Originally Posted by plunet

The purpose of sharing the article was not to stoke further concern. If we can all be aware of the risks, then we can make small adjustments in how we behave in public spaces to minimise the risk of such incidents.
Millions of people are out and about in London every day. Most of them will use their phone in a public place without any due regard to this risk, and most of them will not suffer any loss or crime.
For those that are unlucky enough to fall victim to a random theft, the impact is significant, especially if they do not have their devices set up with common sense protections.
This risk is not unique to London, nor is it unique to the UK, albeit the risk in London is probably elevated comparted to some peer cities currently.
Risks vary from place to place including specific localities within a city, influenced by local crime prevention policy and culture, and how the local population and visitors conduct themselves.
Just look out for yourself and apply common sense, you would be super super unlucky to be impacted by this risk, in London or anywhere else.