Why are people robbing me?!

First you must understand that robbing uses a different algorithm than regular fighting. When robbing, you can only bring as many mafia members as your level. If you have 400 mafia members, but are level 54, you will only use 54 mafia members when robbing someone or defending your property from robbers.

It is therefore crucial that if you have a lot of property, especially valuable property like marinas, office buildings, hotels and casinso, that you have at least as many people in your family as your level. (And enough equipment to go around.)

If your mafia isn't large enough to fully defend your  properties, anyone who goes to the Robbing screen will see you as an easy, fat, juicy target.

Common robbery patterns:

• If you're being robbed often by random people around your level, it's probably time to think about growing your mafia to equal AT LEAST your level. Make sure you also have enough equipment for everyone -- one weapon, one vehicle and one armor per family member, the best you can buy if nothing else.
• If you've been robbed repeatedly by someone, they might have just been expending all their stamina points on you. It's like one-stop shopping.
  • They didn't have to size up multiple opponents -- they can just pick one (i.e. YOU) and go for broke!
  • It's much easier and faster to use up a lot of stamina points all on one screen: rob casinos until closed, rob hotels until closed and so on until all their stamina is gone.
  • They were winning, getting money and experience quickly and without a lot of hassle.
• If you are being robbed repeatedly over a few days' time by the same people, they might have you bookmarked because you're like a broken ATM spitting out free cash and experience!
  • Successful robberies pay well (often money is not the object, it's still kind of satisfying to take upwards of $500,000 a pop while crippling someone's business!)
  • Successful robbing gives 1 to 3 experience.
  • It's quite gratifying to see that Police Line - Do Not Cross graphic pop up!
  • It's an easy way to increase the "Successful Heists" count for bragging rights and to make them a more attractive candidate for others' Top Mafia Safecracker slot.
  • See the above tip regarding expending stamina points quickly and effortlessly.
• A series of multiple random robberies by people of all levels (particularly people way higher than you) may indiciate you are a victim of a very popular way of showing displeasure through robbing.
  • Have you pissed off a large group of people lately -- mouthing off on forum, posting add-me threads where they aren't welcome or spamming a discussion with irrelevant questions, complaints or requests?
  • Have you pissed someone off by hitlisting them, robbing them or attacking them? Did you cheat someone out of a trade, disrespect them or otherwise incur their ire? They may have a large and active mafia, be part of a clan or have shared out your link.
  • The Mafia Wars community can be quite formidable when brought to bear upon a particularly vile-named person. Zynga isn't known for responding to complaints about foul names, so the community has its own way of enforcing community standards. If you have an offensive name, well... you might want to spend the Godfather points to change it.
• Clan wars can be pretty violent and lead to lots of robbing. Also some people who aren't even in clans enjoy randomly targeting anyone with a clan tag, so bear that in mind if you are tagged or thinking about becoming tagged.
• Higher level players who want to ride the hitlist may try to provoke victims into hitlisting them by repeated robberies.

How to ditch your robbers:

• Try leaving your properties shut down and unrepaired for a while. You will still collect 30% of your properties' income even if they are shut down -- don't do your robbers a favor and continually repair your properties just so they can continue to put them out of business!
  • You lose more money repairing than you make back by a fully-healed property if you're being repeatedly robbed.
  • You will stay on their radar. 
  • They might send your link out to their friends since you're an easy mark.
  • Once all your properties are shut down... they'll attack and kill you if you're mafia is smaller than theirs and/or they're higher level than you.
• Lay low in general
  • Don't retaliate by hitlisting, attacking them or trying to rob them back.
  • If you have an offensive name, consider changing it or continue to suffer the consequences.
  • If you're clan-tagged and you're at war... well, that's something to take up with your clan!
  • Don't be a jerk in discussion boards where someone can get your Facebook ID or where you've posted an add-me link... duh!
• Befriend your robber. Send them a friend invite and add them to your mafia. They can't rob you or fight you if you're in their mafia (hitlisting is still possible though.)
• Invest in properties that can't be robbed, like Mafia Mike's (requires mafia family members) or even just plain land. Huge tracts of land!

Robbing and being robbed is part of the game. As with all things Mafia Wars, if you're feeling picked on, your best bet is to concentrate on improving your stats & equipment and make sure you have a big enough family to back you up! Lay low and don't piss people off or be offensive if you can't handle the backlash. There's a war on out there -- all's fair.