Porch Pirate Criminal Network Stole Thousands of iPhones in the U.S.

[MacRumors]

The U.S. Department of Justice recently cracked down on an international crime ring that targeted expensive electronics like the iPhone, with the workings of the complex crime system detailed in a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Thirteen members of an international network worked to steal FedEx shipments of iPhones from people's porches, using automated scripts to scrape data from FedEx tracking systems and also bribing corrupt employees from AT&T. The employees took payments to share confidential customer information from a company order tracking system, snapping images of customer names, addresses, and tracking numbers.

Some members of the criminal network obtained and sold delivery information, while others, called runners, purchased that info and physically stole the iPhone packages from doorsteps just minutes after they were delivered.

Three of the criminals had a location in the Bronx neighborhood of New York where they received a steady stream of stolen devices, while another had a location in Brooklyn for receiving bulk deliveries of stolen devices from around the United States. Thefts occurred in multiple states, and the stolen devices were shipped and sold overseas.

At one point, two of the runners involved went to a FedEx store to send a package and claimed that there were baby clothes inside. FedEx security inspected the package, located stolen iPhones, and confiscated them. When the package arrived empty, one of the men complained to FedEx customer service that his iPhones had been stolen.

Both FedEx and AT&T worked with law enforcement officials to locate all of the criminals involved. In a statement, FedEx said that it has been proactively working with law enforcement to "address the rise of porch piracy," while AT&T said that it regularly updates its processes and employee training to thwart criminal tactics.

All of the people who participated in the criminal scheme have been charged, with some of them facing up to 20 years in prison.

Article Link: Porch Pirate Criminal Network Stole Thousands of iPhones in the U.S.

 

[UliBaer]

Go, get 'em! 👍

 

[sw1tcher]

Thirteen members of an international network worked to steal FedEx shipments of iPhones from people's porches, using automated scripts to scrape data from FedEx tracking systems and also bribing corrupt employees from AT&T. The employees took payments to share confidential customer information from a company order tracking system, snapping images of customer names, addresses, and tracking numbers.

Some members of the criminal network obtained and sold delivery information, while others, called runners, purchased that info and physically stole the iPhone packages from doorsteps just minutes after they were delivered.

I knew this had to be inside jobs. How else would they know exactly when and where iPhones were being delivered by FedEx?

At one point, two of the runners involved went to a FedEx store to send a package and claimed that there were baby clothes inside. FedEx security inspected the package, located stolen iPhones, and confiscated them. When the package arrived empty, one of the men complained to FedEx customer service that his iPhones had been stolen.

🤣 "Hey, someone stole my package of stolen iPhones"

 

[russell_314]

I wonder what country this “international crime ring” is from. Hopefully they get a free flight back there 😂

 

[Radeon85]

So when they deliver them, they just dump them at the front door? If so, that seems like very crappy security. Here in the UK, whenever I get an expensive device ordered from EE, they provide me with a pin over SMS or in my DPD courier app that I have to provide to the driver, or they will not hand it over to me. And back to EE it goes, and they certainly won't leave it on the doorstep for anyone to steal, even if I ask them to.

 

[Velin]

The unfortunate truth: trust no one. Not your delivery driver. Not your Uber/Lyft driver. Not the desk attendant who checks you into a hotel.

You never know when a person has been compromised, or paid, to give information about you, your location, your plan/trip, or your possessions. It is a necessity to keep things polite but extremely light, zero details, never reveal your plans, length of stay/trip, etc. As soon as you’re out of sight, out goes the Signal/Telegram message for an easy rip of your room, home, anything.

 

[russell_314]

So when they deliver them, they just dump them at the front door?

Yup. The delivery guy’s only responsibly is to get the item to the address. He takes a photo of it there as proof. If someone steals it from your property that’s a you problem. I agree this is not ideal

 

[sw1tcher]

I wonder what country this “international crime ring” is from. Hopefully they get a free flight back there 😂

DoJ Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/...rnational-ring-targeting-cell-phone-shipments

It names everyone involved:

NEWARK, N.J. – Thirteen members of an international network that stole thousands of shipments of iPhones and other electronic devices around the United States were charged today, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, announced.

Demetrio Reyes Martinez, a/k/a “CookieNerd,” 37, of the Dominican Republic, Andrickson Jerez, 28, of Bronx, NY, Edickson Lora Castillo, 24, of New York, NY, Raimond Cabrera De Leon, 31, of New York, NY, Luis Marte Tavares, 33, of Brooklyn, NY, Frederick Duverge Guzman, 26, of New York, NY, rgJulio Vasquez Sanchez, a/k/a “BotTrack,” 30, of Brooklyn, NY, Alejandro Then Castillo, 45, of Paterson, NJ, Wilson Peralta Tavarez, 28, of Belleville, NJ, Ecker Montero Hernandez, 25, of Paterson, NJ, Jean Luis Diaz Dominguez, a/k/a “Botija,” 24, of Paterson, NJ, Luis Nunez, 23, of Paterson, NJ, and Joel Suriel, a/k/a “La Melma,” 31, of Brooklyn, NY, were each charged in Count One of the Criminal Complaint unsealed today with conspiracy to transport and receive stolen property.


And they thank the Dominican Republic so I'm thinking the devices were sent there...

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna also thanked the Dominican Republic’s Procuraduría Especializada Contra los Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología (PEDATEC), (Specialized Prosecutor's Office for High Technology Crimes and Offenses) and HSI’s Newark Field Office for their collaboration in this matter.

