iPhones with a total value of 19 million dollars were stolen by a group of thieves in what is the biggest theft of Apple products in its entire history. We are talking about a group of thieves from New York who, over the course of 7 years, managed to steal thousands upon thousands of Apple iPhones by stealing the identity of other people, and the figure of 19 million dollars puts the entire problem of the Americans into context.
Six people were part of this criminal group, presenting themselves as customers of mobile phone operators in order to obtain iPhones from Apple for free or at low cost. Fake identity cards and cloned cards were used by thieves to buy iPhones in installments from Apple, the transaction being completed before the victim stole the card, and the phones were then sold on online sales websites.
The BIGGEST THEFT of iPhones in Apple History, MILLIONS OF DOLLAR DAMAGE
Thieves bought iPhones from 34 states across the entire US territory, and the FBI and New York police collaborated to catch them, bringing the phones to the Bronx neighborhood of the city, from where they started selling them. The 6 who led the criminal group "hired" people to whom they paid 100 dollars for each iPhone bought from Apple, these people traveling to various cities in the US to make the purchases.
Over the past seven years, a New York City-based fraud ring allegedly stole more than $19 million worth of iPhones by posing as cellphone subscribers to get new devices at little or no cost. Associates using fake IDs and counterfeit debit cards went to mobile phone stores and posed as the legitimate account holders, looking to upgrade to new phones on their existing accounts. During the course of the conspiracy, the Fraud Ring fraudulently obtained more than $19 million worth of devices. To facilitate the scheme, the Fraud Ring traveled to approximately 34 different states, but often brought or shipped the fraudulently obtained cellphones back to the Bronx, where they regularly sold them through fencing operations.
The criminals were very difficult to catch because of the method by which they defrauded the Apple company, but an informant helped the FBI and the New York police to piece together the whole operation, and make the arrests. Only when the victims saw that money was starting to disappear from their cards for products they did not buy, the Apple company was alerted to the problem, so the criminals were far away with the phones taken from the stores.
Considering the popularity of Apple products, stories of this kind are not new, nor will they disappear soon, so it is very possible that in the future we will hear more about problems of this kind.
