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New York Mulls New Anti-Theft Measures as Smartphone Thefts Continue to Surge
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Excellent idea. Should have thought of it. And when the customer complains that it doesn't work with their stolen phone, they won't exactly call the police about it.
Does China work on some magical cellular network? Don't they use GSM like the the US? All US phones can roam on any GSM network that is supported.
Also, then what use is the phone if you can never connect to the internet or cell network with it?
Seems like a pretty simple solution to me. Use IOS 7 and activate iCloud. I wonder how many people lost their fingers in iPhone 5S robberies
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That is no longer the case. US carriers have a unified blacklist.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/09/us-carriers-agree-to-build-stolen-phone-database-and-blacklist/
Everyone is talking about blacklisting like it has any relevance whatsoever. It doesn't. Even if a thief can only get a lousy fifty bucks out of it, they'll still steal your phone. It's easy to do and virtually risk-free on their part.
If you want to stop robberies, you need to introduce an element of risk that outweighs the potential gain. Say, for example, an armed would-be victim? Oh, who am I kidding? It's New York.
If you want to stop robberies, you need to introduce an element of risk that outweighs the potential gain. Say, for example, an armed would-be victim? Oh, who am I kidding? It's New York.
ha pick pocketing is such a normal occurance here in Barcelona, people dont even care anymore. One of my classmates is on her 3rd iPhone in 2 months and mine got stolen recently but i ran after him and got it back after he asked me which of those 4 iPhones he had in his bags were mine. its gotten so bad that if u bust them and get your stuff back they try it agaib literally one second later on your other pockets. its almost offensive, at least be a "polite" thief and leave after you get caught
It seems like it should be possible for these vending machines to be able to tell if a phone is locked because it was tagged as lost/stolen as opposed to just broken. And assuming that is possible, I could see jurisdictions mandating that those machines not pay out for stolen phones.
I have received this response from multiple members. I should probably amend my original post to reflect my recognition that this isn't an overnight solution. There is one other thing all of the responses have neglected. Editing original post.
Thanks all
Agreed - by the end of 2014, most iPhones will probably be ignored to be stolen. By then most will have AL enabled and no thief is going to steal a phone for $100 worth of parts when they can steal a working one and get $300.
In all seriousness the best is to have carriers block the IEMI number across all carriers. A reported stolen phone is now worth nothing in the US.
But then all the thieves have to do if they get a locked smartphone is really break it so that the reader just sees a dead phone.
Edit: Also part of the problem with these kiosks is that the thieves can usually get there faster than the victim can get the phone locked. The thieves can just drive right there while the victim files a police report, may or may not have to go to the hospital and then get home to a computer to lock the phone.
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Make sure they can't turn off your iPhone
If you really want to make sure "Find My iPhone" works after your phone is stolen, you need to prevent the thief from turning your iPhone off.
1. Fill in your SIM slot with superglue, so they can't pop it out.
2. Fill in the screws with superglue, so they can't take it apart.
2. Manually disable your sleep/wake button.
Then they can't turn off your iPhone.
If you really want to make sure "Find My iPhone" works after your phone is stolen, you need to prevent the thief from turning your iPhone off.
1. Fill in your SIM slot with superglue, so they can't pop it out.
2. Fill in the screws with superglue, so they can't take it apart.
2. Manually disable your sleep/wake button.
Then they can't turn off your iPhone.
Public floggings would be better, especially if you do it in an arena and sell tickets. Think of the money the governments could rake in!
I've seen enough procedural crime dramas to know that's not how thievery works. They're not stealing phones for 1 off transactions. The low man on the totem probably gets $50 for an iPhone, $35 for a newer Samsung, and whatever for the rest (just made up pricing). They steal whatever they can get, as many as they can get, concentrating on iPhones since they pay more. Some aggregator is collecting, sorting and shipping the local phones somewhere else for sale. Over time, yes, if all remains static, iPhones will be less attractive. If someone finds a way to circumvent AL, all bets are off.
Good reason not to visit Barcelona, for sure. Maybe they need something like the banks do for stolen cash - a dye bomb that bursts and identified the thief if the phone goes more than 5 feet from the owner?
The whole used cell phone market is pretty sketchy these days. It's worth it to buy a new one versus taking the chance that the used one that you may save maybe a few hundred bucks on is going to turn out to be a complete brick, and the joker who sold it to you is using a prepaid phone.
When people stop buying the stolen phones, then thieves will stop stealing them.
When people stop buying the stolen phones, then thieves will stop stealing them.
If you really want to make sure "Find My iPhone" works after your phone is stolen, you need to prevent the thief from turning your iPhone off.
1. Fill in your SIM slot with superglue, so they can't pop it out.
2. Fill in the screws with superglue, so they can't take it apart.
2. Manually disable your sleep/wake button.
Then they can't turn off your iPhone.
Two things, how are you going to do all those things fast enough just before your phone is stolen and if you do all those things won't you also be unable to power off your phone or remove the sim card. I know you are joking but gimping your own phone for your own use is not the solution.
No, they still sell them, hence why ebay is full of them.
They might want to start cracking down on ebay.
And this is why I love Europe so much! Your thieves are even polite, somewhat civilized and will sometimes even give you your stuff back if you catch them after they non-vilently pick your pocket. Whereas here in the states rather than pick your pocket, they will just assault you and if they don't knock you out and you manage to follow them they will usually shoot at you.
In a case sad timing I just saw on the local evening news a story about a guy walking near downtown (nice part too) and was approached by a man asking him for the time. When he said he didn't know, the guy asked if he had a cell phone. The fellow then pulled it out to look at the time and a second guy came up from behind and started to bash him about the head and took off with the phone. I love how some Americans think Europe is so bad because you might get something lifted, but we put up with much worse crap every day here.
Unfortunately something like that is all too common, in particular in larger cities, and really across most continents, perhaps to an overall lesser extent on a few like North America, maybe Australia, and probably Antarctica (unless the penguins are smarter than they appear).
Erasing a phone should be made available even without a simcard inside. Just like you can use it to make an emergency call without a simcard.
iOS Chop Shop
Just because the device is protected with the iOS7 Activation lock does not mean the thief can't strip the iOS device of its parts and sell it.
A iPhone 5S kit including Screen Digitizer, LCD & Frame Assembly costs $250 online, which now a thief could sell for $100 bucks and make some quick cash to someone who needs the parts.
Here are the iPhone 5 parts and their retail costs
http://www.ifixit.com/iPhone-Parts/iPhone-5
Just because the device is protected with the iOS7 Activation lock does not mean the thief can't strip the iOS device of its parts and sell it.
A iPhone 5S kit including Screen Digitizer, LCD & Frame Assembly costs $250 online, which now a thief could sell for $100 bucks and make some quick cash to someone who needs the parts.
Here are the iPhone 5 parts and their retail costs
http://www.ifixit.com/iPhone-Parts/iPhone-5