Warning over spate of ‘phone dipping’: Police release footage of ‘remorseless’ distraction thief swiping a device from a table with ease
- Shocking video footage shows a sneaky phone theft in Manchester in January
- Two men were found guilty for 21 thefts with a combined worth of £16,000
Police have released footage of a ‘remorseless’ distraction thief to warn the public to be vigilant after a spate of ‘phone dipping’.
A shocking video posted yesterday by Greater Manchester Police shows criminals easily swiping a phone from a restaurant.
The two men, who were responsible for around 21 thefts in the city centre in January, were jailed for eight months each earlier this year after collectively being responsible for thefts worth over £16,000.
Superintendent Dave Meeney said the two had ‘no remorse’ for their victims and had a ‘clear set-up’ for how they would approach each theft.
The video shows their nifty methods for stealing, distracting a couple enjoying a meal out in a restaurant by placing a piece of paper over the phone, before swiping it out from underneath.
Police have released footage of a ‘remorseless’ distraction thief to warn the public about the dangers of ‘phone dipping’
A shocking video showed the theft, which took place in Manchester. It began with an unknown man approaching a couple at a restaurant with a piece of paper
In the video, the couple appear to be holding hands after eating a meal together at a bar with the woman’s mobile phone sat on the table.
However, an unknown man approaches them with a sheet of paper and appears to strike up a conversation with them.
As they’re talking, he places the sheet of paper over the phone.
When the conversation is over, he picks up the piece of paper and walks away – with the phone now gone and the couple seemingly unaware.
It comes amid a spate of phone dipping around the country. In April, figures released by the BBC showed that a mobile phone was stolen every six minutes in London, totalling 91,000 thefts in 2022 alone.
GMP, who released the footage as part of a crackdown of the distraction thefts, said two men were jailed earlier this year.
Together, they were responsible for around 21 thefts in the city centre during January.
Dubbed the ‘phone dippers’, the force said one man was responsible for thefts reaching a value of £10,000, while the second stole goods worth £6,300.
The man struck up a conversation with the couple to distract them and placed a piece of paper over the victim’s phone
The thief, who has now been jailed for eight months, sneakily hid the phone under the piece of paper and removed it from the table
A spokesman said: ‘They cunningly used a sheet of paper to cover the victim’s phone on tables in restaurants and bars and then distracted the victim by speaking to them.
‘They would then pick up the mobile phone from underneath the paper and quickly walk away with the victim’s phone in hand.’
The force has launched an operation over June and July in which it will deploy extra resources to target and arrest criminals suspected of committing similar offences.
READ MORE: Romanian pickpockets stole smartphones from Manchester cafes and bars
And it urged diners to be vigilant when leaving their phones on tables at bars and restaurants.
Superintendent Meeney said: ‘These two men had a clear set-up, they planned their offences carefully and they continue to have no remorse for the victims, who were understandably affected by these incidents.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to warn the public to be wary of this offence.
‘We have released the CCTV showing one of the offenders stealing a mobile phone in a busy restaurant in Greater Manchester to show how easily this can happen.
‘Whilst you are out and about, please keep your phone hidden away in a bag which is placed under your table when in a busy restaurant or bar or even in your pocket, making it harder for criminals reach.
‘Mobile phones or valuable items left on a table can be easily spotted by criminals as they look for a victim.
‘Please be aware of your surroundings, these type of thefts happen so quickly with some instances only taking around 20 seconds for the offender to approach the victim and steal the phone away.’
The thief stole the phone with the couple apparently unaware that it had taken place
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