Thummer

By Michael Harlow · Published November 9, 2026 · About 6 minutes to read

Phone Theft in Mexico City: A Traveler's Guide (2026)

You squeeze onto a packed Metro car at Pantitlán, feel a bump from behind, and a few stops later your pocket is empty. Most visits to Mexico City pass without trouble, and police figures show street robbery falling. But the city still has the highest crime victimization rate in Mexico, and phones are an easy target. Here's what the numbers show, where phones are taken, and what to do in the first minutes if it happens to you.

How big is the problem?

Mexico's national statistics agency, INEGI, runs the country's main victimization survey (ENVIPE). Its 2026 edition, released in September and covering 2025, found that Mexico City had the highest victimization rate of any state: 34,930 victims per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025, up from 30,804 in 2024. Nationally, robbery or assault on the street or on public transport was the third most common crime, after fraud and extortion, at 5,641 incidents per 100,000.

Most crime is never recorded. In Mexico City, 93.7% of crimes in 2025 went unreported or did not lead to an investigation file.

Police counts point down. Records from the city's Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana (SSC), obtained by Publimetro through a transparency request, show street robberies (robo a transeúnte) falling from 24,238 in 2018 to 8,065 in 2024 and 6,961 in 2025.

How safe residents feel depends on the borough. In INEGI's September 2026 urban survey (ENSU), La Crónica reports that 55.9% of adults in Cuauhtémoc, the borough that includes the Centro Histórico and Zona Rosa, said they felt unsafe, compared with 40.0% in Miguel Hidalgo; Benito Juárez had the city's lowest share. Across the 91 urban areas surveyed in September 2026, 61.1% of adults said they felt unsafe on public transport.

The U.S. State Department's Mexico advisory, issued May 29, 2026, places Mexico City at Level 2, "Exercise increased caution".

Where phones are taken

The Metro. Canada's travel advice says the Metro is "often very crowded and a popular place for pickpocketing" (updated October 2026). Citing SSC data, ADN40 names Pantitlán, Oceanía, San Lázaro, Chabacano and Centro Médico as the stations with the most phone theft. There's good news, too: the Metro reported that violent-robbery cases fell 56% in January through August 2026 compared with the same months of 2025. That figure covers violent robbery only, not pickpocketing.

Metrobús and buses. The State Department's security council (OSAC) calls the Metro, Metrobús and city buses "generally safe to use" (2025) but warns of pickpockets on busy routes at rush hour, and advises avoiding the non-municipal buses known as micros.

The center and nightlife areas. SSC records place Cuauhtémoc second among the city's 16 boroughs for street robberies from 2018 to April 2026. OSAC, meanwhile, lists Polanco, Roma, La Condesa, Reforma and Juárez among the neighborhoods that "tend to be safer for visitors". Safer doesn't mean safe: watch your phone everywhere.

Big crowds. During the 2026 World Cup, the Mexico City prosecutor's office opened at least eight cases of robberies of tourists, all involving phones, around the Fan Fest and the Ángel de la Independencia.

Taxis and rides. The UK says unlicensed taxi drivers have robbed and assaulted passengers, including in Mexico City. OSAC says the U.S. Embassy does not recommend street-hailed taxis and suggests its staff use ride-hail apps that let them verify the driver and car. For ride-hail trips, Canada adds: confirm the driver's identity and license plate before getting in.

How thieves operate

Habits that help

  1. Set up your phone before you fly. On Android, turn on Find Hub and theft protection, including Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock. On iPhone, turn on Find My and Stolen Device Protection. Our Android theft protection guide walks through each setting.
  2. Write down your IMEI. Dial *#06# and keep the number somewhere off the phone, along with your bank's and carrier's phone numbers.
  3. Keep the phone in a zipped or inner pocket on the Metro and Metrobús, and put it away before the doors open.
  4. Book rides in an app and wait for the car indoors, then check the plate before getting in.
  5. Use ATMs in daylight, inside shops or malls, as the UK advises.
  6. Bought a Mexican SIM? Under the telecom regulator's rules, a new SIM can call only emergency and citizen-service numbers and the carrier's support line until it's linked to you; foreigners can use a passport or a temporary CURP. Older unlinked lines are being cut off in stages through December 31, 2026. Link it when you buy it.
  7. Add a lock for the moment of the grab. Remote locking works only after you notice the theft. Android's Theft Detection Lock is one option; apps such as Thummer, which locks the phone when your thumb leaves an on-screen bubble, are another.

If your phone is taken

Never resist. Canada's advice is clear: "If attacked, stay calm and do not resist". A phone can be replaced. Get somewhere safe and borrow a phone. Our first-10-minutes checklist has the full list.

  1. Call 911 if you're in danger. It's Mexico's emergency number.
  2. Lock the phone remotely. Use Find Hub, or Google's Remote Lock, where you enter your phone number. It must be turned on beforehand, and Google says it needs an active SIM and an internet connection. On iPhone, turn on Lost Mode at icloud.com/find.
  3. Call your bank to freeze cards, then change your email and banking passwords. Here's why speed matters.
  4. Block the SIM and the handset. Citing Mexico's telecom regulator, El CEO lists the steps: file a report with the Ministerio Público, ask your carrier to block the IMEI, and get a replacement SIM. For Telcel, that's *264 (prepaid) or 111 (plan); Movistar is 800 888 8366. On your home SIM, call your home carrier.
  5. Report the theft. The UK says you must make a complaint in person before you leave Mexico. As of June 2026, the city prosecutor listed an Agencia del Ministerio Público specializing in tourists in the Zona Rosa, plus one at Terminal 2 of the airport. The online system, Denuncia Digital, requires a Llave CDMX login or a Mexican e-signature, and robberies involving threats or injuries must be reported in person or via 911. Ask for a copy of your report for insurance. LOCATEL, the city help line, has English-speaking staff at 5658 1111.
  6. If your passport was taken, contact your embassy. The U.S. Embassy's emergency line for citizens is +52 55 2579 2000; from the U.S., call 301-985-8843. The State Department's Consular Affairs lines are 1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada, or +1-202-501-4444 from abroad. The embassy's consular section moved to Polanco in November 2025.

The bottom line

Street robbery in Mexico City has fallen sharply, but the city still has Mexico's highest victimization rate. The risky moments are predictable: crowded Metro cars, big crowds, the curb and street-hailed taxis. Set up remote locking before you land, keep your phone close, and if it happens, let it go and follow the steps above. Heading further south? Read our guides to Lima and Cusco and Buenos Aires.