 

[tridley68]

Glad they were all caught they all deserve the 20years 👍

 

[PowerButton]

And friends wonder why I have a baseball bat next to the front door. 😼

 

[thebart]

Don't stolen phones get blacklisted. What good are they

 

[PowerButton]

I wonder what country this “international crime ring” is from. Hopefully they get a free flight back there 😂

With a layover in GITMO 🤣

 

[Radeon85]

Yup. The delivery guy’s only responsibly is to get the item to the address. He takes a photo of it there as proof. If someone steals it from your property that’s a you problem. I agree this is not ideal

That's ridiculous when you could be dealing with a few thousand dollars worth of devices. All couriers take photos here as proof as well no matter what is being delivered the majority of the time, but only use the one time pin codes on expensive items. This really should be a basic thing by now, even in the US. Can't be that hard to set up.

 

[sw1tcher]

So when they deliver them, they just dump them at the front door?. If so that seems like very crappy security, here in the UK whenever I get an expensive device ordered from EE they provide me with a pin over SMS or in my DPD courier app that I have to provide to the driver, or they will not hand it over to me and back to EE it goes, and they certainly won't leave it on the doorstep for anyone to steal, even if I ask them to.

Yes, unless the company you're buying from pays extra for signature-required delivery service. But doing so cuts into their profits so unfortunately a lot of times they don't.

 

[barkingsheltie]

Criminal ring usually means a select few at the top who secure most of the profit. The article states everyone who was involved in the ring was charged; hopefully, that includes the ring leaders too. And I want to believe the 20-year sentences will apply to the leaders - no plea deals, please! This is a lot more than struggling thieves and errant youth.

 

[russell_314]

That's ridiculous when you could be dealing with a few thousand dollars worth of devices. All couriers take photos here as proof as well no matter what is being delivered the majority of the time, but only use the one time pin codes on expensive items. This really should be a basic thing by now, even in the US. Can't be that hard to set up.

If it was up to me, there would be a signature required option. I had UPS drop a laptop off in its original box with a shipping label stuck to it at my front door. They might as well put a sign on it saying here’s a free laptop come and get it.

 

[Roller]

That's ridiculous when you could be dealing with a few thousand dollars worth of devices. All couriers take photos here as proof as well no matter what is being delivered the majority of the time, but only use the one time pin codes on expensive items. This really should be a basic thing by now, even in the US. Can't be that hard to set up.

It is ridiculous, but that's the way it is in the U.S., though sometimes you can specify that signature is required. Porch piracy is a major problem here – people follow Amazon and other delivery vehicles and then grab packages. For iPhones and other Apple items I usually arrange for store pickup, though that's not available to everyone.

 

[Shirasaki]

I wonder what country this “international crime ring” is from. Hopefully they get a free flight back there 😂

And a permanent ban from entering US and hopefully their allied countries.

 

[verdi1987]

So when they deliver them, they just dump them at the front door?. If so that seems like very crappy security, here in the UK whenever I get an expensive device ordered from EE they provide me with a pin over SMS or in my DPD courier app that I have to provide to the driver, or they will not hand it over to me and back to EE it goes, and they certainly won't leave it on the doorstep for anyone to steal, even if I ask them to.

Unless the shipper requires a signature, packages can be left in any place the courier deems secure. In practice, they often leave them in places visible from the street. It’s actually kind of unbelievable given the prevalence of porch pirates.

I recently ordered a new MacBook Air from Apple. They didn’t require a signature. UPS dropped it at my door.

Apple also stopped allowing the recipient from redirecting packages to be held at a pickup location. If I knew I’d be away I’d sometimes redirect the delivery to the UPS Store a block from me. Apple took away that ability a few years ago.

 

[Shirasaki]

Don't stolen phones get blacklisted. What good are they

They first have to be reported as stolen by various methods. And even so, the blacklist only applies to US carriers. Sucks for those international customers buying stolen US phones and find out they can’t use their iPhone in US because it’s IMEI was blacklisted.

 

[Shirasaki]

Unless the shipper requires a signature, packages can be left in any place the courier deems secure. In practice, they often leave them in places visible from the street. It’s actually kind of unbelievable given the prevalence of porch pirates.

I recently ordered a new MacBook Air from Apple. They didn’t require a signature. UPS dropped it at my door.

That’s NOT something I want it to happen. If anything, apple of all companies should request signature on delivery for their iPhone iPad Mac etc no matter what.

Luckily so far my neighbours are decent people and won’t steal packages from me. I’ve ordered quite a few items domestically and internationally, and none of them was stolen.

 

[The_Martini_Cat]

It blew my mind when my MacBook Pro arrived, and was just dropped off. But… A text did come across on my Apple Watch that it happened, so if there WAS A porch pirate, I got there first. 🍸😺

Anyway, now that these guys have just been arrested, it's the perfect time to buy an iPhone for home delivery! Amirite?🍸😹

 

[sw1tcher]

I recently ordered a new MacBook Air from Apple. They didn’t require a signature. UPS dropped it at my door.

Apple also stopped allowing the recipient from redirecting packages to be held at a pickup location. If I knew I’d be away I’d sometimes redirect the delivery to the UPS Store a block from me. Apple took away that ability a few years ago.

That’s NOT something I want it to happen. If anything, apple of all companies should request signature on delivery for their iPhone iPad Mac etc no matter what.

Hey, you cannot fault Apple for not requiring a signature. Apple's profit margins are super thin. Apple paying for signature-required delivery would ruin them financially.

 

[realeric]

“Up to 20 years in prison” means probation at most or 1-2 years maximum.

 

[AppleofyourI]

AT&T is killing me. Data incidents with extremely sensitive information that ends up on the dark web. Corrupt employees involved in this scheme.

Need to get that house in order.