When I was working overseas a few years ago, my ASIO colleague had his wallet stolen by a pickpocket in Rio and was of course subjected to much ribbing by his friends at our embassy. Now I know how embarrassed he must have felt.

The Barcelona pick was done quite cleverly. I was waiting for the last hop-on sightseeing bus at Port Olimpic and, when it arrived, there was a surge to get on. I felt someone touch my leg. When I looked down I saw what I thought was another tourist rummaging in his rucksack. I did not realise there was a hole in the bottom of the rucksack that the thief could put his hand through.

I knew the phone had been taken about five minutes later when I reached for it to take advantage of the bus Wi-Fi.

Our daughter sent a text to my phone offering a substantial reward for its recovery at the place where we got on the bus. (A text message appears on the screen even when the phone is locked.) When we went back to the Port Olimpic stop, there was no one there. We waited half an hour and nobody came. It is probable the thief could not read English, but it was worth a try.

Whoever took my phone soon turned it off. Although we used the "find my phone" app, it did not work. I don't know if that was because it had never been activated properly or because the phone was being shielded to prevent it from being tracked. There are simple ways to block iPhone tracking. The "find my phone" app is only useful if you misplace the phone or are dealing with an inexperienced thief.

I then went to the Barcelona central police station where there was a lengthy delay to fill in forms, made more complicated by the need for an interpreter. About two hours later we had completed the paperwork. It was really just a process to support an insurance claim, because the police held little hope of recovering the phone or making an arrest.

I later discovered that in Spain and France, even though there is a highly visible police presence on the streets, police put minimal effort into investigating street crime. Many local people I spoke to in Barcelona and Paris had been victims of street crimes. The police showed little interest in following them up or in trying to arrest the gangs involved.

Despite the FBI's well-known difficulties in breaking into an iPhone, I was concerned that European phone fences might be a bit more knowledgeable and there might be emails on the phone that could be used to access my accounts.

My next step that evening was to contact my telco, Optus; my bank, Beyond; and Apple. Contact was made more complicated by not having a mobile phone. Apple wanted to know the IMEI number of the iPhone which is on the box when you buy it, and is recorded in the battery compartment of the iPhone. It is your iPhone's unique identifier.

It was not possible to change my Beyond Bank password online because Beyond will only authorise you to do that if you can quote back a code number they text to your phone. You cannot send them a secure email either, for the same reason. The only immediate option is to freeze access to your account, which can cause problems if you are travelling.

Anyway I did what I could that evening and had a sleepless night before we took the train to France early the next day.

I had given our daughter's Australian mobile number as the point of contact when completing the Barcelona police form, and also in my contact with Optus and Beyond Bank. She could receive and send text messages in Europe, but not make calls. To our surprise, in France she received a text message saying "Dear Customer, Your iPhone 6 Gray 64GB has been found in Sant Pau Barcelona Spain, 13 June 2016, 17:52, IMEI: 354433068306146, S/N: C39NLZGYG5MR. Verify your Apple id and claim your mobile here http://apple.claim.id-verification.us/, Sincerely, Apple Support". I checked online with Apple and was told that "Apple Support" never contacts anyone that way. The quoted IMEI number did not exist.

I don't know how my daughter's phone number was obtained by the scammer. The most likely source of the leak was the Barcelona police, as I think it highly unlikely that Optus or Beyond Bank would have been the source. In any case, only the police had the phone description.

Four weeks on, I have a replacement iPhone from the Exeter Apple Store and a replacement SIM from Optus Australia – so I am back in business. I have also lodged a travel insurance claim with QBE. However, I am now receiving regular courtesy messages from "Apple Support" on my new iPhone telling me my old iPhone has been located.

What did I learn from all this?

The worst places for pickpocketing in Western Europe are Barcelona, Paris and Rome, and specifically anywhere there is crowding – such as public transport or tourist attractions. Pickpockets are part of a gang and quickly offload stolen items to nearby gang members to make immediate recovery more difficult.

Your valuable items are only secure if they are within your clothing, for example a bumbag under your shirt. (Thieves can cut the strap if it is on the outside of your clothing.) Only carry a photocopy of your passport with you on the streets, not the document itself. If you take your iPhone, secure it in your bumbag under your shirt. Only take one credit card with you on the streets. Make sure your camera is secured well and cannot be easily snatched. Don't use a backpack or bags with accessible zips.

If you get robbed, don't expect much help from the police. A fellow guest at our hotel in Montmartre had his wallet taken from his pocket as he was going through the nearby Metro turnstile. He leapt back over the turnstile shouting for help and grabbed the thief, while his wife, who had been following close behind him, also attacked the thief. The thief dropped the wallet and managed to get away. A nearby police officer with a police dog did not make any attempt to assist, presumably because his designated role was deterring terrorism.

Clive Williams is an adjunct professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy and an honorary professor at the Australian National University's Centre for Military and Security Law.