Rome, Italy
33,455
pickpocketing cases reported in 2024
A 68 percent increase compared to 2019. About 90 cases a day in the city alone.
Italian Polizia di Stato · 2024
PEAKSTA JOURNAL · Travel Safety Research · Issue · May 2026
Your starting point
I read 17 police reports, 200 traveler forums, and an AARP study.
I read 17 police reports, 200 traveler forums, and an AARP study.
Here is the bag I actually bought.
Rome pickpocket cases are up 68% since 2019. The bag every ad sells you is missing the one thing that actually matters. After three weeks of research, this is what I learned and where I landed.
488+
5-star reviews
23,000+
customers
42
countries traveled to
Buy 2 Get 1 Free
Save up to 50%
$79 in extras — on us.
Subscribe travelers receive the full kit. Verified by 488 five-star Trustpilot reviews.
2 × Slim Carry 2
Included
1 × Slim Carry 2 gift
$49.95 FREE
1 × RFID wallet
$29.95 FREE
45-day money back
Included
Free shipping over $50. Cancel anytime.
What is actually happening out there
The numbers Europe travelers rarely see before they go.
What the experts actually say
The marketing fear most ads sell you is not what the experts are warning about.
AARP
"There's a lot in life to worry about, but someone stealing your credit card information from the RFID chip shouldn't be one of them."
Identity Theft Resource Center, quoted by AARP
Bankrate
"RFID blocking wallets and sleeves, despite their popularity, generally are not necessary for security."
Bankrate consumer finance editorial
Polizia di Stato
"Ninety percent of pickpocketing incidents in Italy happen on public mass transit. Buses, the metro, the train."
Italian Polizia di Stato, 2024 report
Why most anti-theft bags are sold by people who never opened the police data.
I started where most people do. I bought an RFID wallet. I felt prepared. I told my husband I had it covered.
Then I read an AARP article. They quoted the Identity Theft Resource Center calling credit card skimming, quote, theoretical fraud. No documented real-world losses. Bankrate said the same thing in a separate piece. The fraud expert quoted in the AARP article was even blunter. Do not waste your money.
I had been worrying about the wrong thing for six weeks.
I didn't feel a thing. A TripAdvisor Rome forum post · 2024
So I closed the wallet box. I opened a new tab. And I asked the actual question. Not what marketing says to worry about. What is actually happening to travelers in Europe right now.
The first thing I found was the number on the Rome card above. Thirty-three thousand four hundred and fifty-five pickpocket cases in 2024. Up 68 percent from before the pandemic.
The second thing I found was that the people getting pickpocketed are not always tourists who looked careless. They were holding their bags. Hands on their phones. A traveler on a Rick Steves forum wrote about a, quote, sweet little lady on Bus 64 to the Vatican who slit the bottom of her purse. A woman on TripAdvisor wrote that on a peak-hour metro train she felt a man squeeze behind her and her wallet was simply lighter.
By the time I closed the browser I had three pages of notes. I had stopped thinking about RFID skimming. I was thinking about the bus. I was thinking about the escalator at Plaça Catalunya. The bridge near a Venice Airbnb. The sidewalk near Borough Market in London where a man on an electric bike snatched a phone out of a stranger's hand on a Sunday morning.
This is the part of the research nobody puts in an ad. So I am putting it here.
What I learned actually mattered
Six things every account agreed on. None of them were RFID.
3:2
Close shot of a woman's hand resting on the zipper of a Peaksta Slim Carry 2 worn in front of her body. Urban European street background.
No. 1
Keep the bag in front of you. Always.
"The bag itself is never ever off my body and never hung over one shoulder, a mistake I've definitely seen people make." Every account I read confirmed it. The bag goes where you can see it.
Source: Rick Steves Italy forum
3:2
Two hands operating a double zipper at the top of a Slim Carry 2. Tight, product-shot feel.
No. 2
Zippers should need two hands.
Ninety percent of pickpocketing in Italy happens on transit. If a thief can open your bag with one hand while you are pressed against him on the bus, you are exposed. The fix is mechanical, not magical.
