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?
One iPhone led police to gang who sent 40,000 snatched phones to China
Submitted 3 weeks ago by fne8w2ah@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20vlpwrzwdo
Comments
LodeMike@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
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.
monkeyslikebananas2@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
The stolen phones can be broken up for parts. They probably aren’t just reselling the devices whole.
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
mikedd@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
The phones are returning home 😅
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.
lechekaflan@lemmy.world 2 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.
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
You better eat that entire iPhone. There are starving children building them in china!
Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 weeks ago
Wouldn’t it be easier to steal them in China? It’s where most of them come from after all.
SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 3 weeks ago
stolen devices are being sold in China for up to £4,000 each, given they are internet-enabled and more attractive for those trying to bypass censorship
I’m guessing buyers specifically want non-Chinese devices, and stealing from individuals is easier than from a factory.
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Seems like something you could accomplish with jailbreaking. Or perhaps a bit of soddering.
These devices aren’t magic. Stealing and shipping phones at this scale halfway around the world seems inefficient to say the least.
But I guess organized criminals and their clients aren’t always that smart.
chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I wouldn’t be surprised if they had guards armed with SMGs and full body armour guarding the shipments as they leave the factory.
Since Apple shrunk the packaging they could probably fit a million iPhones in one shipping container. Think how much that’d be worth!
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
There’s a pixar film here where a phone get sent to the US, but misses it’s manufacturer and like the one ring leaps from owner to thief to fence to reseller in china…
parody@lemmings.world 3 weeks ago
Video audio inaccurate? Maybe the guy was the Afghan national or it’s a different raid.
Article said Afghan guy, video said both woman and man were Bulgarian nationals.
altphoto@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
That’s the power of just one LED right there.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Cops actually doing something? Wow, my opinion of them is now only 99.99% negative
>looks at link “British Broadcasting Channel”
>check location Ah, there we go, “UK”; American cops would just be eating donuts and getting fat
MurrayL@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
(it’s British Broadcasting Corporation)
dubyakay@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
British Bong Cooperative
StarlightDust@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
Nah our cops are also absolutely awful racists who never actually do any good too.
yesman@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
The phone was probably stolen from a protestor they were investigating and the bust was coincidental.
D_C@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Fatter*
nanoswarm9k@lemmus.org 3 weeks ago
Donuts worked out beating the shit out of people in custody if they don’t smell like good private lawyer.