Attenzione, pickpockets! Magician Ben Seidman demonstrates and explains pickpocketing techniques in 9 levels of difficulty, from the easiest to most complex. From a traditional outside jacket pocket snatch to stealing someone's neck tie in broad daylight, this sleight-of-hand expert shows us how to protect ourselves from master pickpocket petty theft.
Director: Maya Dangerfield
Director of Photography: Dominik Czaczyk
Editor: Jordan Calig
Expert: Ben Seidman
Creative Producer: Katherine Wzorek
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Kameryn Hamilton
Production Manager: Peter Brunette
Production & Equipment Manager: Kevin Balash
Production Coordinator: Kariesha Kidd
Camera Operator: Josh Andersen; Omar Elgohary
Sound Mixer: Kari Barber
Production Assistant: Fernando Barajas; Brock Spitaels
Hair & Make-Up: Vanessa Renee
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Additional Editor: Jason Malazia
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
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This man is dangerous. Just the skill is already insane, but he combined it with charisma, good looking, and good public speaking
Aww shucks thanks
@@TheComedyAndMagicseriously though, this was such a fun video to watch! Very entertaining and informative.
@@alext880 Thank you!
Brother you are amazing lmao
@@TheComedyAndMagicpickpocket my heart please
He's so charismatic that I'd probably just give him my phone if he asked
fr 😂
sooo he’s stealing your heart then XD
He would probably have it before you give it to him
@@hwoonDeurim Level 10? 😲
@@hwoonDeurim😂
I love the "Who's phone did I take" at the end. Such a funny way to end a set if he was doing this for a crowd. He'd have people that didn't even come up to the stage checking to make sure their phone wasn't stollen.
IKR? he didn't even tell us who's phone it was!
@@user-jc4sr7ns2gIt was probably his phone.
Rewatch the vedio that phone he tooks in the lvl between 2 - 8 lvl you will found out try to see in 0.25 X if you can't see I had seen it in 0.75 X 😅
This guy was so good, he actually had me feeling my own pocket to make sure he didn’t somehow pull a fast one on me
This guy is so good he stole my entire pocket
dude is so good that iam missing my pants
hes so good he stole my closet
This guy, the lockpicking lawyer & that insane geoguessr dude should form a group.
I'm down
I feel like if that happened, civilizations would be DECIMATED
gta v irl
That will be realistic version of a superhero team.
Think of the possibilities, add Jack Black to the group for no reason and they could take on the World.
My favorite part is he's so good at redirection that I knew he was pickpocketing and I didn't even realize he was stealing more than just his intended target. Through the whole tie steal I didn't notice ANYTHING else
I saw him take the pocket square, but I figured all the other touching was for misdirection
same im sobbing 😭😭😭🙈
@@saveoursquirrels4241I didn't even see him take the pocket square. I feel hopeless 😢
Yep, when he said he was taking the tie it never crossed my mind that he might go for something else as well.
Я одновременно читал субтитры и смотрел, но заметил все детали кражи 😎
This guy has min-maxxed the con-artist build. Charismatic, quick-thinking, knows how to pickpocket, good at acting and social manipulation, the list goes on! He's the person that criminal masterminds planning a heist are referring to when they say "I know a guy".
If you would fell for any of these tricks you are a complete mor0n
I love it how being raised in certain areas, makes you immediately go suspicious if anyone gets close to your table and you get hands and eyes on valuables instantly.
First step is to never leave valuables on a table! Keep them in pockets (or a bag that doesn't leave your side/feet!)
This man turned a joke into a series with hope, despair, loss and hype. He deserves every bit of recognition he has and even beyond that
"is this your phone?" "that is, that is not my phone, no" .................................... "who's phone did I take" absolute gold
Those who think they’re good pickpockets? 😑
Ben is an excellent magic creator as well
lmao you gey my phone
@@artemis-arrow3098Lol Imagine
Many fail to understand that this type of sleight of hand mastery takes YEARS to perfection in such a manner. I don't ususally enjoy when magicians expose their tricks but in this case its useful and he is a genius
aww thanks!
