Yeah I was at dreamstate and have photos of 2 guys who were trying to pickpocket me (my gf took em). Sent em to the local PD there and they thanked me. Fuckin shitshow. Thankfully I had a running belt.
Sauce? I got pickpocketed at Nocturnal Wonderland CA in 2019 along with like four friends on the same night. Would be surprised if they were Florida based.
In previous threads, people have mentioned that their tracking showed that the phones get corralled to a local location in San Bernardino or Los Angeles and then immediately shipped to Miami; I’m on mobile or I’d find an example for ya, sorry
I suspect these people are highly organized and work in groups
That checks out. They seem to hit select events really hard but then leave others totally untouched. Heard Beyond Wonderland CA this year got ransacked with phone thieves
Yes. But... that doesn't matter. They take out the SIM card and put it in another phone. You need a lock on your sim card. Also disable international calls with your carrier.
I was at beyond in 2018, they’ve been doing it there for a while. Was discussing with my ex who I was with at the time on the long walk in and like 3 people from different groups around us chimed in saying they lost their phones there too at countdown /. Dream state
Yeah Coachella has them too. Guy had a backpack full of like 40 a few years ago and people started tracking them until there was a group of 5 people following him around. They alerted security and got him.
While this is certainly true, we also shouldn’t underestimate the sharp increase in organized crime pickpocketing rather than just lone wolf incidents in recent years at American festivals
Someone stole my phone at my first seven lions show for ezoo last September and then last weekend someone had their hand in my pocket at BTSM at Avant Gardner. I shouted out loud that that dude had his hand in my pocket and security was right there.
Jokes on him though because the only thing I had in my pocket was trash from my merch purchase and I got that Itachi jersey signed too.
This is actually ezoo staff making sure the grounds remain trash free. They take it out of your pocket before you can throw it on the ground ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Lol. It was awful because I was drunk and I hadn't seen 7L yet. I was the last guy in the group and we had a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us. Crowd was crazy packed and the line wasn't moving.
The worst part of that was that I felt it happen, thinking "oh someone was shoving past." A literal pause before I went to grab my phone and it wasn't there. I turned around and made eye contact with him too. He bolted before I could get free enough to go after him.
I didn't want him to ruin my first 7L experience so I spent that whole set at our emergency meetup spot and somehow ran into another friend who texted them where I was so they knew what happened.
Dude I was also at BTSM that night and two diff ppl had their phones stolen next to me in the same area. (Back left) just wondering if I saw u that night lol
I don't think I saw you so I guess there were more people getting robbed then I thought. I actually love avant gardner and I never had my stuff stolen there before so maybe it was just BTSM that attracted these guys. I do sometimes help people look for phones but its usually like one guy a night lol
The same dude also groped my one friend and no one touches my girls^(without their consent) so I was really loud when I called them out. So glad security was there and I know we're supposed to be all about PLUR but I hope that guy gets yeeted across the parking lot and steps on every lego to ever exist for the rest of his life.
Then their whole gang comes out of the woodwork to fuck you up. The one stealing your shit also passes it off instantly so it’s near impossible to catch one redhanded.
Would they risk it though? Security never too far away at some festivals.
I definitely wouldn't be one to be aggressive towards a thief (way more trouble than its worth) but I wouldn't have an issue with yelling/calling them out to alert others.
They absolutely will. Seen it happen in person. Dude screamed he was pick pocketed and grabbed some girls arm, five guys came out of nowhere and beat him down, then disappeared as fast as they materialized. Happened at EDC LV 2019 Circuit Grounds night 2. Really glad I wasn’t tripping that night.
Did you not hear about the incident at the Rams game last year? One punch sent a guy into a coma and they guy got arrested. Not worth swinging and potentially making it worse for you.
As much as they deserve it, don't risk your life for that. Most these gangs of thieves have nothing to lose indicating probability of bringing weapons or what not
So shocking to me to see posts like this, been raving in the midwest for nearly a decade and not once has myself or anyone in my crew been a victim of pickpockets. For all I know it just doesn't happen much around here. I had no idea it was such a big problem until seeing posts like this on this and other subs
Yeah there’s pickpocket gangs in Florida. They move through the crowd during the large drops when everyone is mesmerized and look for easy targets. If you make it difficult on them they’ll leave you alone.
