Apple-related crime continues to make headlines across multiple regions, with a series of recent cases involving thefts from an Apple Store, an iPhone theft ring in Miami Beach, and the recovery of stolen goods using an AirTag.
Arrests at Apple Store and ALO Yoga
Two men from Queens have been charged with stealing more than £6,700 worth of items from two shopping centres in northern New Jersey. The haul included ten accessory items taken from the Apple Store at Garden State Plaza in Paramus.
Authorities say the pair first stole around £2,600 worth of goods from the ALO Yoga store at the American Dream Mall. Police later spotted the two men at Garden State Plaza, where they moved through the accessory aisle at the Apple Store. Officers subsequently recovered ten accessory items from their vehicle, valued at roughly £690. The men were charged with shoplifting, retail theft, and receiving stolen property.
Miami Beach iPhone Theft Ring
A Miami Beach taxi driver was arrested at the end of September and charged over a scheme to steal iPhones from intoxicated people leaving local nightclubs. Police said the man was part of a ring that targeted drunk victims and used their faces and biometrics to unlock devices, carry out fraudulent transactions, and make unauthorised purchases.
The 48-year-old faces eight charges, including kidnapping, an organised scheme to defraud, offences against computer users, unlawful use of a communications device, and strong-arm robbery conspiracy. Body camera footage of his arrest was released.
In Western Pennsylvania, police are seeking suspects accused of stealing more than £10,400 worth of Apple products from a Costco. Investigators believe two suspects used fake identification to obtain Costco cards, then used stolen credit cards in the store to acquire the products.
iPhone 18 Pro Theft and AirTag Recovery
One of the first prominent iPhone 18 Pro thefts has taken place in Asia. A woman named Shubhi Bhandari in Greater Noida, India, was travelling on an e-rickshaw when she took out her iPhone to pay for the ride. Two men wearing helmets approached on a motorcycle, and after asking whether she was holding the new iPhone, one grabbed the device and sped away. Police recovered the phone a few days later.
The case follows earlier reports of 3.8 million dollars in iPhone 18 Pro purchase fraud in Hong Kong.
In a separate incident, a Virginia man whose food trailer was stolen managed to recover it thanks to an AirTag fitted to the trailer, which led authorities to its location.
Source
Image: appleinsider.com
