Thieves Target Apple Store Customers

[Surely]

http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/thieves-targeting-apple-store-customers-20100106

An excerpt:

Three Los Angeles men were behind bars on Wednesday facing charges in at least 28 burglaries after authorities busted a ring they say has hit store customers in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties.

The three allegedly followed customers out of stores and broke into their cars, Amormino said. They were arrested Dec. 29 after investigators staked out an Apple store that had been hit before, he added.

An undercover investigator posing as a customer bought a computer at a Mission Viejo shopping center, put it in his car and left the car in a lot on Avery and Marguerite Parkways, Amormino said. The suspects broke the window to take the computer and were then arrested, he added.

The burglary ring could be responsible for up to 80 similar heists, Amormino said.

Here is a map of the areas they hit:

I wonder why they stayed away from the Santa Monica/Century City/Beverly Center/The Grove stores (Those stores would have been in the area of the map just above Manhattan Beach.). Those stores are all so close together.... you would think that would provide more targets to hit.

I guess I'll check to see if anyone is following me the next time I make an expensive purchase.....

 

[gibbz]

I always leave the Apple store with a death grip.

I never would have thought that I'd be followed though.

I guess some people just can't help themselves.

 

[Abstract]

Every year, we get stories like this regarding Apple customers being followed. If I were to buy a Mac today, I'd probably go with a screwdriver so that I could 'open stuff up' if I had to.

It's a shame that this is the way it has to be for people who buy expensive items during the holiday season.

 

[BlackiBook]

I thought I was being followed by this tiny guy when I bought my MBP, he was on my tail the entire time I was in the Apple store, as I walked out of the mall, and all the way to my car (which was in the second to last spot in the row) I thought I was going to half to turn and fight him off once I got to my car.... turns out he was in the last spot 😛 I am just too paranoid! But I guess after hearing this I have more of a reason to be so!

 

[yayitsezekiel]

Snap, i live next to the irvine store. Better watch out 😱

 

[dankybear]

buying online from now on haha

 

[GoCubsGo]

I think you people missed the point of the article. These morons didn't buy a computer and get jacked. They bought a computer and left the darn thing in their car while they went and did other stuff. Don't stop buying in store, buy in store and don't leave it in your car unattended. 😎

 

[stridemat]

Who in their right mind would leave an expensive mac in the car unattended. I would be inclined to drive straight home, just to make sure.

 

[Slarti Bartfast]

.

 

[Lorenz0]

I've left the Glasgow store clutching a nondescript carrier on more than one occasion.

I've also seen my share of soft (in more than one sense) solo targets in the starbucks round the corner from it (Nelson Mandela Place?) leave their newly purchased macs unattended by a seat while they go order/ ogle cakes and pastries.

Unbelievable.

 

[yg17]

I think you people missed the point of the article. These morons didn't buy a computer and get jacked. They bought a computer and left the darn thing in their car while they went and did other stuff. Don't stop buying in store, buy in store and don't leave it in your car unattended. 😎

You have to be pretty stupid to do that. If I buy something expensive, I take it home immediately.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I think you people missed the point of the article. These morons didn't buy a computer and get jacked. They bought a computer and left the darn thing in their car while they went and did other stuff. Don't stop buying in store, buy in store and don't leave it in your car unattended. 😎

Agreed, not very smart on the customers' part.

 

[afd]

I've left the Glasgow store clutching a nondescript carrier on more than one occasion.

I've also seen my share of soft (in more than one sense) solo targets in the starbucks round the corner from it (Nelson Mandela Place?) leave their newly purchased macs unattended by a seat while they go order/ ogle cakes and pastries.

Unbelievable.

I remember leaving this shop with my 1st iPhone on launch day. I was never more paranoid about being mugged. While the bag Apple put the phone in was very nice it might have as well said "please mug me!". I was very glad to get to my car.

 

[Disc Golfer]

I felt weird about carrying my mbp around downtown and to a couple divey bars yesterday after having to take it to the apple store for a false start at a repair (apparently the people from apple phone support and the goofball "geniuses" at the apple store are not on the same page, to say the least). When I leave it at home I last-minute-paranoia it under my bedsheets half the time. I can't imagine leaving it unattended in a car.

