Pickpocketing

Pickpocketing is a crime that is a form of larceny which involves the stealing of money and valuables off the person of a victim without them noticing. Generally a pickpocketer is a poor person who is in desperate need of money.

The crime requires considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection

The crime used to be punished by death, but the public hangings (ironically) were considered prime targets for pickpockets.

Famous fictional pickpockets: The Artful Dodger, Fagin.

It is also a skill used by magicians, where an item is taken from a person without their knowledge or returned to them without their knowledge.