This is the moment a TikToker accidentally caught a ‘serial thief’ using a distraction technique to slide his phone under his nose – a trick many others claim to have fallen victim to.
Aminah Ali, 25, was filming a video with a friend outside a restaurant in London earlier this month when a woman arrived “out of nowhere”.
The content creator claims that the lady asked for money, but while doing so she waved a piece of paper, which she silently dropped on Aminah’s device so she could take it.
Aminah only realized her phone was missing a few minutes later and her heart sank when her friend Iryna Leterova revealed she had captured the moment the alleged thief placed the paper so he could swipe the device.
Have you been a victim of phone theft? Email alesia.fiddler@mailonline.co.uk
Aminah Ali (pictured), 25, was filming a video with a friend outside a restaurant in London earlier this month when a woman arrived “out of nowhere”.
The content creator claims that the lady asked for money, but while doing so she waved a piece of paper, which she silently dropped on Aminah’s device so she could take it.
Aminah only realized her phone was missing a few minutes later and her heart sank when her friend Iryna Leterova revealed she had captured the moment the alleged thief placed the paper so he could swipe the device.
Images posted on TikTok show a woman approaching Aminah’s table and the content creator can be seen cautiously grabbing her purse but forgetting to pick up her phone, on which the alleged criminal begins to place a piece of paper as a 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 Aminah “crazy” for leaving her phone exposed in central London.
Aminah, from London, said: “It was shocking how something can happen so close to you without you realizing it at the time.”
‘Everything happens very quickly. Even now it is like a blur. They are very, very good at what they do. It can happen to anyone, even if you are aware of the situation.
‘My friend was taking videos of me, so I put my phone on the table. I guess the lady saw my phone was on the table and walked over to me.
“She came out of nowhere behind a car; obviously I was a target.” For a while she was looking at me. My friend who was recording me stopped because the lady entered the scene.
Images posted on TikTok show a woman approaching Aminah’s table and the content creator can be seen cautiously grabbing her purse but forgetting to pick up her phone, on which the alleged criminal begins to place a piece of paper as a distraction.
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.
‘She was asking me for money. She then put the paper in front of my phone and I forgot she was there.
‘I was making sure she didn’t take my bag without realizing my phone was still there. At that moment I completely forgot about my phone.
‘When I got up I looked around and my phone wasn’t there. My heart skipped a beat because I knew she had accepted it. I only realized two or three minutes later.
‘When I watched the video again I felt my heart skip a beat. My friend who was recording didn’t notice either.
‘I’m usually very aware of my surroundings. It was not in a busy area. I didn’t think this was going to happen to me at the time.’
Luckily, the 25-year-old was with Iryna, 34, who helped her friend contact her parents and find the nearest Apple store for help.
Aminah said: ‘If my friend wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be able to use her phone to contact my family.
‘Being alone in that situation can be very discouraging. I am very grateful to have been with a friend.
‘In my industry I use my phone a lot to create content and check emails. When it is taken away, you can feel very disconcerted in the moment.
“I’m very focused when it comes to my phone, so when they take it it really teaches you a lesson.”
In his warning video, he advises others to “make sure you have insurance” and explains a useful “stolen device protection” setting on Apple products.
Aminah can be seen sitting with her phone on the table, before the woman approaches.
The content creator admitted the ordeal made her more “alert” and wants to help others take precautions as she “didn’t realize how big a deal” phone theft was in London.
In his warning video, he advises others to “make sure you have insurance” and explains a useful “stolen device protection” setting on Apple products.
Once enabled, the setting implements additional security measures if an iPhone is removed from its home location to prevent thieves from making changes to the device and accounts.
Aminah said: ‘As this is the first time it’s happened to me, I didn’t realize how big a deal this is in London. Happens all the time.
‘It’s been happening for years, but I think over the last year it’s been happening very often. Now that I have been in this situation I am much more alert.
‘That’s why I posted the video because this could happen to other people and it could raise awareness. Especially to people who don’t live in London.
“A lot of people messaged me from different parts of the UK saying they didn’t know this existed.
‘In the comments many people say they recognize exactly that same lady. Some people said she also stole their phone.
‘When you feel like this will never happen to you, you never take precautions. Keeping everything protected is really important.
“There are many features that will prevent a thief from getting hold of your phone, but many people don’t know that.”
The 25-year-old revealed that she reported the incident to the police and, although her stolen device was not returned, she managed to get a new phone thanks to her insurance.
The 25-year-old revealed that she reported the incident to the police and, although her stolen device was not returned, she managed to get a new phone thanks to her insurance.
Some users called Aminah ‘crazy’ for leaving her phone exposed in central London
Aminah said: ‘I came home and reported him to the police. Reporting it is really important. They won’t realize how often it actually happens.
‘It took me a while to get everything back on my phone. Now, luckily with insurance, I was able to get a new phone. “I want people to know how important it is to have insurance.”
Many users shared their similar experiences in the comments.
One user said: “Same thing happened to me, we were sorry and gave him £10.”
Another user said: ‘This happened to me last year and I realized as soon as she left and ran after her. She gave it back to me hahaha.’
A third user said: “This happened to me three years ago and I’m still traumatized.”
Other users criticized Aminah for leaving her phone exposed on the table.
One user said: “Never put your phone on a table.”
Another user said: “Leaving your phone on the table in London is crazy.”
MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
Have you been a victim of phone theft? Email alesia.fiddler@mailonline.co.uk