 

[instaxgirl]

I remember leaving this shop with my 1st iPhone on launch day. I was never more paranoid about being mugged. While the bag Apple put the phone in was very nice it might have as well said "please mug me!". I was very glad to get to my car.

Tell me about it. I bought a 3GS a in the first week of December, I don't think I got the proper iPhone bag I just got a giant O2 bag with "got it!" on the side.

Couple that with tonnes of Christmas shoppers and an idiot friend going "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SPENT X AMOUNT ON A PHONE" and it made for a very uncomfortable few minutes.

 

[abijnk]

I wonder why they stayed away from the Santa Monica/Century City/Beverly Center/The Grove stores (Those stores would have been in the area of the map just above Manhattan Beach.). Those stores are all so close together.... you would think that would provide more targets to hit.

I would think the Santa Monica, Century City, and Beverly Center stores would be harder to do this at because of how the parking is arranged. I've never been to The Grove, so I can't comment on that one... I know the Manhattan Beach store, my local store, is in a mall with a plain old outdoor parking lot, but the other three I listed all have large parking garages. Different atmospheres. But this is all just a guess...

 

[stinkhorn]

Talking of these things, does anyone know what the dimensions of the pretty box the MBP 15" comes in are? If I decide to buy from the Apple store rather than online, I'd like to stuff it straight into an anonymous-looking backpack...

 

[niuniu]

Always used to ask for plain bags when shopping from somewhere expensive in London, pretty common practice as most shoppers will have to go through a dodgy area or two just to get home.

I can understand how these people get careless however, if you live somewhere nice for too long you do drop your guard, it's only natural. I've left car keys in the car with the engine running several times when quickly popping into a shop. We never hear of any crime in the area we live in at the moment, so you do feel pretty secure. That's how you get caught out I guess..

 

[Cabbit]

I've left the Glasgow store clutching a nondescript carrier on more than one occasion.

I've also seen my share of soft (in more than one sense) solo targets in the starbucks round the corner from it (Nelson Mandela Place?) leave their newly purchased macs unattended by a seat while they go order/ ogle cakes and pastries.

Unbelievable.

I go to the Glasgow store myself and will admit to leaving my macbook on the table while i order a refill, though i keep an eye on it.
Never realised it was so dangerous going into the city.

 

[instaxgirl]

I go to the Glasgow store myself and will admit to leaving my macbook on the table while i order a refill, though i keep an eye on it.

I wouldn't even leave my iBook alone in a university library (and hey, if my iBook got stolen it'd be the excuse I need to update 😛) let alone a public coffee bar.

I always close it and carry it (and my bag) when I'm off to get food.

Although carrying the laptop and the purse and a load of books when I went to photocopy or whatever in the library did get old.

Maybe I'm paranoid. No one's ever stolen from me though 😀

 

[Surely]

^^^You're not paranoid.

I've never left my iBook/MB/MBP unattended at a coffee shop/library ever.

 

[notjustjay]

One day when I'm bored I'm going to put a brick inside an Apple Store bag and "accidentally" leave it unattended in a crowded mall, and see how long it takes before it gets stolen.

 

[Surely]

One day when I'm bored I'm going to put a brick inside an Apple Store bag and "accidentally" leave it unattended in a crowded mall, and see how long it takes before it gets stolen.

If you leave it unattended, wouldn't it be "found" as opposed to "stolen"?

 

[notjustjay]

If you leave it unattended, wouldn't it be "found" as opposed to "stolen"?

I guess that would depend on the mall, and what they did with the bag after they took it. 😛

Many years ago when my family was at Disney World, we had a cooler bag full of soft drinks that we set down just for a minute. It disappeared almost instantly. I happened to be videotaping things on my camcorder and when I rewound the tape, you could clearly see someone walk up, grab the bag and keep going without even slowing down. I'm sure glad it was only drinks and not something more valuable.

 

[leomac08]

Damm.

I'm buying my iPad at the Manhattan Beach Village Store

or the Irvine one.............by the spectrum.

but I will bring friends.....and family.........

and a stick....from a tree nearby to poke people.😀