Beware Of Pickpocketers And Break-ins During The Feria

A NOTE of caution to our readers, as many of you know it’s the Feria del Rosario in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol, thieves take advantage of the fact that houses and businesses are unoccupied at certain moments of the day to enter and ransack them, please take extra care during these days to lock up properly.

If you don’t have an alarm system installed and easy solution to temporarily deter thefts is the use of lights.

It’s a good idea to set up lights to scare off thieves. For example, a light outside the house with a motion sensor can make anyone trying to enter uncomfortable.

You can also purchase a timer to program the lights of different rooms to be turned on and off at certain times. This will give the feeling that the house is occupied at all times.

Apart from taking precautions in locking up homes and businesses, it’s important to keep in mind that many thefts work on site in the actual feria grounds.

EWN want to transmit a series of tips to help keep your personal belongings safe during the Feria del Rosario:

First of all, special care must be taken because professional pickpockets act in fairs and festivals. These thieves are highly skilled and organised criminals who move around the national territory to different events and ferias.

Theft of personal belongings such as mobiles, wallets and/or purses containing cash, bank cards and personal documentation are the most common crimes at events such as local ferias. These are the favourite objects of thieves and pickpockets who roam the streets and booths looking for a suitable victim. Never under any circumstances should these items be left on tables, bars, chairs or stools as this action immediately makes them easy target for these type of criminals.

Pickpockets often use the following method; they place an object in their hands that interposes between the victim’s line of vision and their personal belongings, the object used may be a newspaper, a map of the fair, a bouquet of flowers, a jacket, etc.

The thief takes advantage of the second their victim loses sight of his/her belongings to take the valuable object deposited on tables or bars etc, when the thief withdraws, they take their loot under the objects they originally had in their hands. Beware of people who approach under the guise of begging, sometimes it is a simple cover to commit this type of theft.

Young children with mobiles in their hands are easy prey. The thief can pull the phone out of the child’s hand easily and run away. If a mobile phone is stolen, it is convenient to immediately call the telephone operator to restrict calls and report it to the police station providing the IMEI number, the device identification code, which will make it impossible for this terminal to be used with another SIM card.

It is also necessary to watch one’s handbag within the crowds and only carry what is strictly necessary inside, it’s advisable to position the handbag (preferably one that has a zip) in front of the body. Never leave it hanging on the back of the chair when sitting for a refreshment or meal, this is an irresistible claim for thieves.

Gentleman’s wallets should always go in the front pocket, placing them in the back pocket makes them easy for pickpockets to snatch without the victim being aware of the incident.

These tips apply to any town celebration or feria, take extra care so that you can enjoy the Feria with piece of mind.