How to pickpocket?

[PCGamerGal]

I've seen in other comments people talking about items being on someone, or searching them for it. In one guide, it said you could crouch behind people to steal from them. However, when I do that to my mark, there is no option to steal/pickpocket/etc. Only "Talk To" and "Inspect."

This is for a theft case, normally those envelopes are in office locations but to my surprise this guy is unemployed and homeless. I followed him from a restaurant to city hall, where he's now sitting on the ground by the lockers. I'd really rather not knock him out and have all the alarms here in city hall go off. Any tips?

[Tiarv]

Yeah. From the back, where he can't see you, crouch. If you did everything right, there will be option to 'search', like there are one for corpses. Might take some time to wiggle around. Otherwise, throw a grenade and loot the bodies.

[NekoiNemo]

If that doesn't work - just cuff them and search that way, it's only $25 for handcuffs

[Zalugar]

The only requirement to pickpocket is to either be crouched or behind the target. Or if the target is ragdoll. However, the game doesn't always register the conditions, which I usually can fix just by moving my cursor off of the target's hitbox, then back on it.

It's also really easy to steal from people unnoticed. As long as you're stealthed (hollow circle cursor), you don't get in trouble. Or if you just don't take anything, you don't get in trouble even when not stealthed. But to get stealthed, just unscrew the lightbulbs and it'll probably become dark enough to just crouch in front of someone's face and count as "stealthed".

Homeless people do sometimes have bugged interaction. Like I'll occasionally come across one that isn't panicked and I just can't talk to anyway.

[Tiarv]

> it's only $25 for handcuffs
And you can take them back afterwards.

[NekoiNemo]

Originally posted by Tiarv:

> it's only $25 for handcuffs
And you can take them back afterwards.

Wait, you can?

[Zalugar]

Originally posted by NekoiNemo:

Wait, you can?

Assuming the hand hitbox to target the cuffs doesn't despawn. That said, it usually despawns.

And if you knock them out while they're cuffed, it'll definitely despawn. People say you can save and reload to fix it but I value less loading time over $25.

[Tiarv]

I believe, when they get out of cuffs in hour or two, those won't just despawn, but your victim will accurately put those somewhere in their house, like on a shelf or in a drawer.

[PCGamerGal]

Thanks guys! I was able to wiggle around and finally was able to search him. Sadly though, he did not have the envelope on him. I guess it's true what people have been saying about these theft/envelope side jobs sometimes being bugged - I went ahead and closed the case. Really appreciate the quick responses!

[electricwizard]

Originally posted by Tiarv:

I believe, when they get out of cuffs in hour or two, those won't just despawn, but your victim will accurately put those somewhere in their house, like on a shelf or in a drawer.

You better believe I'm coming back for them cuffs

[CrazyGoblin]

A note for sneaking up to pickpocket: In my experience, the main thing with the wiggling is to get into position crouching behind someone, and then look away and back again to "refresh" the prompts when looking at the target. Just mouse off them then back on again, and it should bring the Search prompt up unless they're aware of you somehow.