I have been robbed.
de-roo-BAH-toh — stress on the third syllable; remember gender agreement.
Use when robbery with confrontation or force has occurred, as opposed to a pickpocket incident. This word signals a more serious crime to police.
'Derubare' implies direct theft from a person, often involving intimidation or force. Gender agreement is required: stato (male) / stata (female).
Mi hanno rapinato/a.
I was held up / robbed at gunpoint or knifepoint.
'Rapina' implies violence or a weapon — escalates the seriousness.
Mi hanno borseggiato/a.
I was pickpocketed.
Specific to pocket-picking without confrontation.
Mi hanno scippato/a.
My bag was snatched.
Describes a bag-snatch — typically from a motorcycle or on foot.
Tourist police (Polizia Turistica) operate at major metro stations in Milan, Rome, and Naples — hotspots for borseggio — and speak multiple languages.