Useful for what? 🤔
@@timokapornyai3266 useful for preventing future theft
@@timokapornyai3266 Exposing how pickpocketing tricks are performed is useful for the audience to better avoid the real deal in the future.
@@timokapornyai3266useful for stealing your wallet and maxing out your credit card
bro was controling the steal, the magic, the chatting, the sight, all at once, thats impressive
I started my internship as thief assistant few weeks ago and thanks to this guide I hope I can do better and make my supervisor proud of me, thanks Ben
Good luck, keep hustling, keep grinding!
What did I just...?
😭😭
💀
This is for a friend.... Do you know if I can score an internship too?
I think the thing I love most about this video is that while he looks great pulling one over on all the unsuspecting guests, we know the actual crew have no excuse. Presumably they're all on high alert, both excited to have him in studio, but also abundantly aware of exactly what's he's capable of, yet he still manages to get them too. Guy's a rare talent.
I bet that they didn't even think he would pickpocket them - they probably thought that since they know he's a pickpocket and he's here to showcase it on unsuspecting people, he won't try it on them.
I think it's a mix of both
Aww thanks man!
@@TheComedyAndMagicITS HIM
@@hayes9611 OH NO! The pickpocket is IN THE ROOM!! Everyone get out, with your hands firmly shoved in your pockets, and bite anyone who tries to talk to or touch you!
8:42 love how he says "watch" as he takes it. This guy is incredibly smooth not only in actions but with how quick he can spin up a web of words to distract
I wonder if people who are learning this trick use this as some sort of mnemonic to get the timing right
I don't even understand how he did the magic trick, and can just barely comprehend the watch steal even as we're given the clearest view possible to see every motion he makes. But how can he steal that watch AND do that already amazing magic trick? This guy....
also the only person ive ever hear say "lastly but not leastly"
You realize these ppl are actors and are getting paid to basically say ""oh i had NO idea!" . I'm sure this guy is a good magician but come on now.
@@wishywashy1153 Hi there Mr. Kiljoy. I'm not sure, they seemed pretty genuine. Not over reactions, just a couple excitable people.
Summary: Don't let strangers touch you.
Bro just dropped a tutorial
this guy is the first pickpocket performer that isn't moving around so frantically like Apollo or Bob Arno (no hate). at least in the first few stages where that isn't necessary at all
that last scenario jumped the shark, I'd definitely recognize what was happening if someone touched me that aggressively.
@@CamJamesnigga you try discreetly stealing a tie then 😂
@@CamJames Agreed with last one. Even if you don't feel the tie pull (although the first pull literally pulled the whole body - he must have felt it with his neck.. but I dunno), you gotta feel that something super weird is going on with all the touching.
He doesn't behave like a pickpocket is the biggest oxymoron statement I've heard in a while. He acts like a pickpocket... he is a pickpocket
@@Hyperdriveuk hahaha wtf did the pickpocketer do to you man calm down. I've been doing this for 10 years
The fact that the "victims" didn't know what was actually going on makes this so much more entertaining! Thank you for another banger Wired
I still love the ones where they actually tell them what's happening and still clean them... 😂
Acting
@@suru2774 Thinking this is 'acting' simply shows your naivety. That mindset is how someone becomes vulnerable to pickpockets.
@@ElusiveTyYou can see at 2:22 how the “victim” shakes his head , like an actor, at the fact that the pen was dropped by no fault of his own. That is acting buddy.
“You should look inward” is such a nicer way of hearing “you need help”
17:38 Bro is so good that he casualy finds a pickpocketed phone in his pocket 😂😂😂
One dude tried to do level 7 on me on the street - honestly he almost succeeded, I noticed the movement of my phone, held on to it and the thief retreated promptly. It was done so smoothly it took me a minute to process what was going on after he was gone.
Years ago in Bali the local children were taught to swarm a tourist and thrust crap they are trying to sell into the waistline of a tourist, one of the kids has empty hands and pickpockets the target. It happened to my Dad but he felt their hand, he grabbed the kids hand and they all split like lightning. Very well trained, all the kids were under 10
@@kingcosworth2643 a kid tried to do it to me too in a city nearby where I live
woAhh
@@kingcosworth2643woAhhh
@@kingcosworth2643 it's sad that the kids were probably forcibly trained to live such an unhealthy lifestyle.
