This was the moment a brazen thief snatched a woman's smartphone from her hands as she was playing with it while walking down an alley.

The motorcyclist scooted down the narrow street in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on October 23 before performing a u-turn to wait for his target.

The woman is seen walking towards the thief, with a red umbrella used for blocking the sun obscuring her view of the danger.

Wearing a helmet with the visor down to cover his face, the man approached her and snatched the expensive iPhone 7 Plus from her hands.

CCTV footage shows the woman chasing thief along with other people in the alley.

Despite their efforts, the phone thief made his escape, leaving the frustrated woman empty-handed.

Resident Leak Seyha, whose home cameras captured the crime, said: ''The woman was very upset. She lives in the area and was returning home from the shop. Because of this crime, everybody is being extra careful when they are outside. ''

The theft was reported to the local police who warned residents that holding their phones in public could make them a target for thieves.

This was the moment a brazen thief snatched a woman's smartphone from her hands as played with it while walking down an alley.

The motorcyclist scooted down the narrow street in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, yesterday (Tue) afternoon before performing a u-turn to wait for his target.

She is seen walking towards the thief, with a red umbrella used for blocking the sun obscuring her view of the danger.

Wearing a helmet with the visor down to cover his face, the man reached out and snatched the expensive iPhone 7 Plus handset from the woman's hand.

CCTV cameras captured the incident and the woman's shocked reaction as she gave chase, along with dozens of other people living in the alleyway.

But despite their efforts, the phone thief made his escape, leaving the frustrated woman empty handed.

Resident Leak Seyha, whose home cameras captured the crime, said: ''The woman was very upset. She lives in the area and was returning home from the shop. Because of this crime, everybody is taking care now while they are outside. ''

The theft was reported to local police who warned residents that holding their phones in public could make them a target for thieves.

They said the make and model of motorcycle as well as the registration plate had been noted.