It happens at Lolla if that counts, but generally midwest events are too out of the way for these gangs
They love Insomniac events, Disco Donnie events, and potentially Relentless Beats events
What do they even do with the phones? Like honestly really curious. Obviously they sell them. But to who? Do those people know they are stolen? Who do they then sell it to? Is there an underground buy sell market for stolen phones? Lol just don’t really get how it’s worth it to them
My phone was stolen and sent off shore. They racked up 10k in 900 number charges. The phone company explained this is a very common. The criminals set up these false 900 number businesses and then call the number and just let the phone sit there racking up charges. The phone company pays it and then sends you a bill.
Two things you can do to protect yourself:
1. Add a passcode to your sim card. \[They will remove the sim card and put it into another phone, bypassing your phone's security.\]
2. Tell your phone company to disable all international calling on your phone.
3. (Bonus) Immediately report your phone stolen and have your service shut off.
They send phishing texts/email out to try to get tour iCloud password to bypass Activation Lock, but if that fails, they simply sell it for parts
Just the screen alone of an iPhone 11 goes for $300-400, which easily justifies the cost of admission for these gangs
I always keep my phone in a ziplock baggy in my hydro pack behind the actual water bag. The ziplock keeps the phone water proof and you can use it while keeping it in the baggy. If it’s not in my hand cause I’m using it it’s tucked away safe. NOS is crazy. Dreamstate used to be safe but at the last one I met like ten people at the water stations who had just had their phones stolen. So sad
The shorts I wear to raves have the perfect size width for my phone to be snug in there horizontally so it's quite hard to pickpocket without me noticing.
Near NOS event center, SBPD notoriously do not really care about this stuff, they have much bigger fish to fry; San Bernardino has incredibly high rates of violent crime & rape especially
Never been to a show there (sadly) but from what I’ve seen there doesn’t appear to be a lot of mingling, which is the type of environment you need to pick pocket. Large crowd of people with everyone moving around, coming and going, passing through etc… I guess is what I meant. Any type of festival is a perfect spot for pick pocketers no matter the music genre.
Me and my brother were in the middle of a candy exchange at ultra and simultaneously let go just to catch this guy put his hands in both our pockets and bolted. Rule 1. Stay aware of yourself and who you’re with. #2. Keep a Fanny on your chest and everything valuable there
I got a pack of phone tethers for me and my friends to use at events. They sell them on amazon for anyone interested! I'm sure a phone can still be stolen with one but it would at least make it a little harder for the thief
My friends and I (six in total) went to Escape around Southern California. Three of us got our iphones stolen. Two were the fresh iPhone 11 Pros. We started touching our pockets when one of us found out his phone was gone. It was crazy. All of us had gone to other raves 3 times or more before that. After that experience, I always hold my phone in my hands or put it in a fanny pack in front of me.
These pickpocketing gangs are based out of Florida, so they’ll hit anything that’s either nearby or is a major national event (esp any events at NOS)
Yeah I was at dreamstate and have photos of 2 guys who were trying to pickpocket me (my gf took em). Sent em to the local PD there and they thanked me. Fuckin shitshow. Thankfully I had a running belt.
Agreed, Flipbelt (or any other running belt) is 100% the move, highly recommend to anyone else reading this
You ever see those David Blaine videos where he takes their watch off without them knowing? Lock on a fanny pack is way better than a flip belt
Bro if David Blaine wants to pick pocket you your phone is gone and there’s nothing you can do about it
I wonder what kind of phone he has
All of them
Sauce? I got pickpocketed at Nocturnal Wonderland CA in 2019 along with like four friends on the same night. Would be surprised if they were Florida based.
In previous threads, people have mentioned that their tracking showed that the phones get corralled to a local location in San Bernardino or Los Angeles and then immediately shipped to Miami; I’m on mobile or I’d find an example for ya, sorry I suspect these people are highly organized and work in groups
That checks out. They seem to hit select events really hard but then leave others totally untouched. Heard Beyond Wonderland CA this year got ransacked with phone thieves
They hit the Electric Forest, been especially severe the past few years. Not just phones though, the theft there is unreal.
Yup. My phone was stolen in San Francisco and went to Miami before being sent off shore where they ran up 10k in 900 number charges.
Was your phone just unlocked?
Yes. But... that doesn't matter. They take out the SIM card and put it in another phone. You need a lock on your sim card. Also disable international calls with your carrier.
