Woman gets robbed at Coachella, gives pointers to fellow festivalgoers

One woman who attended the first weekend of Coachella is speaking out about how she got robbed on the second day.

Annie (@msxannie) recently took to TikTok to share how her phone was stolen at the annual event.

@msxannie
They took my iphone 13 pro max but i still had the best time with my loved ones. Stay safe and have fun!! #coachella #coachellaweekend1 #coachellaweekend2 #pickpocket #theftprotection #theftprevention #coachella2023
♬ original sound – ANNIE

“This is the first time I’ve ever been robbed, and I’m a very, very careful person,” she says. “I had my phone in a fanny pack, hanging on my side over here. Somebody came up to me, pushed me very, very hard. Somehow, they were able to open the zipper and grab my phone and just run. They were gone in less than 30 seconds.”

In an effort to call attention to the situation, Annie says she made a scene.

“I started screaming, saying, ‘There’s a thief amongst us! Everybody look around your surroundings. There’s somebody here snatching phones,'” she explains. “And people were coming up to me because the people around me were also getting robbed… Usually, they target multiple people in a crowd unsuspectingly.”

Unfortunately, Annie received a notification via Apple Watch that her phone was no longer on the festival grounds. She now urges audiences to heed her warning and do the following things to ensure their personal information remains safe.

“Number one: Immediately register your phone on Find My iPhone, and enable it,” she suggests. “So that at least if your phone ever gets stolen, you can track it, and you can lock your phone and erase it.”

Annie also suggests that you have travel insurance if you’re from out of the country, and she suggests you immediately file a police report.

“If it’s happened to you or a friend, don’t feel bad,” Annie says. “I know it’s such a mood killer, but they can’t rob you of a good time.”

In 2022, after a similar pick-pocketing phenomenon took place at a local music festival, the Austin Police Department shared some recommendations for keeping your belongings safe at big, crowded events. Keeping your phone in a different location than your credit cards or ID is imperative to ensure they aren’t all stolen at the same time.

“On your cell phone, record any serial numbers or identifiers that you have on there and keep that in a separate location. So, if you do find yourself a victim of theft, you’ll be able to provide that information to us, because the more information we have, the better,” Corporal Destiny Silva of APD’s Public Information Office said via KVUE.

Should you attend any major music festivals in the near future, consider this warning to pay close attention to your phone and maintain its safekeeping at all times.

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