An Aussie has offered a word of warning to other tourists after she was stabbed and robbed by a man on a motorbike in Bali.
Eliza Whitford, a physio student and pilates instructor from Melbourne, took to TikTok to share her experience in Bali.
The 23-year-old detailed the horror week, claiming she was not only nursing a stabbing wound but had also been bitten on the eye by a mosquito.
Ms Whitford said she briefly spotted the man on the back of the motorbike before he pulled out a knife, stabbing her and stealing her bag, wallet and all of her cash.
She later said that she had ‘no idea’ about the common attack.
In the video, she showed the scar and bandages on her thigh after the stabbing.
Responding to a comment on TikTok, she explained: ‘Insane! Pretty much was just on the scooter with my boyfriend and he came right up next to us on a bike and cut my bag off/leg in the process.’
Eliza Whitford, a physio student and pilates instructor, took to TikTok to share her experience in Bali
Ms Whitford is not the first Aussie to fall victim to the common and horrifying attack in Bali.
Tourists have complained of motorbike thefts in the tourist destination for several years.
Tourists using their phone on mopeds or scooters are usually the ones targeted in Bali.
In the common scam, a local on a moped rides up to the tourist and snatches the phone out of their hand before speeding off.
Several tourists, from Aussies to Brits, have reported falling victim to the common attack.
Ms Whitford, later said that she had ‘no idea’ about the common attack – which several Aussies have fallen victim to
Responding to a comment on TikTok, she explained: ‘Insane! Pretty much was just on the scooter with my boyfriend and he came right up next to us on a bike and cut my bag off/leg in the process’
Ms Whitford’s leg after she was stabbed and robbed by a man on a moped while out in Bali
In 2019, Australian tourist Andrew Bateman and his 17-year-old daughter Hannah were forced to end their Bali holiday early after they were thrown off their scooter by two locals wanting to get their hands on his new iPhone.
‘Hannah had my phone on the back with GPS and maps, but out of nowhere two guys came flying alongside and grabbed my mobile from her,’ Mr Bateman said.
Hannah tried snatch it back, but the men grabbed her arm and pulled them both off the bike at speed.
They tumbled off the bike and hit the ground.
Mr Bateman, who is an experienced motorbike rider, suffered five broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken scapular, and cuts and grazes.
The teenage girl had a fractured wrist and deep gashes all over her legs.
‘We could have both easily died,’ said the father.
‘My daughter was absolutely terrified and didn’t want to leave motel or go outside.’
The pair were helped by friendly locals who gave them a lift back to the hotel where they ‘administered first aid on each other’.
Mr Bateman said he was in too much pain to go to the police and wasn’t comfortable visiting an Indonesian hospital.
He quickly changed their flights to leave the next day.
Andrew Bateman with his partner Kristy Clebsch pose for a selfie before the Bali trip
The father and daughter endured ’30 hours of immense pain’ during the trip home.
They finally made it to the Prince of Wales trauma unit in Sydney where their injuries were treated.
While the brand new iPhone XS was lost and his insurance only covered a fraction of the cost, the man acknowledged it ‘could have been much worse’.
The Australian government advises tourists to ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ when travelling in Bali.
‘Be conscious of your personal security,’ Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) warns.
‘Be aware of risks, particularly in tourist locations such as Bali and Lombok, relating to violent and petty crime; sexual assault; drink-spiking and consumption of alcohol contaminated with harmful substances such as methanol; scams and credit card/ATM fraud.’
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