An Australian photographer in Rio covering the 2016 Olympic Games has had $40,000 of camera gear stolen from him in a cafe by a sting led by a woman.

Brett Costello became the latest robbery victim when his equipment disappeared from view in seconds.

He told the Daily Telegraph a woman distracted him when she appeared to be asking for help and her accomplices swooped when he wasn't looking.

'I’m gutted and I feel stupid that I wasn’t wise to their plan,' Costello told the publication.

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Australian photographer Brett Costello (pictured) covering the Rio Olympics has had $40,000 worth of camera gear snatched by thieves when he was distracted by a woman in a cafe

The theft of the Australian photographer's camera equipment happened in the popular Ipanema Beach area of Rio de Janeiro

'No one saw a thing, I couldn’t believe it, I was later told there was a getaway car outside. They work in numbers and they’re good at what they do unfortunately.'

Costello reported the theft to local police but conceded his gear would most likely never be recovered.

It comes just days after Brazilian firemen stole Zika-protective shirts from Australia's residence during an evacuation, when a laptop was also pinched and other computer equipment rifled through.

Australian athletes were robbed last Friday after a small fire broke out in their accommodation

Australian team boss Kitty Chiller says she crossed paths with the thieves at the height of last Friday's fire drama at the Olympic athletes' village.

At the time, Chiller's initial thought was the shirts may have been given to the firemen by Australian team members as thanks for helping them evacuate.

'It doesn't seem to have been what happened,' Chiller said later.

A cycling official had a laptop stolen from a fifth-floor room during the evacuation but Chiller was uncertain whether it contained any sensitive team information.

'Our IT equipment in our operational space had also been rifled through but nothing had been stolen,' she said.

The high rise flats in the Olympic village which are home for the Australian team at Rio 2016