He did another magic trick while speaking to us with the coin in his hand on 6:49 . Absolute legend.
Dang! I didn't notice it until I read this comment. Good observation!
And the $2/$100 bill too
And it's really clever if you know how he did that trick. He was, in a round about way, telling us exactly how he did that trick. In fact, I'll go ahead and spoil the trick It's pretty basic, so I think no magician would mind. (SPOILERS BELOW) He conditions us by actually moving the coin to the other hand. The repetition then helps hide that he didn't transfer the coin the last time.
@@ZipplyZane Where does the coin go though?! He doesn't seem to be holding it in either hand at the end.
@@flutisticwonder Again, I don't want to spoil people who don't want the trick spoiled. So I'm typing a bunch of text in front of the explanation. (Spoilers ahead) He palmed it. Look at his left hand. It looks relaxed, but look at his pinky and ring fingers. They're curled up. You can easily hold something that way. And he's very careful not to move his hand where you could see the other side. Compare that to how he moves his hand when it is definitely empty. It's actually a fairly common hand shape that magicians use. Once you learn about palming, it's hard not to notice.
Props to Ben for giving up some of his tricks, which is actually a very generous public service, and Wired for hosting him.
the greatest steal was how he took every second of your day and maybe even more than 18:14 because you just had to remind and pause some bits. incredible
17:11 he manipulated us all, i didnt even realize he stole everything💀
Real.
Same lol
I only caught the handkercheif in the breast pocket
the way he improvises a relevant script each time is the real mind blowing thing to me as someone who can hardly hold a conversation with a stranger 😭
without breaking character as well
Give yourself more credit. I did NOT make up that script as I went along. I worked on it for quite some time!!
@@TheComedyAndMagic AHHGHJHJH OMG HELLO OKAY THANK YOU (youre so cool) OKAY
@@TheComedyAndMagic I tried some of the earlier levels with my friends and burst out laughing (despite having studied acting for years) so I'm still so impressed at how you stay in character! :D
@@yasminhhaha, I’m over here trying to steal with Marlin Brando level seriousness 😂
It's really wonderful to come across people who freely share valuable information online. You never know what kind of knowledge you might stumble upon that could have a lasting impact on your life.
Don't procrastinate when it comes to saving and investing. Don't wait for the perfect timing; start now because the current moment is the best time to invest.
What specific type of investment are you referring to? I'm aware that making money through investing is not as straightforward as it may appear.
Cryptocurrency trading appears to be quite lucrative. Despite the constantly changing nature of Bitcoin, it's evident that the cryptocurrency community is here to stay. John Joseph, you're doing an excellent job.
Who is this man everyone is talking about? Is there any way to contact him?
INSTAGRAM
I love how he says "watch" just as he takes the watch. Great touch.
My favorite line, "Whose phone did I take?" at the end was hilarious, implying we might have a klepto here. Thanks for posting this. Informative and entertaining. Well done.
llmao what
@@farhanaditya2647 I figured that the reply would point out the accidental duplication but I didn't realize that I didn't realize that it was infectious
duplication of text???
Not sure how that dup'd text, but I'm guessing with 3 keyboards in front of me I probably got interrupted while typing and completed the thought...again. Thanks for going light. Thank for going light. Yeah, I did that.
Well this is this is quite a strange thread
I saw him live recently not only is he hilarious it was truly amazing what he was able to do during the show. I highly recommend seeing him live.
I saw him live and took some videos, would love to upload it on KZhead but sadly I somehow can't find my phone anymore.
@@Leotique noice
@@Leotique XDDDDDDDDD
I feel like if you watch this before seeing him live you're going to know what he's doing if he gets you on stage.
*did you notice that your pockets were slightly lighter?*
You make these all look so flawless. amazing talent.
