Crime doesn’t take vacation days, especially when millions of tourists flood popular destinations worldwide. Recent data reveals some troubling trends that every traveler should know about. New research has revealed that Bangkok has officially been ranked the world’s number one pickpocket and scam hotspot for 2025, while the Thai capital scored 83.45 on the website’s ranking of pickpocketing and scams hotspots worldwide.
While exploring new countries brings unforgettable memories, staying informed about safety risks can make the difference between a perfect trip and a nightmare abroad. Let’s examine the countries where tourist-targeted theft has increased dramatically this year.
Thailand: Asia’s New Crime Capital
Bangkok has officially been ranked the world’s number one pickpocket and scam hotspot for 2025, with Bangkok recording 9.82 scam and pickpocket mentions per 1,000 reviews. The Grand Palace, one of Bangkok’s most iconic landmarks, was marked as the worst site in the world for tourism crime, receiving more mentions of scams and theft in visitor reviews than any other destination, while two other popular spots, Wat Pho and the Chatuchak Weekend Market, also stood out for the number of pickpocketing and scam reports.
Thailand’s tourism boom has created perfect hunting grounds for criminals. Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, recorded 4.14 mentions per 1,000 reviews, mostly related to jet ski scams and overcharging at tourist spots, while Pattaya faces ongoing challenges with deceptive taxi services and counterfeit product sellers.
Italy: Europe’s Persistent Problem
Italy continues to lead European pickpocketing statistics with 478 pickpocketing mentions for every million British visitors to Italy’s top tourist attractions, the highest proportion of any European country. The UK team found that Italy had the highest proportion of mentions of pickpocketing, pointing to 478 instances of pickpocketing for every million British visitors, a 3% increase on last year’s figure.
Italy wears the thorny crown of being the European country with the highest amount of pickpocketing, with Rome at the heart of this unsavory reputation, while the Pantheon, Colosseum, and Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Gallerie Degli Uffizi in Florence, and the Duomo di Milano in Milan rank high in places you’re most likely to be pickpocketed. The situation has worsened due to legislative changes. In 2022, a law putting the onus on the victim to both report and show up to the subsequent trial of a pickpocketer, called the Cartabia reform, has potentially emboldened these criminals since their charges can be erased otherwise.
France: Paris Under Siege
France is the second most visited country by Brits and also has the second highest number of pickpocketing mentions at 251 per million visitors, with all 5 attractions monitored being in Paris, while the 2024 Olympics created additional opportunities for pickpockets looking to lose themselves in crowds. The situation is so bad that the U.S. Embassy in France published an elaborate travel advisory cautioning people about the many ways pickpockets operate in Paris, with metros being a common hunting ground for pickpockets as they take advantage of overcrowded trains and their rapid sliding doors to pinch commuters’ pockets.
The Eiffel Tower represents more than just romantic tourism. The top five tourist spots with the most pickpockets in France are all in Paris, with survey data showing that 283 people have their belongings stolen per million tourists, where the must-visit landmark Eiffel Tower is the place where pickpockets are most likely to be encountered due to a large number of tourists here, allowing thieves to hide in the crowd and not be easily found.
Spain: Barcelona’s Notorious Streets
Spain’s famous Las Ramblas is a destination that blends charm with caution, stretching 1.2 kilometers, this lively boulevard draws countless visitors with its energy and allure, but behind the vibrant atmosphere lies a hidden risk, as it records 111 pickpocket incidents per million travelers.
Netherlands: Amsterdam’s Dark Side
Amsterdam’s Red Light District is notorious for its nightlife and pickpocketing, with 100 mentions per million visitors, where the area’s busy streets and bustling crowds can be distracting, making tourists easy targets for theft. The Netherlands, and especially Amsterdam comes next, with 100 thefts per million visitors, where it was areas with the heaviest tourist footfall that saw the highest concentration of incidents, while Amsterdam’s notorious red-light district, the Anne Frank Museum and Rijksmuseum were all picked out as particularly dangerous spots.
Tourism hot spots create perfect conditions for crime. In the Netherlands, you have to pay attention to the areas near the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, including the crowded subway stations around these museums.
China: Shanghai’s Rising Concerns
Shanghai ranks 6th globally in the 2025 pickpocketing and scams list with a score of 51.83, representing a significant concern for the millions of tourists visiting China’s financial capital. The 2025 report paints a vivid picture of the world’s most scam-prone destinations, from Bangkok and Paris to Prague and Shanghai.
What would you have thought about Bangkok topping the global rankings? Stay vigilant and protect your valuables wherever your travels take you.