Safety slides · 23 June 2026
Spotting the map trick
A map or a leaflet held over the table, and the phone that goes underneath it.
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What actually happens
Someone asks for directions and lays a paper map, a menu or a leaflet across the table while they point at it. Your phone is under the paper. It leaves with the paper.
The moment it turns
The paper going down. Once something is covering the table, whatever is under it is out of your sight and in theirs.
If it happens to you
Ask them to lift the paper before you answer anything. If it has already gone, tell the venue immediately: cafes and bars often have a camera on the door and staff who have seen the pair before. Then report it and block the SIM.
Phone just stolen? Emergency stepsHabits that lower the odds
- Never let anything be placed over your phone on a table.
- Keep the phone in a pocket while you eat rather than beside your plate.
- Give directions standing up and a step back from the table.
- Be wary of a second person who arrives while the first is still talking.