This video shows how bold the petty thieves in Rio de Janeiro are.
In the clip a group of youngsters target innocent bystanders as they walk through the busy streets.
The thieves use a number of methods, including snatching items while they’re riding bikes and reaching into coach windows when the victim is distracted.

But their main tactic seems to be grabbing valuables from pedestrians and then running away.
This works for them a lot of the time because the victims are usually taken by surprise.
But it doesn’t always end in success.
In the clip one of the youngsters is punched by a man after he attempts snatch a chain from around a woman’s neck.
The video was filmed in March, a few months before the Olympic Games started.

Astonishing footage shows how brazen Rio thieves target unsuspecting tourists in broad daylight
Brazen thieves have no fear as they snatch bags and phones from pedestrians wandering through the streets of the Olympic city

UNAPOLOGETICALLY, a grown woman strides towards a pedestrian and flings her arm out in an attempt to steal her bag.

In another instance, a young boy hangs behind a man holding cash in his hand. Without one swift move, he grabs the cash and makes a run for it.

Any opportunity. Any victim. Sometimes in groups or sometimes solo, these criminals will do just about anything to make their steal.

This is how petty thieves in Rio de Janeiro make their living. Day by day, innocent victim after innocent victim. Handbag by handbag, cash is ripe for the steal.

Footage posted to Facebook has shown just how brazen Rio de Janeiro’s thieves really are, and with the Olympics in full swing, robbery is in peak season.

Here’s how they seem to do it; they get rather close to their target, swarming around their victim until an opportune moment, when with a simple swipe, they’ve got their prey.

Brazen thieves snatch bags from passersby in Brazil in ‘peak robbery season’ for the country

Some thieves perform their crimes on the back of bicycles to help them make a speedy getaway
They make no eye contact, sometimes they ride bikes, sometimes they run, sometimes they attack.

Earphones, cash, handbags, backpacks, iPhones and jewellery — anything that’s not protected — is fair game.

Rio’s shambolic security set up has been slammed by Australian Olympic chiefs, who say not enough is being done to protect athletes and visitors to events.

The criticism came with fresh revelations criminals are bypassing checkpoints with fake or no accreditation, a bullet struck a media tent and two team officials were robbed at knifepoint.

“The organising committee needs to do more, particularly at security checkpoints,” AOC spokesman Mike Tancred told the Daily Telegraph.

“The host nation is responsible for the safety of the 10,500 athletes who are in Rio right now, and it is just not good enough.”

Rio is one of the world’s most dangerous cities and a massive 85,000 strong security presence was deployed with the intention of keeping visitors safe.

“I went into six venues today. At two of them they did look at my accreditation, one was a cursory glance and three took no look whatsoever,” Olympic chief Kitty Chiller told News Corp.

“You know they all smile and say hello when you walk through they are very friendly but they don’t actually look at what’s hanging around your neck.”