Tourists raise concerns over pickpockets and scams in Florence

Tourists discussing trips to Florence on Reddit have reported a range of alleged pickpocketing attempts and scams, from people posing as public transport ticket inspectors to a woman dressed as a nun approaching a visitor near the Duomo.

The accounts were collected by the Florence edition of Italian newspaper La Nazione, which reviewed recent discussions on the r/Florence community on Reddit, where visitors frequently exchange advice about travelling in the Tuscan capital.

The posts do not provide a statistical picture of crime in Florence and the individual accounts have not been independently verified. They do, however, offer a snapshot of concerns being discussed among international visitors, particularly around pickpocketing on crowded public transport and in the historic centre.

Reports from Florence’s trams

Several of the accounts highlighted by La Nazione concern Florence’s tram network.

One Reddit user said a woman sitting next to her husband on the T2 tram line stole a mobile phone from an elderly passenger. According to the account, the theft was noticed, the phone was returned and the suspected pickpocket left the tram at the following stop.

Another user reported being robbed twice in Florence and said an acquaintance had also experienced thefts on trams and near Piazza Santissima Annunziata, north of the Duomo. The user said the incidents had occurred in crowded situations.

One of the more unusual allegations concerned people pretending to be ticket inspectors. A Reddit user claimed that scammers targeted passengers who had used their phones to buy or validate public transport tickets, then offered to help them use a ticket machine before allegedly taking the phone.

There is no indication in the material reviewed by La Nazione that authorities have confirmed this specific method of theft.

A woman dressed as a nun

Another visitor described an alleged pickpocketing attempt involving a woman dressed as a nun.

According to the Reddit account, the woman approached while apparently looking towards Florence Cathedral and reached into the visitor’s pocket. The pocket contained tissues rather than a mobile phone, and the visitor said the attempt was noticed by their partner.

A separate recent Reddit post documented the three-card trick, a familiar street scam in which participants encourage passers-by to bet on the position of a card. The video cited by La Nazione reportedly showed the activity taking place with Brunelleschi’s dome in the background.

The newspaper also reported a much more serious, unverified account from a Reddit user who said they had been attacked with pepper spray and robbed of jewellery, a watch, a mobile phone and cash while walking home.

What the official crime figures show

The Reddit stories are anecdotal and should not be treated as evidence of how likely an individual visitor is to become a victim of crime. Official figures nevertheless show that theft is a significant issue in the Florence metropolitan area.

The 2025 crime index published by Il Sole 24 Ore, using Italian Interior Ministry data for crimes reported to police in 2024, placed the province of Florence second in Italy for the overall number of reported offences per 100,000 residents.

The same data recorded 11,051 cases of pickpocketing and other forms of stealth theft in the Florence area in 2024, an increase of 48% compared with the previous year.

The figures refer to the Metropolitan City of Florence — a territory considerably larger than the municipality and historic centre — and measure crimes reported to the authorities rather than tourists’ perception of safety.

For visitors, the Reddit discussions highlighted by La Nazione largely point to familiar precautions in crowded tourist areas: keeping phones and wallets in secure pockets or closed bags, paying particular attention on public transport and being cautious when strangers offer unsolicited help with tickets, payments or machines.

(Cover photo by Taylor Smith via Unsplash)

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