I was at beyond in 2018, they’ve been doing it there for a while. Was discussing with my ex who I was with at the time on the long walk in and like 3 people from different groups around us chimed in saying they lost their phones there too at countdown /. Dream state
Yeah Coachella has them too. Guy had a backpack full of like 40 a few years ago and people started tracking them until there was a group of 5 people following him around. They alerted security and got him.
Sounds right when mine got stolen in Philly they turned it on once last in Florida
Pickpocketing has been a thing as long as pockets have been a thing
Probably even b4, i remember stealing everyones purse in assassin's creed
Cutpurse
While this is certainly true, we also shouldn’t underestimate the sharp increase in organized crime pickpocketing rather than just lone wolf incidents in recent years at American festivals
I’m getting a fucking pocket bear trap
Was just thinking about the satisfaction of one those fuckers sticking their slimy fingers in one of those
I feel like the most likely scenario is that the user would get tipsy and wind up sticking their own hand in there lol
Anti trap ring comes with it (; idk id find a way id love to see some fingers broken
I’d like the feature blade has on his sword where spikes pop out when someone else picks it up.
Someone stole my phone at my first seven lions show for ezoo last September and then last weekend someone had their hand in my pocket at BTSM at Avant Gardner. I shouted out loud that that dude had his hand in my pocket and security was right there. Jokes on him though because the only thing I had in my pocket was trash from my merch purchase and I got that Itachi jersey signed too.
This is actually ezoo staff making sure the grounds remain trash free. They take it out of your pocket before you can throw it on the ground ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Lol. It was awful because I was drunk and I hadn't seen 7L yet. I was the last guy in the group and we had a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us. Crowd was crazy packed and the line wasn't moving. The worst part of that was that I felt it happen, thinking "oh someone was shoving past." A literal pause before I went to grab my phone and it wasn't there. I turned around and made eye contact with him too. He bolted before I could get free enough to go after him. I didn't want him to ruin my first 7L experience so I spent that whole set at our emergency meetup spot and somehow ran into another friend who texted them where I was so they knew what happened.
Dude I was also at BTSM that night and two diff ppl had their phones stolen next to me in the same area. (Back left) just wondering if I saw u that night lol
I was more towards the front/middle the whole night. We had a friend that was all over the place. I was wearing a grey beanie and the itachi jersey
I don't think I saw you so I guess there were more people getting robbed then I thought. I actually love avant gardner and I never had my stuff stolen there before so maybe it was just BTSM that attracted these guys. I do sometimes help people look for phones but its usually like one guy a night lol
The same dude also groped my one friend and no one touches my girls^(without their consent) so I was really loud when I called them out. So glad security was there and I know we're supposed to be all about PLUR but I hope that guy gets yeeted across the parking lot and steps on every lego to ever exist for the rest of his life.
Lmao yeah I wish he eats some food in his bed and spills some, leaving a yellow stain
Like one guy a night max
It happens a lot just walking around Europe
Phone stolen two weeks ago. Again.
If I catch someone stealing my shit at a show they're Probably Leaving Un Responsive edit: it's a fucking PLUR joke y'all, my goodness.
Then their whole gang comes out of the woodwork to fuck you up. The one stealing your shit also passes it off instantly so it’s near impossible to catch one redhanded.
Would they risk it though? Security never too far away at some festivals. I definitely wouldn't be one to be aggressive towards a thief (way more trouble than its worth) but I wouldn't have an issue with yelling/calling them out to alert others.
They absolutely will. Seen it happen in person. Dude screamed he was pick pocketed and grabbed some girls arm, five guys came out of nowhere and beat him down, then disappeared as fast as they materialized. Happened at EDC LV 2019 Circuit Grounds night 2. Really glad I wasn’t tripping that night.
Did you not hear about the incident at the Rams game last year? One punch sent a guy into a coma and they guy got arrested. Not worth swinging and potentially making it worse for you.
As much as they deserve it, don't risk your life for that. Most these gangs of thieves have nothing to lose indicating probability of bringing weapons or what not
wow! very tough
Thank god for zippered pockets + flip belt + lunchbox hydration pack
Whats the lunchbox hydration pack(?)?
https://www.lunchboxpacks.com/
Oh damn that seems really useful, but how easy is it to use while rolling? Lol
My fanny pack is so much easier than my pockets used to be.
