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Comment on One iPhone led police to gang who sent 40,000 snatched phones to China

How the fuck does this go on for 40,000 phones? Are phones in China not like in the western world where they’re effectively bricks without the ability to unlock them? Does nobody have FindMy or similar?

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thr0w4w4y2@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
There’s a carefully designed process that involves sealing the phones in faraday bags so they can’t communicate with the outside worlds, and then replacing/reprogramming certain components so the phone works outside of the Find My ecosystem.

These phones are reprogrammed and re-chipped en masse and then sent all over the world. See all those “mobile phone repair” shops all over your high street/strip mall? they’re all getting their stock from the same place.

Apple operating the hardware pairing scheme is just a cat and mouse game with this industry.

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monkeyslikebananas2@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The stolen phones can be broken up for parts. They probably aren’t just reselling the devices whole.

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- tahoe@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  As far as I know recent iPhones all have parts pairing, so you can’t swap parts between phones unless Apple authorises it. Absolutely sucks ass for repairability, but it’s supposed to help in the context of stolen phones.
  
  I guess thieves found a way to circumvent it, otherwise it wouldn’t make sense
  
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  - MurrayL@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    
    I guess thieves found a way to circumvent it, otherwise it wouldn’t make sense
    
    Even if they haven’t (yet), it’s still a recent development. There are plenty of old models out there without it, not to mention Android phones which hold the majority market share in the UK.
    
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mikedd@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The phones are returning home 😅

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ayyy@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
China could very well be the redistribution point to elsewhere in the world. When you’re the global hub of shipping it’s much easier for a few bonus goods to make their way around the system.

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lechekaflan@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
There’s a lot of reasons iPhones are specifically targeted for theft. Besides China being a giant hub for fences.

There are FOMO people who want one for cheap… and almost new. Just like their hankering for Louis Vuitton bags and Gucci scarves.

There are those who want parts for repairing other iPhones.

There are those who buy them en masse for their scam and spam farms.

And in some places and for certain groups, it’s safer and more profitable than selling meth.
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