Coil Connector to Wallet
A chain would be better, since it can't be surreptitiously cut or clipped, but it's too close to travel time to buy a chain or buy a money belt, so those are off the table for this question.
This coiled plastic thing is pretty strong (I think it would rip through the wallet leather before breaking:
But if the pickpocket sees this connector and has the means to cut it, would I be better off leaving the coil connection thing at home and not even connecting my wallet to my belt loop? Obviously, the wallet will be in a front pocket, and if the pants have a zipper pocket, the zipper will be closed. But in come cases, the front pocket has no zipper.
I rigged-up this coil connector, but then got to thinking, maybe the pickpocket would use the coil to lift the wallet, then clip the plastic, or as suggested in the comments below, clip the belt loop itself.
Experience with Pick Pockets
The best answer would be from someone who really knows how pickpockets operate, rather than "thinking logically" without a whole lot of facts or experience to back it up. I've got a bit of experience getting tapped by pickpockets (carrying a 'dummy' wallet in my back pocket), but always spun around to see them disappear into the crowd without getting even the dummy wallet. But I'm sure they could "get me", like anyone else, because they are almost more sly than imaginable.
Do you have a lot of experience with pick-pocketing techniques and can say whether the plastic coil is a good idea or will it be more of a liability than an asset when considering deterring a pickpocket?