"Best place to keep your phone is right here in your hand," safety expert Bill Stanton says. "Second place, don't make it obvious, don't put it in your back pocket. And make sure to keep your phone locked."
Everyone loves a live concert, including pickpockets.
Professional thieves manage to swipe thousands of phones at concerts every year by taking advantage of the distracted fans, who are too caught up enjoying the music and excitement of a live concert that they have no idea they are being targeted.
In Las Vegas recently, a group of concertgoers found a bag filled with stolen phones, each one wrapped in tin foil to prevent their rightful owners from tracking their location using GPS.
Kyle Manning was with his girlfriend at Lollapalooza in Chicago over the summer when he says he got pickpocketed by two men.
"They were absolutely professionals and I didn't see it coming," Manning tells Inside Edition.
He says a crook deliberately bumped into him, knocking him into the arms of an accomplice who swiped his phone.
"To me it felt like a scene from 'Ocean's 11,''' says Manning. "Like Matt Damon reaching into your pocket on the subway without even seeing it."
Police eventually arrested five men who they allege had been prowling the festival and stealing dozens of phones.
Those men have not yet entered pleas and have hearings scheduled for the coming months.
Three Inside Edition producers decided to see how big of a problem this is by going undercover at Lollapalooza.
Producer Megan went in with a clear backpack and a $1,200 iPhone.
Soon, a group of concertgoers started paying special attention to Megan, each one of them wearing a scarf. Those scarves managed to perfectly conceal their hands.
Then, one man makes his move.
What this pickpocket did not realize however is that an AirTag is affixed to the phone, which allows it to be tracked.
Minutes later the phone and pickpockets were located,
When confronted, he claimed he did not have the phone. Then, after further questioning, he walked away into the crowd.
Safety expert Bill Stanton says there are steps you can take to keep your phone safe at a crowded concert.
"Best place to keep your phone is right here in your hand," Stanton says. "Second place, don't make it obvious, don't put it in your back pocket. And make sure to keep your phone locked."
Stanton also points out: "This phone has everything that identifies you, treat it as such and you'll go home safe and sound."
