This is the moment an ‘influencer’ caught on camera an apparent phone theft attempt on the streets of London.
Ayoub Alouane, a self-described “international speaker” in the tech industry, was livestreaming wearing a pair of smart glasses when a masked cyclist flew past him and apparently tried to take his phone.
In the video, Mr Alouane can be seen talking on his phone while filming himself wearing what appears to be a pair of Ray Ban Meta sunglasses, a type of virtual reality glasses that sell for up to £329.
Suddenly, a cyclist passes by him and appears to reach out to snatch his phone.
In reaction to what apparently just happened, Mr Alouane exclaimed: “What the fuck.”
Alouane is not the first influencer to have caught an apparent robbery attempt in the capital on camera. In March, TikToker Sophie Hockings, known online as The One With All The Pink, was filming herself on a street in Highbury Fields, Islington, London.
Ayoub Alouane was live streaming wearing a pair of smart glasses when a masked cyclist flew past him and apparently tried to take his phone.
Suddenly, a cyclist passes by him and appears to reach out to snatch his phone. In reaction to what apparently just happened, Mr Alouane exclaimed: ‘What the fuck?’
Alouane is not the first influencer to have caught an apparent robbery attempt in the capital on camera. In March, TikToker Sophie Hockings also caught an alleged phone theft attempt on camera.
Just moments into her smear test video, a stranger on a bike quickly approached Sophie from behind and stole her phone.
Despite the initial panic, the thief appeared to change his mind after Hockings politely asked him to return his cell phone. The video shows the culprit pausing as he flees, before the 28-year-old is allowed to retrieve her phone after she politely asked him to.
Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Hockings expressed her relief at having her new iPhone 15 Pro back, which she upgraded to last month.
She said: “A lot of people got in touch saying it had happened to them, and in the same area, which is crazy.” I always thought it was a safe area.
‘Someone said maybe he thought he was on Facetime and maybe they saw his face so he might have dropped it. Or maybe he crashed, I don’t know.
“I didn’t report it to the police, but I probably would have if it had been stolen. But I had huge latex gloves and a mask, so I’m not sure what that would do.
‘It’s so scary. My friend’s phone was stolen during a night out and she had to change all of her banking details. It’s scary how much we have on them.
“My phone was stolen a few years ago in the same area, but it was just an old one.”
In another video posted to TikTok, Aminah Ali was filming outside a London restaurant in April this year when the content creator claims a woman stole her phone.
She claims the lady asked for money, but as she did so she waved a piece of paper, which she silently dropped onto Mrs Ali’s device so she could take it.
In another video posted to TikTok, Aminah Ali was filming outside a London restaurant in April this year when the content creator claims a woman stole her phone.
Ms Ali only realized her phone was missing a few minutes later and her “heart dropped” when her friend Iryna Leterova revealed she had captured the moment the alleged thief placed the paper so he could swipe the device.
Footage posted on TikTok shows a woman approaching Ms. ALi’s table and the content creator cautiously grabs her purse but forgets to pick up her phone, on top of which the alleged criminal begins to place a piece of paper like distraction.
In a follow-up video, Aminah delivers a strong message to help others take precautions as “your phone can be snatched out of your hand at any moment.”
Dozens of TikTok users flooded the comments section to say that ‘the same thing’ happened to them, and many even acknowledged that the woman had allegedly pulled the same scam on them.
Other users branded Ali “crazy” for leaving her phone exposed in central London.