This guy just stole my heart, and I didn't even realise 🤯
It's called pickpocketing ;)
12:31 "Sorry I took that during lunch". He said that like it was his kid he wasn't keeping an eye on 😅
Love the detailed breakdowns of all these methods. Also excellent job with the graphic overlays, it really helped visualize how the pickpockets worked.
yes very informative i am going to a busy road as we speak
Yeah i woll
Just found your channel and already loved it. It's a good way to make people say "amazing" even being pickpocketed.
Thanks for the tutorial!
8:41 this is one of the most insane things I have ever seen. The amount of coordination that this requires is completely out of this world. The tie steal was also incredible. Thank you for this great video!
Reminds me of now you see me. I love that movie because of the movements and the choreography they just all seem so smooth and satisfying. It’s so awesome seeing someone actually able to do this in real life
Tie steal is objectively much harder than a watch steal.
@@_CharlieHi loveee that movie for the same reason haha. i wish i had the ability to be that smooth with movements.
I love how his distraction is a legit sleight-of-hand magic trick!
It's normal for great magicians
I always said that people have to be really stupid to let others pickpocket their stuff but these are actually really impressive skills!
You are stupid if you let yourself be touched, manipulated and controlled like that by a stranger.
@@SchgurmTewehr depends on the country. In some countries people are more physical with strangers. In Finland people aren't physical even with their close friends.
@apocalypsewow7 you say this. But I guarantee you'll be got just like most. Maybe not a tie off you. But you're the ignorant one to think it can't be done to you.
@@Nightwalk444that's rly sad to hear ):
@@SchgurmTewehr So what you're saying is that you're an easy mark for family. Also, some of these only need bumps, which can happen really easily on crowded public transit, or just on a sidewalk, or going through a door... The reason he does a lot of this touching for these steals in the studio is because there's not enough other things to distract the participants, so he has a whole bunch of shade that he needs to create; in real life, there's a lot more shade.
This is absolutely amazing. This level of skill is years of practice. I wish I could do this. Better start now
I keep coming back to this because he's so good
12:00 "And if you do want to see footage of that one... you should look inward." 😂
I fkn lost it 🤣
I'd say the biggest factor by far that I understood is conversation ability and having the confidence to lead another person without letting them output much and bombarding them with inputs. That sheer confidence is probably the most difficult aspect to grasp i think
True
You can train it by creating another identity that is charismatic and convincing. Fake it till you make it. That's what I live by. Lots of practice too.
@@charles_teakMe unleashing my fake personality to manipulate someone into doing what I want (I needed to ask someone the time [I'm severely autistic])
@@mesotolioma5089 Yeah, sometimes you even impress yourself. It's like I'm watching my other persona handling the situation while I'm chilling in the back of my mind.
I love watching Ben operate. Everyone is so disarmed by his personality
Thanks for the tutorial! ❤
12:40 🤣 Not even the cameraman is safe, LOLLL
The way he said "watch" while stealing the watch was brilliant
exactly!
I find it very useful. Thank you for your tutorial
Awesome tutorial man, cant wait to go out and try all of these!
Watching him steal that tie little by little actually has me in stitches. That's so entertaining!
0:32 Lv1 Table Steal 1:51 Lv2 Outside Breast Pocket 2:44 Lv3 ID Badge Steal 4:00 Lv4a Outside Jacket Pocket 5:16 Lv4b Outside Jacket Pocket 5:48 Lv5 Smartwatch Steal 7:57 Lv6a Traditional Watch Steal 10:07 Lv6b Traditional Watch Steal 10:34 Lv7 Pants Pocket Steal 12:47 Lv8 Inside Jacket Pocket 14:19 Lv9 Neck Tie Steal
Thanks
Thanks, kind bug!
Thx!👌👌
If you ever feel useless remember this guy exist
18:14 Lv10 Time Steal
Thank you for the knowledge Sensei 🙌🏻
Thanks for the new job inspiration❤️. Absolutely useful👍
Maybe it's a cultural/regional difference but I feel like a lot of these require a level of handsiness and crowding of personal space that's awkward with a stranger. The jacket ones were the most egregious. You hear about Barcelona, Rio and Paris as crawling with pickpockets and I wonder if it's more common in crowded cities with more touchy feely cultures.
