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Scams

by Mike Masnick

Tue, Mar 9th 2004 1:04am





Filming The Hand That Steals Your Wallet

from the not-so-easy dept

Sort of an odd "article" for the NY Times, but it seems like a random profile of a self-described "professor of pickpocketry" written by the guy himself, who spends more than half of the year going around to touristy locations and trying to film pickpockets in action - and then sitting down with them to talk about their latest tricks. He says the best way to get them to talk to you is to have them steal your wallet - and then steal it right back. He uses a series of tiny hidden cameras to film everything, but that isn't described all that well. To be honest, while I'm sure much of the article is true, it reads like someone boasting about his exploits with little to back it up and (very oddly) doesn't even include the guy's name - except in the associated photo caption. I didn't realize the NY Times published articles where people just got to talk about themselves with no context whatsoever.

4 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    The Article is about Bob Arno.

    identicon
    Wes Maldonado, Mar 9th, 2004 @ 8:38am

    He's been featured on the Travel Channel and many others... If you haven't seem him do his magic its worth trying to find out when he'll be on the travel channel. He can steal a mans tie from his neck without him realizing it.
    Go check out his website if you don't think he's credible:
    http://www.bobarno.com/index.htm

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Re: The Article is about Bob Arno.

    icon
    Mike (profile), Mar 9th, 2004 @ 8:40am

    I didn't say I didn't think he was credible. I actually have seen him on the Travel Channel, and he is amazing when he performs. What I found odd was that it was a NY Times article where they basically just let him ramble.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Bob Arno NY Times Article

    identicon
    shari, Mar 12th, 2004 @ 7:39am

    Mike, Bob Arno's article appeared in a weekly column called Frequent Flier. It is always an "as told to" column, written in the first person. The column is a certain length every week, and therefore the "writer/editor" is limited in the number of words allowed.
    In fact, Arno is well-known for his work filming street thieves--he consults with law enforcement agencies to help teach police what to look for, especially in huge public events, like Super Bowl. He has appeared on ABC's 20/20 and many other national TV and radio specials.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Re: The Article is about Bob Arno.

    identicon
    Shari, Mar 12th, 2004 @ 8:30am

    An additional thought: By the way, Arno and his wife, B. Vincent just released a fascinating book called Travel Advisory! How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams While Traveling.
    Not only will you learn a lot about pickpockets, con artists, and identity theft, but the book is filled with amazing stories (great ones to repeat to friends!), including how Arno got into this in the first place.
    You can get it either online or your local bookstore. It's well worth the read.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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