How bad are pickpockets in Italy?

Concentrated and skilled, but avoidable — they work specific places, not the whole country. The hotspots are Rome's metro line A and the 64 bus to the Vatican, Termini station, the area around the Trevi Fountain, Florence's central market crowds, and Naples' busy streets. The method is distraction: someone bumps you, a group crowds the doors as they close, a person shows you a map or a petition. Keep your phone out of your back pocket, wear a crossbody bag in front, and be deliberately alert for the three seconds after anything unusual happens. Nothing valuable in outer pockets, ever.