Source: Italian Polizia di Stato, 2024
3:2
Side view of a woman wearing a crossbody bag that sits flat against her chest, half-tucked under a light cardigan.
No. 3
Hidden pocket against the body, not behind it.
The most useful pocket is the one a thief cannot reach from behind. Trustpilot reviewer Rachel Brooke described it: "I like the way I can keep the most important stuff close to the body and under a loose shirt."
Source: Trustpilot · Rachel Brooke · 5 stars
3:2
Close-up of a slim crossbody strap with visible reinforced stitching, against a soft-focus urban background.
No. 4
A strap that cannot be cut.
London street snatch rose 153 percent in a single year. The dominant pattern is someone passing on an electric bike. The bag matters. The strap matters more.
Source: Statista · Policy Exchange · 2024
3:2
A woman walking past a piazza, wearing an unbranded crossbody. She does not look like a tourist. Composition emphasizes blending in.
No. 5
Stealth design. Nothing tactical.
A long thread on a one-bag forum had over a hundred comments arguing the visibly anti-theft bags, the ones with all the buckles and clips outside, are themselves a tourist signal. The point is not to broadcast caution.
Source: r/onebag community thread
3:2
Top-down view of a bag opened on a table, the bright orange RFID lining visible inside, organized neatly with passport, lip balm, reading glasses.
No. 6
RFID. Yes. But not because you need it.
AARP, Bankrate, and the Identity Theft Resource Center all say RFID skimming is theoretical fraud. If your bag has RFID lining as a bonus, fine. Do not pay extra for it. Do not pick a bag for it.
Source: AARP · Bankrate · ITRC
One bag replaces five things
The travel safety stack most people patch together — collapsed into a single bag.
A money belt under your shirt
~$24
An RFID wallet
~$30
A neck lanyard for your passport
~$15
A separate crossbody bag
~$60
A theft insurance rider
~$45/trip
Typical stack total
~$174
→
1:1
Slim Carry 2 product shot
Slim Carry 2
$79
BOGO + free RFID wallet + 45 day return
The actual math
What you would otherwise spend before your next trip.
Add up what most travel safety articles tell you to buy. Then look at the same column on the right.
The DIY travel safety stack
Money belt
$24
RFID wallet (the experts say you do not need this)
$30
Passport lanyard
$15
Generic crossbody (no locking zip, no body-facing pocket)
$60
Travel insurance theft rider
$45
Replacement passport at a foreign embassy if it goes wrong
$165
What you might spend
$339
— vs —
Slim Carry 2 · BOGO + free wallet
$79
You save $260 on a single trip.
Plus the BOGO gives you a spare for your travel companion.
The new gold standard
See how the Slim Carry 2 actually compares — with numbers, not just check marks.
This is the same checklist I made on a yellow legal pad before I bought. I asked every product the same questions.
| What I needed | Slim Carry 2 by Peaksta |
Wander+ Anti-Theft most-advertised competitor |
Uniqlo Round Mini the Reddit favorite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locking zip mechanism | Yes2 hands required | Partialsingle buckle, 1 hand | Nosingle buckle, 1 hand |
| Hidden body-facing pocket | Yes8 × 12 cm against the chest | Partialback panel zip only | Nosingle main compartment |
| Slash-resistant strap | Yesreinforced 4-layer construction | Nounlayered nylon | Nocotton webbing |
| Stealth design | Yesno external buckles or tactical look | Partialsome loud color variants | Yesbut the buckle is visible |
| Fits across the chest | 5'2" to 5'10"strap adjustable, verified by 488 reviews | Limitedtight on average body types | Shortstrap reported short on Reddit |
| RFID lining (bonus, not the point) | Yesfree wallet included | Yesinterior lining | No |
| Trustpilot 5-star reviews | 488 verifiedCS replies from the founder | Mixedunanswered negative reviews | retail product, no aggregate |
| Money-back guarantee | 45 daysfull refund | 14 daysrestocking fee | Store policy |
The stories that changed my mind
Six scenes from six European cities. All verbatim. All from named sources.
