Apple Store armed robberies & 'Find My iPhone' solves crimes on the Apple crime blotter
Find My iPhone catches more thieves, Amazon employees are caught stealing Apple Watches, and armed robberies at Apple stores in Arizona. All this and more on this week's Apple crime blotter.
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider feature: The latest from the world of Apple-related crime.
There was also an armed robbery at a different Scottsdale Apple Store back in 2012.
According to the Times Call, one of the items she stole was an iPhone, and police followed it signal to arrest the woman, who was charged with theft.
Per ABC 10, police found the 36-year-old suspect in possession not only of the items he stole, but of other merchandise he had purchased with the stolen cards.
Four of the accused were charged with first-degree theft and computer crime, with the fifth receiving a felony charge of computer crime.
According to Fox 59, the alleged thief fled the scene by stealing the victim's car. But he was caught quickly, after he was found to be using the victim's girlfriend's credit card at a local store. Police arrived at the store to find the stolen car - with the TV sticking out of the trunk- and the MacBook, urn and other stolen items in it.
The two alleged thieves, who are brothers, were arrested upon arriving at home.
Have an Apple crime story? Email AppleInsider and tell us about it.
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider feature: The latest from the world of Apple-related crime.
Armed robbery reported at Arizona Apple Store
Thefts from Apple Stores are far from a rare crime, but it's less often that an armed robbery will take place at one. But that happened last week at the Apple Store in Scottsdale, Ariz. Per ABC 15, the suspect was approached by a loss prevention officer who suspected he was shoplifting. The suspect then flashed a handgun and fled on a motorcycle. The motorcycle was later found abandoned but the suspect remains at large.There was also an armed robbery at a different Scottsdale Apple Store back in 2012.
Fake iPhones sold in Mexico City to thwart muggers on buses
Thefts of iPhones and other smartphones in the buses of Mexico City have become so prevalent that some vendors are selling decoy versions of the devices, so that mugging victims may hand those over instead. Per an AP report, the phones, costing the equivalent of between $15 and $25, have startup screens similar to those of real devices, and weigh the same as well.Find My iPhone catches yoga studio thief
The Find My iPhone feature has helped capture a woman who police say stole $30,000 out of purses at a yoga studio in Aspen, Colo.According to the Times Call, one of the items she stole was an iPhone, and police followed it signal to arrest the woman, who was charged with theft.
California burglar caught by Find My iPhone
In another case of Find My iPhone catching a thief quickly, a man who allegedly broke into a woman's apartment and stole her iPhone and credit cards was traced by Find My iPhone- and was caught as a result.Per ABC 10, police found the 36-year-old suspect in possession not only of the items he stole, but of other merchandise he had purchased with the stolen cards.
Amazon warehouse employees arrested for stealing $100,000 in Apple products
Four employees of an Amazon warehouse in Delaware were arrested earlier this month for stealing over $100,000 worth of Apple products. According to First State Update, the thefts were mostly of Apple Watches, and the four were charged with theft over $1,000 and second-degree conspiracy.Apple gift card scam busted in Oregon
Five people were arrested this week in Tigard, Ore., in what was described as an Apple gift card scam. Per KPTV, the conspiracy involved the five people making phone calls on which they claimed that the targets needed to pay money using Apple gift cards, and share the card numbers with the callers. The conspirators then quickly used the cards to purchase Apple products.Four of the accused were charged with first-degree theft and computer crime, with the fifth receiving a felony charge of computer crime.
Burglar caught stealing TV, MacBook Pro, car, urn with owner's father's ashes
A man in Indiana last month allegedly burglarized a house and stole a long list of items, including a TV, a MacBook Pro, an Xbox One and a safe that contained both cash and "an urn containing ashes of the victim's father."According to Fox 59, the alleged thief fled the scene by stealing the victim's car. But he was caught quickly, after he was found to be using the victim's girlfriend's credit card at a local store. Police arrived at the store to find the stolen car - with the TV sticking out of the trunk- and the MacBook, urn and other stolen items in it.
Walmart thieves caught by empty iPhone box
Two men who are accused of stealing more than $1,000 of items from an Oklahoma WalMart were caught when the iPhone they thought they were stealing contained a GPS tracking device. Per Fox 23, not only did the box track the item, but the iPhone box was empty- it contained a note that said "hold for customer."The two alleged thieves, who are brothers, were arrested upon arriving at home.
Have an Apple crime story? Email AppleInsider and tell us about it.
Comments
If I were a lowlife thief, I'd do the same thing. Android is trash.
True story:
https://wsvn.com/news/local/witness-robbers-returned-victims-android-because-they-wanted-iphone/
Scottsdale Apple stores are having issues of theft of devices lately. The thieves grab usually watches and run out the door. In turn they sell them to some poor fool who thinks he is getting a deal when the device is bricked.
If you are purchasing a used device from a stranger, please conduct the sale IN an Apple store. That way an employee can at least make sure the device doesn’t have FMI on.