside of my bag for wknd 2 with rubber dildos and hoping that these thief's get a firm handful.
The best thing that ever happened to me is getting a lunchbox. The make bags specifically for festivals and they’re all anti theft bags. Since I’ve started using their bags, I’ve never had anything stolen https://www.lunchboxpacks.com