Slide across to read each one. The locations and details are real and quoted unchanged.
The part nobody talks about
The bag is supposed to feel like nothing. Until you remember it is there.
When I read the 488 positive Trustpilot reviews of the bag I would eventually buy, the same sentence kept appearing in different words. Not RFID. Not zipper count. Not capacity. The thing customers actually came back to write about, again and again, was the way the bag sat against their body.
"It sat securely against my chest to prevent theft." Sandra En · 5 stars · Trustpilot
"The way it hugs my chest made me feel incredibly secure." Mohamad H. · 5 stars · Trustpilot
"I can keep the most important stuff close to the body and under a loose shirt." Rachel Brooke · 5 stars · Trustpilot
"The bag hangs in just the right spot to feel everything in there is safe." Jan · 5 stars · Trustpilot
21:9 · full bleed
Side-of-body view of the Slim Carry 2 worn against the chest under a soft cardigan, hand resting on the strap. Daylight, natural skin tone.
A note on fit
If you are five foot two, or larger framed, read this first.
This is the question I most wanted answered before I bought. Across the reviews and customer letters I read, the Slim Carry 2 fits women between five foot two and five foot ten. Smaller frames find it sits well below the waist when worn loose. The strap can be tightened. Larger frames find it sits flat across the chest without compressing.
"Perfect size for me, woman, 5 foot 4 inches, 120 pounds." Michele Burton · 4 stars · Trustpilot
"I'm a bigger gal and I did not have a problem with the Peaksta fitting over my chest or around my waist." Kiley Warren · 5 stars · Trustpilot
4:5
Side view of a 5'4 woman in her 50s wearing the Slim Carry 2 across her chest. Daylight, neutral background.
4:5
Side view of a 5'7 woman with a fuller frame wearing the Slim Carry 2 across her chest. Same daylight, same background.
What 488 five-star reviewers wrote
Five verbatim Trustpilot reviews. The same thread runs through all of them.
★★★★★
"I want to say how much I love this bag. I am just back from a 3 week vacation to various countries in Europe and using my Peaksta travel bag made accessing important documents so easy. And it sat securely against my chest to prevent theft."
★★★★★
"I am absolutely thrilled with the Peaksta I purchased. It was a game changer for my trip. The way it hugs my chest made me feel incredibly secure. I enjoyed my trip without a single worry about losing my belongings."
★★★★★
"Took my Peaksta out on the town while in Savannah Georgia over the weekend and I was very happy with it. It carried everything I needed and I was able to walk downtown hands free and worry free."
★★★★★
"As for the bag, 5 stars. It traveled with me for 12 days. With a bad neck, shoulder bags are often difficult to wear, but the ergonomics of this one were fabulous. Easy to wear all day without a neck ache. Perfect size for me, woman, 5 foot 4 inches, 120 pounds."
★★★★★
"The main thing I like is that the back zipper is in the correct spot. And that is where your most secret stuff is going. I am a bigger gal and I did not have a problem with the Peaksta fitting over my chest or around my waist."
★★★★★
"Customer service is excellent. I reached out to Peaksta with a concern. A co-founder contacted me promptly, followed up on my question, and the matter was resolved in less than an hour."
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot · 488 five-star reviews and counting.
Your plan
The bag I bought after three weeks of this — and the deal I got.
It checked the six things above. It came with the RFID wallet as a bonus, not the point. Here is the offer that ran when I bought mine.
4:5
Hero product shot of the Slim Carry 2 in black on a soft cream backdrop. Multiple colors shown stacked or in a row.
The Slim Carry 2
Slim, anti-theft crossbody designed around how thieves actually work on public transit. Locking two-handed zip. Hidden body-facing pocket. Slash-resistant strap. 488 five-star Trustpilot reviews.
