Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Tourists came to Miami to buy new iPhones for the family. Now they’re out $18,000
- Thread starter karmatourer
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That store is on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. It’s an outdoor mall/shopping/walking area with hundreds of people mingling about. There is a lot of tourist crimes such as robberies, purse snatches, and vehicle break-ins. Whatever is a quick and easy score for criminals.
The store front is all glass as most stores are. It’s very easy to see all the activity going on and walk in and see everyone and anyone making their purchase(s). There was going to be approximately 20-30 pounds of phones and maybe accessories. This probably wouldn’t be put in one bag. So that’s what gets marked is a number of small bags that are easily grabbed versus an iMac size package. This happens to a lot of tourists down here. They shop, stop to eat or sightsee, and get their purchases jacked.
So if you mean “sketch” as in an Apple employee is tipping off someone that there is a big load like this, I honestly don’t think so.
Depending on the vehicle the trunk area isn’t sealed off from the cabin. The seat back may lower for example (either the entire thing or an “armrest” that lowers out of the back.
Plus most street parking two or three blocks down from that Apple Store is right next to closed, silent alleys and such.
It’s Miami FFS
it probably wasn't for family. It's resellers who came as a group to profit.
You were the one who wrote "google car thefts". You didn't say anything about googling thefts "FROM" anything.
But whatever.
Yeah,whatever. Being 603 ,I thought it was obvious considering the conversation.
They were more likely acquainted with the villians and the car rental insurance policy.
I am from Venezuela, when that kind of things happens is usually when a worker at the store tips someone "there is this couple with 18 phones", and they chase the couple.
Whenever I buy something expensive I go right to my place and download it. It is called experience.
Whenever I buy something expensive I go right to my place and download it. It is called experience.
In Venezuela? all the time. You can not use cell phones inside the banks since 2000. Nobody. Whenever someone withdraws cash there is always people following outside. It is very common from cashiers to tip people outside the bank.
Be sure those people were targeted from the Apple store. I live here in Miami 10 minutes from that store. There is so much poverty/crime in this city, does not surprise me.
This sort of stuff happens everywhere. In Philadelphia, there are instances where folks who cash out big winnings at the local casinos are followed back to their cars and then home. The thieves then jump you as you get out of your car. Typically, the casinos have camera all over the place, that's why they follow you home, where the chances of cameras are a lot lower.
People get followed at shopping malls all over. The take away is that if you're carrying $18,000 worth of merchandise in a public place (like the Apple Store), ask for mall security to walk you to your car. Maybe even take a different way home through traffic so you can lose any thieves following you.
People get followed at shopping malls all over. The take away is that if you're carrying $18,000 worth of merchandise in a public place (like the Apple Store), ask for mall security to walk you to your car. Maybe even take a different way home through traffic so you can lose any thieves following you.
Policy used to be technically 2 devices per lifetime. So theoretically you could only ever technically buy for example 2 iPhone 8's from a store for the rest of your life. Obviously there is no way to truly track this, so its just really ineffective. Most of the time the purchase limit is 2 at a time. For stores that deal with reseller activity, they are allowed to buy two and then back of the queue for sales to give opportunity to others. Its pretty much impossible to police this and overall the company cares about sales so if they overlook a few things, so be it.
Here in Miami I have seen more than 10 units of any given product purchasss with regularity, including iPhones on or a few days after launch day. Every store in the country may differ but Miami stores seem to get some great stock for launches.
It's incredible how daft people can be. Anytime I buy anything expensive, I go straight home or to the hotel. Sure, still not 100% guaranteed that someone won't follow me, but having 14 or 18 iPhones in a car is a blaring neon sign to be followed.
Unrelated, but remind me of a story, this couple went to a grocery store here & bought one of those big 40-lbs, bags of dog food,
paid for it, & took it out to their car in the parking lot, where they poured the dog food into a garbage bag, then went back into the store with their empty bag (& receipt,)
& filled the dog food bag with meat, then showed the staff their receipt,
...the staff, customers, & security were watching them the whole time lol
paid for it, & took it out to their car in the parking lot, where they poured the dog food into a garbage bag, then went back into the store with their empty bag (& receipt,)
& filled the dog food bag with meat, then showed the staff their receipt,
...the staff, customers, & security were watching them the whole time lol