In a shocking turn of events, a tourist visiting Barcelona fell victim to a brazen pickpocket who tried to take his phone while he was recording a memorable moment next to a famous monument.
Christian Camilo Horta, believed to be from the US, had posed candidly next to the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona, Spain, setting up and propping up his phone to record a video.
But the recording was soon disrupted by an unexpected addition: an opportunistic thief riding a bicycle who quickly approaches to grab the phone, only to be caught red-handed as the footage continued to record.
Christian, who works as a nurse, posted the surprising footage on his TikTok page, @ccamilohd, in November 2023.
The video has since been viewed more than 62,000 times and received 70 comments from previous tourists who shared their experiences with pickpockets while visiting certain Spanish cities.
A tourist visiting Barcelona fell victim to a brazen pickpocket who tried to take his phone while he was recording a memorable moment next to a famous monument
The incident, which took place at the historic monument on the Passeig de Lluís Company promenade, begins with Christian standing a few meters away from his phone, which was set to record the health worker posing at the Arc.
Within seconds, the recording shows a man getting on his mint green bicycle and reaching out to remove the phone from its position.
Blurry footage follows as the phone is thrown around after Christian quickly spots the thief and the two appear to struggle over it.
Seconds later, Christian is captured holding the phone and records his stunned reaction, laughing nervously, as he walks away from the scene.
Dozens of people took to the comments to share their own stories of the theft of valuables in Spanish cities, or to warn the nurse about leaving his phone unattended in a country supposedly “notorious” for theft.
One person said: 'I was pickpocketed in Madrid and the man gave me my wallet back because I had no cash… I said 'thanks', while another commented: 'No tripods in Europe. Ok I get it.'
Another wrote: 'Someone tried to steal my phone and I pushed and ripped it out of their hand and they looked at me like I was crazy.'
A fourth person warned: “Oh well, in a country known for pickpockets you make life easier by leaving it out of your pocket,” to which Christian replied: “I made a cool video of it though.”
Christian Camilo Horta had posed candidly next to the Arc de Triomf. But the shot was soon disrupted by an opportunistic thief riding a bicycle who quickly approached to grab the phone.
Dozens of people took to the comments to share their own stories of the theft of valuables in Spanish cities, or to warn Christian about leaving his phone unattended in a country supposedly 'notorious' for theft
Another person, impressed with Christian's quick handling of the situation, wrote, “The quietest robbery ever,” to which the nurse replied, “Thank God the noise canceling on my headphones was turned off.”
A final concerned commenter wrote: 'Spain is notorious for theft. Stupid move on your part, but I'm glad you got it back.'
In July 2023, British holidaymakers were urged to be vigilant against travel fraud, which has cost victims millions in the summer of 2022.
From fake bookings to the 'trouser knocker' who tells pickpockets where the money is, the underhanded tricks used by scammers and thieves on holidaymakers were highlighted and tourists advised on how to avoid becoming victims.
Fresh calls for tourists to remain alert came after a total of £4.6 million was lost between May and August 2023 alone and more than 6,450 reports of holiday fraud were made during the financial year, costing more than £15 million, or an average of £2,372 per year. victim.