"Putpockets" Sneak Extra Cash into Strangers' Pockets | Gimundo

“Putpockets” Sneak Extra Cash into Strangers’ Pockets

In London, keep a lookout for "putpockets": instead of stealing your cash, they'll slip you a little extra.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on September 28 2009

Image: iStockphoto

In London, it’s always smart to keep a close eye on your handbag or wallet. The streets and subways are full of stealthy pickpockets, who can make off with your most valuable possessions before you’re even aware of it.

But some of the city’s former pickpockets have seen the error of their ways, and are now trying to pay for their previous crimes—literally. Under a new initiative funded by a broadband internet provider called TalkTalk, a group of 20 reformed pickpockets now known as “putpockets” will go around London, slipping money into unsuspecting strangers’ wallets, purses, and pockets.

“Every time I put money back in someone’s pocket, I feel less guilty about the fact I spent many years taking it out.” Chris Fitch, one of the group members, told Reuters.

The amount of money being passed out ranges from £5 to £20, with a total of approximately £10,000 to be given away in total. So if you’re heading to London this fall, keep an eye on your pockets—you might just get a vacation bonus this year.

Filed under: General Interest, Weird,