Last time when i was in Rome....in front of the train station, a bunch of women carrying babies....look a bit like beggar...
few of them suddenly pulling my friends's hands and beg for money, and one of them reached her hand to his pouch
luckily a local man helped us, he yelled at them and scared them away

when i was in barcelona...climbing the stairs of the subway station, the old man in front of me suddenly stopped. I made an "emergency stop" too....then just within seconds, the little girl behind me took my purse.
Dunno how she did it...my sling bag was so full and messy , yet she can grab the purse in one try...