Factcheckers: is pickpocketing child’s play?

In the eighth and penultimate broadcast of Factcheckers go Jan Van Looveren, Thomas Vanderveken and Britt Of Marsenille on research. Is pickpocketing really child’s play? You can easily see an e-bike boost? And can you see someone or he’s lying?

Read In the newspaper Britt in the first half of 2018, but less than 12.057 reports of pick pocketing have been registered by the police. 66 people per day become the victim of pickpockets. In a lot of articles is also claimed that pickpocketing is really child’s play. But is that really so? Thomas and Britt want self check. Because if it’s really as simple as that, then they want to know where you should pay attention to not to become a victim.

Thomas and Britt invite Jaime van Gastel. This Dutchman is on YouTube known as the “boevenspotter”. He helps the Amsterdam police for nearly 24 years with the detection of thieving in his own style.

Britt: “We all think that we are well on our things to watch, but is that really the case? Punishment to yourself to make what tricks pickpockets use all of it.”

Jaime learns Britt and Thomas for the tricks that thieves most often apply. He teaches them where they should be aware of to minimise the risk to themselves ripped off. But then it becomes very uncomfortable: Britt and Thomas should try to bags, wallets and smartphones to steal…

That you a e-bike can drive up, was this week a topical theme. In The news it was said that it is illegal to push even a widespread phenomenon in fietsverkopers. Also in Factcheckers sets Thomas that this is true: about half of the 50 fietsenwinkels that he is calling, says an e-bike to be able to push.

But Thomas goes one step further. He wonders if you also easy can. In a bike shop, he may something like that for 200 euros, paid in cash. But online, he finds a lot of ombouwsetjes and speedchips that are cheaper. He ordered a conversion kit and the day after is the device in the bus. It is a kind of “speedclip”, a small clip that you have the sensor for the speedometer moves so the counter thinks that he is at half speed. Less than a half hour to install Thomas this speedclip with tips via Youtube. Then comes the test: how fast can he go?