Handbags, mobile phones and even jackets are easy pickings for a professional thief. Security hooks are a great idea, but they give a false sense of security. You hook your bag and forget about it, meanwhile a sharp knife makes easy work of your bag strap! Simple advice is to keep alert, put your bag strap around your leg or arm, put jackets on the inside of the chair and sit on them.. Mobile phones and purses should never be left on the table, I’ve seen phones taken by waiters dropping off the bill before.