There’s no doubting that Apple’s “Find my iPhone” feature can be pretty useful at times. But a recent story highlights the feature’s potential dark side — as a family was attacked after a group of people knocked on their door, erroneously claiming their lost handset was inside the family’s home.
The incident took place in the early hours of Thanksgiving in the Bronx. Two woman and a man demanded their iPhone from inside the home. When the 43-year-old woman and her son who answered the door said they didn’t have the device, the offenders turned aggressive.
They were finally convinced to leave, but when the mother and son tried to write down the car license plate, the suspects attacked them and made their getaway. Both mother and son were treated for injuries at the nearby Jacobi Hospital.
There’s been no word on why the offenders thought their iPhone was inside the house, but it’s another reminder of why it can be better to let police investigate disappearing handsets rather than taking matters into your own hands.
Last year, a U.K. man was charged with murder after using Find My iPhone to track down and kill the thug who stole his son’s iPhone at knifepoint.
Source: NBC New York
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
9 responses to “Find my iPhone hunt ends with family being assaulted”
This story will probably go down the rabbit hole but it’s not a technology story… it’s a vigilante story.
“but it’s another reminder of why it can be better to let police investigate disappearing handsets rather than taking matters into your own hands.”
So… this warning is directed at the attackers?
Yes. They would have not been attackers if the police had been involved.
and robbers might always be armed
I’ve had this happen to me. Dude came to my house insisting that his iPhone was stolen and in my house. I said no it wasn’t. He stood in front of my house refusing to leave until I called the cops on him. Turns out the phone was at a house down the street. Find my phone feature not quite that solid.
It’s as solid as the signal that the stolen phone sends out. Ever tried to check your gps indoors? Not so solid…same concept.
I’ll concede that point.
Find my phone can get you in the general area.
That shaded circle around the spot where it claims the iPhone is, is the uncertainty of the location. It’s probably next door and those people are laughing their ass off watching the show.