Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling when you realize something’s wrong with your belongings? That moment when your stomach drops and panic sets in? Well, let me tell you about my adventure with pickpockets in Milan’s famous Duomo Square…
When preparing for my Italian adventure, I heard countless warnings about pickpockets targeting tourists. I thought I had taken all the necessary precautions—boy, was I wrong! Despite my careful planning, I still became a victim. But here’s the twist: I managed to get my money back! Let me share this wild experience and the lessons I learned the hard way.
Milan Pickpocket Prevention: My Pre-Trip Preparations
“Absolutely NO backpacks!”—that’s what everyone kept telling me. Following this advice, I brought a sling bag that could be worn across my body. I chose the Everyday Sling, primarily designed for carrying cameras (ironically, I don’t even own a camera lol). I spotted it on sale online and couldn’t resist. The bag itself was sturdy with thick padding for camera protection and had a really nice design that served me well throughout the trip… until it didn’t.
For extra security, I attached those stretchy coil keychains from the dollar store to both my wallet and phone. The wallet was secured inside my bag while my phone was attached to my belt loop—making them harder to snatch.
Duomo Square Experience
I visited Milan’s Duomo Square twice during my two-day stay—once on Friday evening and again on a crazy-busy Saturday afternoon.
Friday evening was pretty chill, not too crowded, so I could explore at my leisure. Honestly, I didn’t feel any threat of pickpockets at all.
But Saturday? That’s when things went south. Being both weekend and daytime, Duomo Square was PACKED with tourists. After touring the magnificent Duomo Cathedral, I headed into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade. While the cathedral was crowded, the arcade was on another level—people were literally shoulder-to-shoulder, shuffling along slowly. I was pushing my mother’s wheelchair, which made navigation even more challenging in that sea of people. In all the chaos, my sling bag accidentally slid from my front to my side without me noticing.
As I continued admiring the stunning architecture of the arcade, something felt… off. I checked my bag with my hand and realized it was open—which was strange because I definitely hadn’t opened it myself.
Catching the Pickpocket
The moment I discovered my bag was open, I quickly checked my wallet inside—and found all my cash was gone! I had exchanged around 300-400 euros and a similar amount in Swiss francs for my European trip. Since I hadn’t needed to use much cash (surprisingly, card payments were widely accepted), almost all of it was still in my wallet… until that moment.
Shocked at discovering the missing money, I frantically scanned my surroundings and caught a glimpse of a hand quickly withdrawing from nearby. Acting on instinct, I grabbed that hand and found it belonged to a young girl, probably in her mid-teens. She was wearing a worn-out bag with frayed edges. I immediately knew she had taken my money.
Without thinking twice (maybe I should have!), I held onto her hand and demanded my money back, repeatedly shouting “Give me my money!” in English. Initially, she pretended it wasn’t her, but after a few insistent demands, she resigned herself to the situation and returned the cash from her bag. I think my large male build might have intimidated her a bit.
Assessing the Damage
The pickpocketing incident left me so shaken that I immediately abandoned my sightseeing plans and escaped the crowds. Once outside, I thoroughly checked my bag and was relieved to discover that only the cash had been taken—my cards remained untouched. Thankfully, the young thief had returned all my money, so ultimately there was no financial loss.
I had been worried about my passport too, but fortunately, it was safely tucked away in a separate, deeper pocket in my bag that she hadn’t managed to access. All my other belongings were intact as well, which was a huge relief after such a stressful experience.
Additional Lessons Learned
Looking back, I realize how reckless I was in confronting the pickpocket directly. There could have been male accomplices watching nearby, which might have put me in serious danger. I think I was lucky that the arcade was so crowded that the young pickpocket couldn’t escape quickly, allowing me to catch her immediately.
This is the last photo I took in the Galleria arcade before getting pickpocketed. I was too shaken afterward to take any more pictures.
Since my incident happened because I couldn’t keep my bag in front of me, I strongly recommend avoiding backpacks when visiting major European tourist attractions. If you must carry a bag, always wear it in front where you can see it at all times. Next time I visit popular European destinations, I’ll definitely be more vigilant to avoid falling victim to pickpockets again.