Locking zip
Body-facing pocket
Slash-resistant
RFID lined
Color · Black
Buy 2 Get 1 Free Bundle
Save 50%
$79.95
$159.85
- 2 × Slim Carry 2Included
- 1 × Slim Carry 2 (gift)FREE
- 1 × RFID walletFREE
- 45-day money backIncluded
- Free shipping over $50Included
45-day money back · Cancel anytime · Free shipping over $50
If your trip is in the next two weeks, order today — shipping takes 7 to 14 business days.
★4.8 Trustpilot
✦45-day money back
◎RFID lined wallet included
▣5'2 to 5'10 fit verified
⊕Founder-reply customer service
⌘Free shipping over $50
The questions I had before I bought
All of these came from real customer letters. With the actual answers.
Will the bag fit my petite frame? I am 5 foot 4 inches or smaller.
Yes. The Slim Carry 2 is designed to sit at chest level for women between 5 foot 2 and 5 foot 10. The strap is adjustable. Reviewer Michele Burton, 5 foot 4 inches and 120 pounds, called the ergonomics "fabulous" and wore it for twelve days straight without neck strain.
What if my body is fuller than the women in the photos?
Reviewer Kiley Warren, who describes herself as a "bigger gal," wrote that the bag "did not have a problem fitting over my chest or around my waist." The strap accommodates a wide range of frames.
How long does shipping take?
7 to 14 business days to most countries. Some destinations are faster, a few are slower. If your trip is less than two weeks away, order today and the bag will most likely make it in time.
What is the return policy?
45 days. Full money back if the bag does not work for you. Reach out to Peaksta customer service and they will walk you through the return. Reviewer K.S. Cooper reported a co-founder personally replied within an hour.
Will my phone fit in the phone pocket?
Yes for iPhone Pro Max and Galaxy Ultra. Trustpilot reviewer Becky S. wrote that she "had doubts at first that my phone would fit into the phone slot," and confirmed it did.
Is the RFID protection actually doing something?
Honestly: the RFID lining works physically — it blocks radio waves. But according to AARP, Bankrate, and the Identity Theft Resource Center, RFID skimming of credit cards almost never happens in the real world. The bag has RFID lining as a bonus, not as a reason to buy. If you have been worrying about skimming, the experts say you can stop. The threats worth defending against are the ones in the stats section above.
Can I order extra to give as gifts?
Yes, and many customers do. The Buy 2 Get 1 Free offer makes it easy to give one to a husband, mother, sister, or daughter who is also traveling. Trustpilot reviewer Marilyn wrote that her husband "has agreed to carry a Peaksta bag" and Sandra En "ended up buying 2 more to give as gifts for friends."
Is it waterproof if it rains?
Water-resistant, not waterproof. Reviewer Robin Smith wore it on a log flume at an amusement park and reported "everything inside stayed dry and the outside dried quickly." It can handle a European drizzle. Submerge it and it will leak.
Will I look obvious wearing an anti-theft bag?
No. The design is intentionally plain. It looks like a thoughtful crossbody, not tactical gear. Several reviewers specifically noted they liked that it did not advertise its anti-theft features.
What is actually free in the Buy 2 Get 1 Free offer?
When you add two bags to your cart, a third bag is added free. The RFID wallet is also included free. There are no other automatic add-ons. Suggested items at checkout are optional and you can decline them.
About this article
"Linda" is an AI-generated editorial character used to organize independent travel safety research. The statistics, traveler quotes, and customer reviews referenced throughout are verbatim from named public sources including the Italian Polizia di Stato (via Travel and Tour World), the Barcelona City Council, Statista, the Policy Exchange "Your Money or Your Life" report, the Quotezone European Pickpocketing Index, the JourneyWoman 2024 Women's Travel Survey, AARP, Bankrate, the Identity Theft Resource Center, the Rick Steves travel forum, TripAdvisor, Fodor's, the Budget Traveller blog, the Traveling With Tom blog, Yahoo Creators, and verified Trustpilot reviews of the Slim Carry 2.
Each source can be verified independently. Direct links are not included on this page in line with our editorial practice of not redirecting readers off-site mid-article. Customer reviews quoted on this page are real, unedited, and were posted on the Peaksta Trustpilot profile.