Moment TikToker is distracted by 'serial thief' using misdirection technique before she swipes her phone from under her nose

This is the moment a TikToker accidentally captured a 'serial thief' using a distraction technique to swipe her phone from under her nose - a trick which many others claim to have fallen victim to.

Aminah Ali, 25, was filming a video with a friend outside a restaurant in London earlier this month, when a woman arrived 'out of nowhere'.

The content creator claims the lady asked for money, but as she did so was waving a piece of paper, which she sneakily allowed to drop over Aminah's device so she could take it.

Aminah only realised her phone was missing a few minutes later and her 'heart dropped' when her friend Iryna Leterova revealed she had captured the moment the alleged thief positioned the paper so she could swipe the device.

Have YOU fallen victim to phone swiping? Email [email protected] 

Aminah Ali (pictured), 25, was filming a video with a friend outside a restaurant in London earlier this month, when a woman arrived 'out of nowhere'

The content creator claims the lady asked for money, but as she did so was waving a piece of paper, which she sneakily allowed to drop over Aminah's device so she could take it

Aminah only realised her phone was missing a few minutes later and her 'heart dropped' when her friend Iryna Leterova revealed she had captured the moment the alleged thief positioned the paper so she could swipe the device

Footage posted on TikTok shows a woman approaching Aminah's table and you can see the content creator cautiously grab her bag but forget to pick up her phone, which the alleged crook begins to place a piece of paper over as a distraction.

In a follow-up video, Aminah issues a strong message to help others take precautions as 'your phone can be snatched out of your hand at any time'.

Dozens of TikTok users flooded the comments section to say that the 'same thing' happened to them and many even recognised the woman as having allegedly done the same scam to them.

Other users branded Aminah 'crazy' for leaving her phone exposed in central London.

Aminah, from London, said: 'It was just shocking how something can happen so close to you but you don't realise it in the moment.

'Everything happens so fast. Even now it's like a blur. They are very, very good at what they do. It can happen to anyone, even if you are aware of the situation.

'My friend was taking videos of me so I put my phone on the table. I guess the lady saw my phone was on the table and she came up to me.

'She came out of nowhere behind a car - obviously I was a target. For a while she was watching me. My friend that was recording me stopped because the lady came into the shot.

Footage posted on TikTok shows a woman approaching Aminah's table and you can see the content creator cautiously grab her bag but forget to pick up her phone, which the alleged crook begins to place a piece of paper over as a distraction

Dozens of TikTok users flooded the comments section to say that the 'same thing' happened to them and many even recognised the woman as having allegedly done the same scam to them

'She was asking me for money. Then she put the paper in front of my phone so I forgot it was there.

'I was making sure she didn't take my bag not realising that my phone was still there. In that moment I just completely forgot about my phone.

'When I got up I looked around and my phone was not there. My heart dropped because I knew she took it. I only realised two or three minutes later.

'When I watched the video back I felt like my heart dropped. My friend who was recording didn't realise either.

'I'm normally very conscious of my surroundings. I wasn't in a busy area. I didn't think that this was going to happen to me at that moment.'

Luckily, the 25-year-old was with 34-year-old Iryna, who helped her pal contact her parents and find the nearest Apple store for assistance.

Aminah said: 'If my friend wasn't there I wouldn't be able to use her phone to get through to my family.

'Being by yourself in that situation can be very daunting. I am very grateful that I was with a friend.

'In my industry I use my phone a lot for making content and checking emails.. When it gets taken away from you it can feel very discombobulated in the moment.

'I'm very on it when it comes to my phone so when it does get taken really does teach you a lesson.'

In her video warning, she advises others to 'make sure you have insurance' and explains a helpful 'stolen device protection' setting on Apple products 

Aminah can be seen sat with her phone on the table, before the woman approaches 

The content creator admitted the awful experience has made her more 'alert' and she wants to help others take precautions as she 'didn't realise how prominent' phone theft was in London.

In her video warning, she advises others to 'make sure you have insurance' and explains a helpful 'stolen device protection' setting on Apple products.

Once enabled, the setting puts extra security measures in place if an iPhone is removed from its familiar location to prevent thieves making changes to the device and accounts.

Aminah said: 'Because it's the first time it's happened to me, I didn't realise how prominent this is within London. It happens all the time.

'It's been happening for years, but I think over the last year or so it's been happening very often. Now I've been in this situation I'm a lot more alert.

'That's why I posted the video because this could happen to other people and it could raise awareness. Especially to people that don't live in London.

'I had a lot of people message me from different parts of the UK saying they didn't know this was a thing.

'In the comments so many people say they recognise that exact same lady. Some people said she stole their phone as well.

'When you feel like it's never going to happen to you, you don't ever take precautions. Keeping everything protected is really important.

'There are a lot of features that will prevent a thief from taking your phone but a lot of people don't know about it.'

The 25-year-old revealed she reported the incident to the police and while her stolen device has not been returned, she managed to get a new phone thanks to her insurance.

The 25-year-old revealed she reported the incident to the police and while her stolen device has not been returned, she managed to get a new phone thanks to her insurance

Some users branded Aminah 'crazy' for leaving her phone exposed in central London

Aminah said: 'I came home and reported it to the police. Reporting it is really important. They're not going to realise how often it really happens.

'It took me a while to get everything back onto my phone. Now, thankfully with insurance, I have been able to get a new phone. I want people to know how important having insurance is.'

Many users shared their similar experiences in the comments.

One user said: 'Same thing happened to me, we felt sorry and gave her £10.'

Another user said: 'This happened to me last year and I realised as soon as she left and ran after her. She handed it back lol.'

A third user said: 'This happened to me three years ago and I'm still traumatised.'

Other users criticised Aminah for leaving her phone exposed on the table.

One user said: 'Don't ever put your phone on a table.'

Another user said: 'Leaving your phone on the table in London is crazy.'

MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment. 

Have YOU fallen victim to phone swiping? Email [email protected]