Apple’s latest iPhones sell like hot cakes, which makes them a big target for thieves looking to make a quick buck. One teenage gang stole 19 display units worth over $13,000 from the Apple store in Natick Mall this week — and the “flash mob” robbery took less than a minute.
Apple has always allowed fans to play with its products in store so that they know exactly what they’re getting before they party with their cash. The typical Apple store has dozens of iPhones on display at all times, secured only by a security cord.
Sadly, this makes them easy to steal. Natick Police Lt. Cara Rossi says that a group of seven teens was able to steal 19 iPhones in less than a minute from the Natick Mall Apple store simply by cutting the security cord.
The gang was caught on video, which you can watch below, but they were able to get away before police could catch them. They wore hoodies and hats to conceal their faces, and it’s still unclear who they are, according to CBS Boston.
Police say the thieves may be connected to a similar robbery that took place in Hingham back in September. In that case, a group of 10 to 12 thieves stole 22 iPhones and fled in a Ford Tauras that had its license plates covered up.
Believe it or not, Apple is actually doing away with those security cables in its stores, making devices like the iPhone even easier to steal. However, its new security system triggers an alarm when a customer attempts to leave the store with a display device.
It’s thought Apple will also be tracking all display devices, and that it has the ability to disable them completely — making them essentially worthless — should a customer be able to get away with one.
We’ve contacted Apple to find out whether it has the ability to track down the devices stole from the Natick Mall, and whether they can be disabled. We’ll update this post once we get a response.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
8 responses to “Teen gang steals $13,000 worth of iPhones from the Apple store”
Hope they shoot them all or hang them
And people are all like “no worries, they’ll be useless”. That’s still $13000 worth of hardware in a few minutes with the security tether still being used.
Even though the merchandise is scorching hot, I’m sure they’ll make a nice bit of change on the black market assuming hey don’t get caught first.
That’s the retail price, not the cost of the hardware. They will be useless as devices as they are beacons to send the police right to the person who has them powered on. Parts, perhaps.
There was a news story this week that Apple plans to remove the tethers at the Apple Stores as it is so pointless to try to steal the devices.
it’s 2016 and that’s our security footage…… How about some 1080p cameras….
Apple says their phones don’t need 1080p displays, so why would their security cameras?
Wtf kind of comment is that? My iPhone does have a 1080 display…. and regardless those cameras are useless you can’t see anything.
Don’t worry Denny, I appreciated your sarcasm ;)
I saw the headline and played my favorite game- Name That Race. I won again.