phone snatching
Street device theft
Phone snatching is the theft of a mobile phone by grabbing it from someone's hand or person in a public place.
The crime typically happens quickly—a thief on foot or bicycle snatches the device and flees before the victim can react: Phone snatching has become endemic in London.
The term emphasizes the brazen, opportunistic nature of the theft rather than pickpocketing or burglary.
- grabSeize abruptly
- theftUnlawful taking of property
- pickpocketThief who steals carried items
- muggerOne who robs violently
- smartphoneHandheld connected computer
street · running · chase · moped · scooter · crowd · distraction · sidewalk · victim · thief · yank · quick · split second · brazen · opportunist · tube · station · London Underground
- theftstealing, larceny, steal, burglary, robbery
- street crimesmugging, pickpocketing, robbery, carjacking, vandalism
phone snatchingpickpocketing
Theft from pockets
burglary · cybertheft · identity theft · phone hacking · shoplifting
phone, snatching, phones, phoned, phoning, phonetic, phonetics, phoneme, phonology