Would you buy an apparently new iPhone from a random person on the street without thoroughly checking out the contents of the box first?
If you answered “obviously no,” then you’re certainly smarter than the Detroit Metro PCS business which bought “iPhones” from a group of three Detroit-area teenagers only to discover, upon opening them, that they were filled with Play-Doh bricks instead of smartphones.
Fortunately the teenagers in question don’t appear to have been too sharp either, because the person they had scammed phoned them back asking for more iPhones — and when the teens turned up with additional handsets, the cops were waiting for them.
Although they fled before the deal was closed, they were tracked down and arrested. 19-year-old Tommy Taren Hailey, 17-year-old Gregory Jumel Allen, and 19-year-old Kejuan Roy Gordan have all been charged with attempted larceny by false pretenses. Their case will be heard in court next month.
Yep, I think I’ll stick to buying through the Apple Store for now.
Source: Reuters
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.
3 responses to “Teenage scammers busted for selling iPhone boxes filled with Play-Doh”
Dumb (buying iPhones without seeing what was being sold) and Dumber (returning to the scene of the crime when invited).
“Teenage scammers busted for selling iPhone boxes filled with Play-Doh”
It would still work better—and be more secure—than an Android. :)
As someone who lives near Detroit, this doesn’t surprise me in the least.