Thieves are using a new distraction technique to snatch tourists’ mobile phones at the Black Sea coast, Romanian police have warned.
As the holiday season gets underway at the coast, police say more people are reporting thefts.
Police said thieves were using “the newspaper method” to distract people’s attention.
The thief approaches a potential targer who’s usually sitting in an outdoor café or bar and asks them for assistance or tries to sell them something.
During the exchange, the thief “covers the victim’s possession. When (the thief) leaves the telephone or the wallet are nowhere to be seen”.
The Constanta Police Inspectorate which is responsible for crime along the Black Sea coast recommended that tourists be on their guard.
We advise “tourists not to be tempted by items that are offered by pushy vendors. Tourists should also be careful about leaving personal items on a table, at an outdoor cafe or in any public place”.
After the pandemic hit tourism hard last year, industry officials say they are expecting a good recovery this year.
Tourism official Traian Badulescu said many resorts were already fully booked or almost fully booked for the summer season which ends in September.
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