Terrifying moment thief tries to nab phone from Aussie expat in London as she issues a warning to all tourists visting the UK
Shocking footage has emerged of the terrifying moment a brazen thief tried to steal an Australian tourist’s phone.
Australian native Naarah filmed herself walking down the street in central London last week after a show when the masked thief tried to steal her phone.
Footage of the brutal act, later uploaded to TikTok, shows the chilling moment the person approaches Naarah from behind on a motorbike.
The person knocked the phone out of her hand, but was unable to steal the device because it was attached to a belt.
Naarah, who moved to London last year to study theatre and drama at the Royal Academy of Music, could hardly believe she had captured this dramatic moment on camera.
The expat, who grew up in Tasmania, urged travellers to always keep an eye on things and protect their personal belongings.
“Petty crime is very common here. Don’t take it for granted because it can literally happen to you at any time,” she said.
Naarah also urged tourists to wear a phone bracelet when they are out and about, as she herself never leaves home without one.
Naarah was walking down the street in central London a few days ago after a show when the masked thief (pictured over her right shoulder) tried to steal the device
The strap can be inserted into the socket at the bottom of the phone and can also be worn over the shoulders.
The video, which has now been viewed more than a million times, was flooded with comments from viewers sharing their own similar experiences.
‘I was in London last week and [I saw] “The same thing can happen to a tourist during the day,” someone wrote.
Another added: ‘It happened to me once in Manchester. They threw it [phone] ‘back because it sucked and they didn’t want it.’
Others indicated that phone theft is common in the city and in busy areas around it.
“This has been happening in London for over 10 years,” said one viewer.
Another added: ‘Happens so often outside my workplace in Southwark.’
According to figures from the Metropolitan Police, an average of one mobile phone was stolen every six minutes in London last year.
In 2022, a whopping 90,864 phones were stolen. That equates to approximately 250 stolen phones per day.
Naarah (pictured), who grew up in Tasmania, urged travellers to protect their personal belongings at all times and encouraged them to invest in phone straps
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has urged the chief executives of major mobile phone companies and manufacturers to tackle the rise in phone thefts.
The Australian government recently tightened its travel advice for the United Kingdom following mass protests across Britain.
The protests broke out after three young girls were killed in a gruesome stabbing attack in July.
The Smart Traveller website advises Australians to exercise ‘extreme caution’ when visiting the UK.