iPhone Muggings SURGE In DC, No Recourse For Victims

TBD:

Alexandra Friendly's iPhone trauma started with a robbery.

En route from work one afternoon this April, Friendly walked out of the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station and made her way up 10th Street NE toward home. Along the way, she popped in her earphones and played some music on the iPhone she'd bought two weeks earlier.

Not content with one distraction, she also loaded a book she'd bought off Amazon, walking with her head buried in the screen, "oblivious to the world around me," the 30-year-old opera singer recalls.

Then she felt a hand on top of hers. And then a yank that pulled her phone out of her hand, breaking her headphones off at the plug and leaving the buds in her ears. She watched, shocked, as her iPhone thief made his way back to a car. Enraged, she ran to the car and grabbed onto the door as it started to roll off. She managed to hang on until she was dropped a short way down the block, where a woman helped her up.

Read the whole story: TBD

Comments

[Palito]

11:51 AM on 12/13/2010

Gray origin phones. (hit reply too soon)

[Palito]

11:50 AM on 12/13/2010

I don't think any operator disables lost or stolen phones. After all they have an interest in keeping users paying monthly fees even if it's with 'gray' or

[Chris Worthington]

09:08 PM on 12/12/2010

Here's an idea.....Don't rush out and gobble up the latest and in most cases, not so greatest piece of tech garbage that comes out.

[stepintothelight]

10:38 PM on 12/12/2010

Bitter much???

[KarateKid]

11:28 PM on 12/12/2010

That's absolutely correct. Stay away from HTC's plasticky junk.

[TheRealestRealist]

03:32 AM on 12/12/2010

My brother got robbed of his iPhone out of his hands in LA this year and he gave chase to no avail. I had a MacBook stolen out of my car on my way home from the store last year as well. Luckily, my renters insurance covered for most of the loss. All it takes is to get jacked once and it will change your outlook on things forever. From victim to vigilante.

[3neuticals]

09:53 PM on 12/11/2010

If you are going to have an iPhone, iPad, etc., one of the first things you do is enable the passcode feature and download/install TapTrace or some other location software. If you have an expensive laptop, get a tracking chip/software package and be sure to install a password encryption program that locks it down at the pre-boot level.

[WurrdUp]

09:06 PM on 12/11/2010

I use wireless headphones on the subway and bus in NYC. I set up my playlist in advance, and leave the iPhone safely zipped away as I shuffle through songs.

While not thief-proof, it's less obvious that you're listening to an expensive gadget during a recession. I'd advise this.

[RK Johnston]

06:41 PM on 12/11/2010

Just another reason I will never buy anything made by Apple.
Overpriced, overhyped, oversold...and now the "latest target" of street thieves.
Even with all the applications in the world, they are not worth m y time-or-money.

That being said...
Situational Awareness is just as much a part of daily life as it is for flying high performance aircraft. When you are running three apps on your i-Phone, your awareness is reduced by the same measure.
A street thief looks for that in a mark...be it for their wallets, chains, or i-Phones...and acts accordingly.

When you walk the streets, a bit of common sense beats a lifetime of regrets--predators will not attack alerted prey. Mainly because the prey either outruns them...or goes for broke and counterattacks it's tormentor.

Be careful out there!
--RKJ

[AmigaMan]

07:32 AM on 12/12/2010

So, you are telling people not to buy Apple products because someone MAY steal them? That is ridiculous IMO.

Goody for you that they are not worth your time, etc.

For some people, like myself, I love the iPhone 3GS I bought last year. My wife loves the one I got for her too. If someone wants to try to steal my iPhone, let them try, but they are going to have to get past my cane first.

[RK Johnston]

08:04 PM on 12/12/2010

You read something into my post that was not there, AM!

I DID NOT call for anybody to stop buying Apple...I merely stated the reasons why I do not use their products, nothing more.
They may be worth YOUR time & money...but I have no use for them, for the reasons I have stated.

And the probability of having something I purchased stolen is pretty low on the "Do Not Buy" reasons list. The main reason I do not use Apple products are the cost for both the product-in-question and any applications for them.
I have to watch my pennies...hence anything Apple is not on my "must have" list.

And as for being "ridiculous"--take a look in the mirror, fellow.
Your sarcasm about my choice was neither appreciated, nor was neccessary. My choice is my choice, and your choice is yours.

In the future, if you are going to respond to something I write, please re-read my post and think through your respose before you start tapping away on your keyboard.

May your Apples work as sweet as the tree-grown ones taste!
--RKJ

[BlackYowe]

04:20 PM on 12/11/2010

Maybe its a good idea to be aware of your surroundings when you are in public and perhaps the thief did this person a favor.

[Brad Martin]

02:17 PM on 12/11/2010

When you purchase an Iphone I hope that you have some type of MAC as well so you can purchase MobileMe. It tracks your phone so you will always be able to find it.

I also see a large majority of the people that purchase these smartshones are not that smart. I hope people get on the ball with technology.

[AmigaMan]

07:33 AM on 12/12/2010

You can track your iPhone on a PC on http://www.me.com/ as well. You don't necessarily need a Mac to do that.

[Brad Martin]

08:09 AM on 12/12/2010

You are correct!

[studmoose]

10:12 AM on 12/11/2010

And Apple knows where every stolen iPhone and IPod is at any given moment.
 
When iPods get stolen, they are plugged into iTunes and Apple knows where the device is, even after someone calls into report it stolen. Apple then will sell the thief music and content to the stolen device - even if they know it's stolen! Apple will say they can do anything, even if there is a police report. Apple has the last known series of IP addresses, the computer name, the ISP, etc. whenever the device attaches to the internet. There was talk of Apple offering a $9.99 a year theft recovery service, sending the last known IP/system connections to police but they opted NOT to do it.
 
It seems to all come down to selling product. Apple must know that a thief whon't probably buy a device, but the person who owned it will more than likely replace it!
 
Does that mean that Apple is complicent in the aiding of thieves? It sure seems that way!
 
(Note: The Apple purists will say that it is not Apple's responsibility to do this. Yet Apple has the information that makes them complicent. If you know where stolen property is, a mugger, etc... and you don't aid in its recovery - doesn't that make you complicent and help to perpetuate the crimes even more?)

[BruntLIVE]

07:13 AM on 12/11/2010

Give me welfare or phone your choice either way you are going to pay from locking me out of society.- America

[Peter Noble 2]

10:49 PM on 12/10/2010

There's a famous card company named after our nation that offers up to 90 days theft and accident protection. I believe competitors have the similar provisions. Since on the whole customers use credit cards this gives you coverage for a little while. Then put the iPhone on your household insurance....or buy and Android.;)

[anothervoter]

10:25 PM on 12/10/2010

Too bad Apple won't "brick" a stolen phone.

[rougebaisers]

01:42 PM on 12/10/2010

I saw someone eyeballing my iphone on a train once. I took his picture and texted it to 3 people, one a cop, and said what I was doing loud enough for him to hear me (what, you don't talk to yourself?). I had that ip for 2 years after that.

[Michael630]

11:45 AM on 12/10/2010

If AT&T woulld just refuse to activate iPhones whose serial numbers have been reported stolen to them, the market for stolen phones would dry up quite a bit- removing the incentive for theives to swipe the phones.

[rougebaisers]

01:42 PM on 12/10/2010

Yep. it is that simple. until they jailbreak them.