Apple device tracking has once again proved central to solving a string of thefts, with cases spanning iPhone, iPad, AirPods and Apple Watch incidents across the United States. The latest instalment of the ongoing Apple crime round-up details how technology helped recover stolen property and identify suspects.
Tracking features aid recovery
A man queuing for nearly 40 hours outside a West Hollywood Best Buy for a Pokémon 30th anniversary trading card release had his iPhone 17 Plus stolen. He had joined the line on the afternoon of Monday the 14th and remained there on the 16th, when the theft was reported to police at 7am. After granting officers permission to track the device, police determined the thief had dropped it. The man recovered his handset and declined to press charges.
In Nevada, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man accused of stealing an iPhone from a customer at the Nugget Casino on 17 August. The suspect was last seen wearing a purple sweatshirt, grey sweatpants, purple-and-black Nike shoes and a white headband.
An elderly Connecticut woman lost nearly £21,000 in an identity theft scam, though an iPhone left in a Porsche led to the suspect’s arrest. A scammer told the 80-year-old that her Social Security number had been compromised, using a fake Apple Security alert, and instructed her to leave roughly £20,700 in cash inside a shoebox. A witness provided the licence plate of a Porsche used in the scheme, and an iPhone left in the car was traced back to the man who was later arrested.
Thefts targeting workplaces and retailers
A 43-year-old man from Hialeah, Florida, was arrested for stealing 30 iPads, valued at around £9,000, from a business that had dismissed him earlier the same day. Police say the theft occurred on 4 September, when an employee recognised the man entering the warehouse. Although he wore a mask, the business owner also identified him on surveillance footage. The man had reportedly been fired for failing to attend work on the previous two days, and it was later discovered he had pawned some of the iPads shortly after the theft.
In Englewood, New Jersey, police arrested a man after following the signal from a pair of AirPods to locate a stolen car. Officers eventually found the man carrying the AirPods, after which he made several disparaging comments and threatened an officer. He faced multiple charges, including burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, terroristic threats, resisting arrest and possession of burglary tools.
In Sarasota, Florida, a 42-year-old man entered a Walmart store and put on a Walmart vest to impersonate a member of staff in an attempt to steal Apple Watches. The plan failed, and he left the store with only the vest.
Source
Image: appleinsider.com