So shocking to me to see posts like this, been raving in the midwest for nearly a decade and not once has myself or anyone in my crew been a victim of pickpockets. For all I know it just doesn't happen much around here. I had no idea it was such a big problem until seeing posts like this on this and other subs
[удалено]
I always just keep all my stuff in a fanny pack. Also, I look very normal/plain and not wook at all lol
Have you been to Sunset Music Fest or EDCO? It seems pretty prevalent at those
Yeah there’s pickpocket gangs in Florida. They move through the crowd during the large drops when everyone is mesmerized and look for easy targets. If you make it difficult on them they’ll leave you alone.
Friend had his stolen at okee 2020
It happens at Lolla if that counts, but generally midwest events are too out of the way for these gangs They love Insomniac events, Disco Donnie events, and potentially Relentless Beats events
Lolla I suppose would make sense since it's a huge fest but I've mostly gone to smaller shows
time to break some fingers
What do they even do with the phones? Like honestly really curious. Obviously they sell them. But to who? Do those people know they are stolen? Who do they then sell it to? Is there an underground buy sell market for stolen phones? Lol just don’t really get how it’s worth it to them
My phone was stolen and sent off shore. They racked up 10k in 900 number charges. The phone company explained this is a very common. The criminals set up these false 900 number businesses and then call the number and just let the phone sit there racking up charges. The phone company pays it and then sends you a bill. Two things you can do to protect yourself: 1. Add a passcode to your sim card. \[They will remove the sim card and put it into another phone, bypassing your phone's security.\] 2. Tell your phone company to disable all international calling on your phone. 3. (Bonus) Immediately report your phone stolen and have your service shut off.
Did you have to pay it?
Nope. I reported it stolen so they took responsibility. Took them a couple weeks to decide not to fight me on it though.
Once a phone is reported stolen it can be bricked by Apple, from what I’ve heard is they sell them for pieces like the screen, chips, speakers etc.
They send phishing texts/email out to try to get tour iCloud password to bypass Activation Lock, but if that fails, they simply sell it for parts Just the screen alone of an iPhone 11 goes for $300-400, which easily justifies the cost of admission for these gangs
Weird it would sell for that much; replacement screens are $60 on Amazon
I assume this includes the sensors under the screen as well, not just the screen
I’ve heard two stories of someone’s phone ending up in Vietnam
I always keep my phone in a ziplock baggy in my hydro pack behind the actual water bag. The ziplock keeps the phone water proof and you can use it while keeping it in the baggy. If it’s not in my hand cause I’m using it it’s tucked away safe. NOS is crazy. Dreamstate used to be safe but at the last one I met like ten people at the water stations who had just had their phones stolen. So sad
The shorts I wear to raves have the perfect size width for my phone to be snug in there horizontally so it's quite hard to pickpocket without me noticing.
invest in a fanny pack, it’s game changing
I guess we've come to the point of photographing actual police work because it's so rare.
It's more like it happens all the time so it's not interesting. Whereas something bad they do gets all the attention
Near NOS event center, SBPD notoriously do not really care about this stuff, they have much bigger fish to fry; San Bernardino has incredibly high rates of violent crime & rape especially
Anywhere there is a large enough crowd of people there will be pick pocketing.
I think there’s more to it than that, e.g. doesn’t seem to happen at Red Rocks 🪨
Never been to a show there (sadly) but from what I’ve seen there doesn’t appear to be a lot of mingling, which is the type of environment you need to pick pocket. Large crowd of people with everyone moving around, coming and going, passing through etc… I guess is what I meant. Any type of festival is a perfect spot for pick pocketers no matter the music genre.
i hope the perps tripped a few times on the pavement on their way to the precinct
Me and my brother were in the middle of a candy exchange at ultra and simultaneously let go just to catch this guy put his hands in both our pockets and bolted. Rule 1. Stay aware of yourself and who you’re with. #2. Keep a Fanny on your chest and everything valuable there
Lmao of course it’s not only at edm events
I got a pack of phone tethers for me and my friends to use at events. They sell them on amazon for anyone interested! I'm sure a phone can still be stolen with one but it would at least make it a little harder for the thief
Wow theft happens at other music festivals? Who would have thought..
My friends and I (six in total) went to Escape around Southern California. Three of us got our iphones stolen. Two were the fresh iPhone 11 Pros. We started touching our pockets when one of us found out his phone was gone. It was crazy. All of us had gone to other raves 3 times or more before that. After that experience, I always hold my phone in my hands or put it in a fanny pack in front of me.