The pickpocketing in rio is usually not very subtle and often a gun is used to motivate the target
It's not common in Rio or anywhere in Brazil, thugs just mug you by threatening
In Barcelona and Paris you don't notice it (so no touch), it's very often done on subways where it's crowded.
hes way too touchy for me, i’d tell him to back off or i’d pull away at the start, so idk how difficult that makes it for him, but im sure most people wouldnt let a stranger get so touchy
He's extremely good at making the touch feel natural. I would also bet a lot of the places he touched the participants, they wouldn't be able to recall, since he kept redirecting their focus on other things, and the brain can't focus on all things at once. His charisma, social skills and good looks help make people be more relaxed around him also, so more touch is 'allowed'. Lastly, a key principal shown in level 2, he often directs their focus on what he is about to steal, and touches the thing, to make it less obvious, by actually making it seem 'too' obvious that he would do such thing. Think of hide and seek. If you are allowed to move around wile hiding, you drastically increase your chances of not being found, if you go to a place the seeker has just checked. They generally won't pay attention to that place again, before they've been to every other place.@@santiv4
This guy is as gifted as he is entertaining. Amazing. Thank you.
Thank you!
2:00 dude you misdirected me on that one, I missed the theft the first time I saw it because I was looking at the pen. 😂
Thanks Man I am new to this business . Your tutorial really helps me😊
And with his final move, he has stolen my heart ❤
How are there no "oh hey it's this guy!" comments yet? I gotchu Evan, I've only watched a handful of your videos but you're famous enough for me to be like "Oh hey it's this guy" about 😂
@@ItsAsparageeseyikes bro. Stop putting other humans on a pedestal. No need to react and blush like that.
@@TrumpForPrison2023 If you think a casual and half-humorous "hey, I recognize you" appreciation comment is "putting someone on a pedestal" or "blushing", then it sounds like you're really lacking in ordinary friendly appreciation in your life to help you not feel bitter (and I'm guessing envious) about seeing friendliness in the wild. Your comment has "type of dude who thinks a friendly hug means a chick wants to bang" energy. I definitely do an above-average amount of spreading compliments and appreciation to others, it's a hobby/lifestyle for me right down to complimenting strangers in grocery stores, but still, seeing this shouldn't stand out as that weird to you. I think you need to recalibrate your meters, "bro". I'm sincerely unsarcastically sorry for you about whatever underlies your crankiness about my comment. Fwiw I'm sure you're an interesting and good person who deserves to feel recognized and appreciated too. (I like your username btw)
The moment he stole the traditional watch, he literally says the word watch. Perfect.
Thankyouuu sooo much , this has helped me alot , i used to get caught before . But you helped me alot with this now nobody even gets a hint that their valuables are not with them anymore . Thanks again , lots of love ❤️
man what
Oh-
Thanks for teaching me this! Extremely useful.
Instructions unclear, i’m now in jail
Watch again properly and pickpocket prison keys
Same fr
At least you managed to get a phone in somehow
Ben is wonderful. I always enjoy seeing him practice his craft. Even breaking it all down, I’m sure most viewers still missed most of the steals in the last part of the video.
I absolutely did... and I thought I had learned 😂
That was wild lol I just had a vague thought of “didn’t he have a pocket square earlier?” but I wasn’t even remotely sure and went back to looking at the tie without a second thought. Final reveal of just how much he was able to take was insane!!
thanks for spreading useful information man! I will be trying these out
The ending is amazing.
I saw Ben perform once 4+ years ago. He did an amazing trick where the “pick a card” card was posted onto instagram an hour before the show. It was so crazy to experience live. Highly, highly reccomend seeing him if you ever get the chance
Thats wild
Either force the card or the random audience member is a stooge.
@@DecrepitBiden Yeah those tricks are always kind of lame for me bc I know its most likely one of the two
Actually there's a very clever method for a trick like this
Absolutely love the magic happening on top of the techniques being taught. He doesn't give everything away, and you're still left feeling fooled.
This is great content. Also the reason why I always maintain a bubble around me. It must be even easier for pickpockets these days with people staring at their mobile phones.
I love Ben Seidman. I hope Wired brings him back again.
