Whether in the supermarket or when shopping in a store: pickpockets usually strike when a wallet is not safely stowed away. A quick diversionary maneuver - and the wallet is gone.
This is extremely annoying for the victims. After all, many people not only carry cash and bank cards in their wallets, but also their ID card, driving license and other IDs and cards. Recovering these documents alone costs several hundred euros.
Pickpockets are also always on the move in the Steinfurt district - and their scams are often successful. Sometimes the victim is involved in a conversation, sometimes they ask for directions, sometimes the victim's clothes are "accidentally" soiled. The perpetrators often work in pairs or threes. One distracts the victim, the other disappears into the crowd with the loot. There are also often situations in which the victims don't notice anything and suddenly discover the loss of their wallet at the checkout, for example.
If the perpetrators then have the opportunity to withdraw money from the nearest ATM because the PIN number has been noted on the bank card or a piece of paper, the loss can quickly amount to several thousand euros.