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You’d think the display models only would have a kill switch of some sort and could be remotely turned into a brick.
They do. It's location based. Once they leave the store they are only good for parts.
 
More than $1 million worth of Apple goods were stolen.

That's what a few dozen shares of Apple stock?

Tim Cook makes a another million dollars every three minutes?
 
Nope. So don’t come here. You wouldn’t like it. Stay where you are.


Yea, they are all escaping and will come to him. The problem many want to take the nuttery with them.

I escaped there over 20 years ago and the rest of my relatives that were there left since then. Never will I even visit there and I left the nuttery behind.
 
I thought Apple made it pretty much impossible to steal demo models, aren't they tracked whenever they leave the store, and aren't they unable to be used like a normal device?
 
You’d think the display models only would have a kill switch of some sort and could be remotely turned into a brick.

They do. Those demo units has special apps installed on them, such as "Price" (display model/price info), "Touch ID" etc. for demo purpose, those you won't see on the retail version. Those apps, e.g. "Price", can only be installed and activate within certain geolocation and with accounts authorized by Apple (some sort of corporate login, called "SAM" or something) to fetch data directly from Apple's servers. It will track the device's location via GPS or Wi-Fi. Those devices were also signed-in with Apple's demo Apple ID, which means you can't wipe/restore the device w/o deactivate Find My Device first. They can of course remotely wipe the device, but I doubt they would. You simply can't resell/use them (or at least without being tracked down). Literary they are bricks.
 
What's the point of robbing those Apple bricks? They can't be used, they can't be sold. You can only use them for their parts and those parts don't worth much without the Apple markup. The devices don't worth anything if they can't be used as how Apple intended.
 
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What's the point of robbing those Apple bricks? They can't be used, they can't be sold. You can only use them for their parts and those parts don't worth much without the Apple markup. The devices don't worth anything if they can't be used as how Apple intended.
Perhaps they figured out a way to wipe them and install regular software.
 
Perhaps they figured out a way to wipe them and install regular software.
I hope those silly people robbed Mac products only. iOS devices have a hardware encryption profile which Apple verifies when signing iOS, since they are Apple Store demos, Apple damn well knows the serials. The minute they try to let Apple sign or restore iOS, they are exposed. Poor guys don't be silly, it's all for nothing.
 
I hope those silly people robbed Mac products only. iOS devices have a hardware encryption profile which Apple verifies when signing iOS, since they are Apple Store demos, Apple damn well knows the serials. The minute they try to let Apple sign or restore iOS, they are exposed. Poor guys don't be silly, it's all for nothing.
They allegedly kept doing it, so one would think they monetized their efforts.
 
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I'm just glad they caught these lowlifes (oh, sorry 'alleged' lowlifes).

I must admit though, they at least had some organization skills. I hope they put them to use in the pokey. Maybe put on a musical production. Ocean's 17
 
They allegedly kept doing it, so one would think they monetized their efforts.
I want to know how they did it, for the sake of Engineering and research. I have a hunch that FBI would work with the International Criminal Police Organization. If it becomes a global effort, maybe they would not be able to do it in other nations.
 
I thought Apple made it pretty much impossible to steal demo models, aren't they tracked whenever they leave the store, and aren't they unable to be used like a normal device?
Yes the IMEI is blacklisted for each item so they won’t work with any carrier. Essentially they are sold for parts only or sold to the unknowing.
 
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iOS devices have a hardware encryption profile which Apple verifies when signing iOS, since they are Apple Store demos, Apple damn well knows the serials. The minute they try to let Apple sign or restore iOS, they are exposed. Poor guys don't be silly, it's all for nothing.

I have successfully DFU'd and restored a Target store's floor device. It depends if the Apple store's devices are iCloud locked. Target's aren't, or at least this device wasn't.

In any case, the screens and cases are valuable by themselves. But yeah, they're not the sharpest bunch of knives in the box that's for sure.
 
Were a bunch of Police in front of the (SoCal) Pasadena Apple Store on Monday too when I dropped by. Interviewing employees and public in the iPhone line. I’m guessing someone either grabbed some iPhones inside and ran or snatched them off someone as they headed out of the store. Guessing.
 
Apple needs to install bars on the front that can drop down in seconds.
Also bars to block exit thru the back.
Trap the animals until the police/swat team arrive.

How about a revolving door? And a switch or switches behind a counter that stop the door from turning. Maybe even automate it so that the door freezes when devices are removed from their display stands.
 
There are also a scam where a girl goes in an Apple Store. She tells customers if she can borrow their phone because hers is not working and she needs to make a desperate call. She says she will try to put her SIM in the customer’s phone to call her friend. If she is successful she says she can’t get a signal and they need to go outside. Then her accomplice outside steals the customer’s phone from her hand and runs away.

Seems rather convoluted, why not just start with somebody in the street?
Any links to this actually being a thing?

Apple will write off and pass the cost to us.

As a customer you expect to pay for the cost of doing business, this is exactly how everything else in the world works.
 
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