The whole video was extremely entertaining but I just lost it at the end "who's phone did I take?" 😂
Right! Whose phone is it? Thankfully I am watching (watch reference intensional) and typing on mine lol😂
A variation on the first one resulted in the loss of my phone at an outdoor cafe in Bogota. The thief pretended to want money for some magazines, placed some of them on top of my phone, then after a minute grabbed his magazines along with my phone that was underneath and disappeared quickly. It took me about 20 seconds before I realized what had happened.
I only saw this trick recently for the first time, but it makes a lot of sense... it doesn't make a lot of sense to me why people have their phone out at the table and then leave it out, in places where stealing can be expected 😅
@@TheCatMurgatroydit won’t happen where stealing could be xpected.. I drop my phone on counters all the time 🕰️ and Ofcourse I always have my eyes on it but if someone walked upto me real close I’d seek out my phone first cos I seee how this kinda theft is possible.
@@SupremeCyril same... I always check my pockets. But it will also happen where stealing is expected. My mom got her purse stolen in Barcelona... yeah, no kidding... she let it out of her eyes for a second and it was gone. That could've been expected.
something similar almost happened to me yesterday but i’d heard stories abt this method of stealing and immediately grabbed my phone
prolly the most effective one, also the easiest apparantly.
*Thank you for the tutorial*
Thank you for the tips dude! Going to use them in my next one for sure. 🥰
The best and mind-blowing part of this video is the part where he stole other things alongside the tie without consenting or giving his audience prior notice. That's pure class. Dude pickpocketed our attention.😅
Instructions unclear, I'm in prison now
This guy came to my college to perform. He's quite literally amazing.
This man's talent to catch people off-guard is otherworldly
It's one thing to have the skills and dexterity to execute these moves, but to combine these with charisma and quick wits is honestly impressive.
thanks man, my career realy took off big time thanks to your tips and tricks
Thanks for tutorial ❤
8:40 I love the script where he is saying "watch" and is actually stealing the watch.
This is actually a science, and it is fascinating. He talks with so much knowledge and wisdom. A blessing, it would be, if we all could have this much passion for a subject.
Thank you so much for sharing your talents. I’m going off to Rome shortly and am preparing for the pickpockets there. You shared great ideas about theft proofing pockets and items in clothing.
Why does KZhead want me to become a criminal?
😂 no KZhead help you to find more intresting different video. Help you pass time with more fun, more different. Sana uygun ilginç videolar bulmaya çalışıyor. İlgi alanlarına uygun.
This was wild and so entertaining to watch 😂 Wired always has amazing guests :0 I don’t know how he pervades such confidence whilst having to concentrate on so many things at once, it’s beyond impressive 😮
14:08 - Ben: "You've gotten this far in the video, which means that you know what all of that means..." Me: * feels for wallet * ..... "Oh no!!"
Thanks for the tips !
Thank you for this video.. It's really effective techniques.
15:46 "I suggest finding a wealthy oil mogul" hahahah
I lost my wallet since this came out
Fr
Must be Level 10
lucky for u..i lost my mind..
@@bl2005😂😂😂
I’ve dropped my wallet I’ve dropped my wallet I’ve dropped my wallet I’ve dropped my wallet
What a great pick pocket tutorial! It helps my career a lot. Thank you very much.
This video was great. I think I'll go try some of these techniques out at my local biker bar.
"You should look inwards" absolutely killed me 🤣🤣🤣🤣
sorry, would u mind to explain what that means? people seem to find it funny but i dont get it since english isnt my first language
What an interesting selection, WIRED. I enjoyed it
Thanks for the tutorial
Thanks for the tutorial! I might try it out tonight!
So is level 10 when you hold an active conversation with them and swap clothes without them noticing? Did pretty much everything else there 😂
2:41 love that moment of recognition 😂
Thank you for teaching me this valuable stuff
While I was watching this, Ben stole my heart without me even knowing it.
Wow Bjergsen has come a long way, love to see him finally pursue his true dreams of pickpocketing. First TSM, now common folk, good for you dude!!
Literally only clicked on the video to see if someone said that he looks like Bjergsen, thank you!
Level 10 - Baron buff.