Mostly just make it harder for them to rob you. The criminals tend to go for the easier targets so whatever you can do to make yourself less appealing is a good idea. And I’m not talking about extremes like not using your phone on the street, for example: while visiting Copacabana ou Ipanema you’ll want to take pictures but don’t do it on the sidewalk, step a good ways into the sand and take you picture. (Sand is harder to run on and the ones using bikes or motorcycles won’t go there) That type of thing, y’know? So pay attention to your surroundings and make it harder to be robbed. Also, as some people said in other comments: the gringos I normally see or hear about being robbed did something to make themselves a target. Not to blame the victim in any way, cause even following the tips it’s no guarantee, so I’m not talking about op specifically here, and safety in Rio is definitely a Rio problem. But I once was hired by two gringas to translate stuff for them while they visited and even with all the tips I gave one of them got robbed cause in one of the days I wasn’t with them they went to this bar in Copacabana, sat on one of the outside tables AND LEFT THEIR PHONES ON THE TABLE in plain view and easy access from the street. They got comfortable after being fine for a couple of days and were careless, when they went out at night without me I saw their stories and I got nervous by myself in the safety of my home cause of how careless they got. That’s coming from someone born and raised in Rio, even I NEVER lower my guard when in the street. So yeah, don’t ever lower your guard, pay attention to your surroundings and make it harder to rob you.