Smartphones driving violent crime across U.S.

ronjor · May 11, 2013

By Martyn Williams

IDG News Service - On Feb. 27 in the middle of the afternoon, a 16-year-old girl was walking through San Francisco's Mission district when she was ordered at gun point to hand over her cellphone. The robbery was one of 10 serious crimes in the city that day, and they all involved cellphones. Three were stolen at gun point, three at knife point and four through brute force.

Incidents of cellphone theft have been rising for several years and are fast becoming an epidemic. IDG News Service collected data on serious crimes in San Francisco from November to April and recorded 579 thefts of cellphones or tablets, accounting for 41 percent of all serious crime. On several days, like Feb. 27, the only serious crimes reported in the daily police log were cellphone thefts.

This isn't just happing in tech-loving San Francisco, either. The picture is similar across the United States.
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http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239107/Smartphones_driving_violent_crime_across_U.S.

Mman79 · May 11, 2013

Today's smartphones also store so much personal data that they can be a goldmine. I'm not surprised that they're a hot commodity though. Anyone who lived through the 80s/early 90s likely remembers their Pioneer radios jacked from their car or their new CD players snatched out. Electronic gadgets have always been an easy sell.

Robin A. · May 12, 2013

It´s not a US problem, but an international one. Stolen smartphones are sold in other countries. As with other "global" problems, national politics and interests interfere in the solutions, which require cooperation and the enforcement of global policies (black and white lists, etc.).

Possibly, the problem will subside as smartphones become more of a low-cost commodity and less of a luxury fad.

ronjor · May 13, 2013

Apple, Samsung, others urged to help thwart mobile phone thefts

by Lance Whitney

Apple and other mobile phone vendors are being asked to amp up the fight against cell phone theft.

In a series of letters sent today to the heads of Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and Microsoft, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested information on what they're doing to make their phones more safe and secure from thieves. Schneiderman also urged the companies to work with his office to devise ways to cut down on the lure of cell phones to criminals.
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http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...ers-urged-to-help-thwart-mobile-phone-thefts/

Noob · May 13, 2013

You guys call that violence, here where i live they KILL you for smartphones. Tons of teenagers have died because they always use their phones when they are walking in the streets.

chrisretusn · May 14, 2013

Thieves are always going to target cell phones, especially if there is a market for them. I really don't see how the manufactures are going to be able to stop it.

safeguy · May 14, 2013

You can throw in any object of value (not just smartphones or gadgets) into the story and the same logic applies.

Greed and sometimes circumstances can push one into committing crimes. Then again, one has to realize more often than not, it's a matter of choice. It's not the object or possession that is to be blamed.

mirimir · May 14, 2013

safeguy said:

You can throw in any object of value (not just smartphones or gadgets) into the story and the same logic applies.
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Right. Consider grillz, for example

ronjor · Jun 5, 2013

Apple, Samsung Face Grilling Over Stolen Smartphone Epidemic

Gerry Smith

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has summoned representatives of the four largest smartphone makers to a summit next week where he plans to press them on their failure to address soaring thefts of their products.

Schneiderman, along with San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, will question Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft officials in New York about why they have not yet developed technology that renders stolen mobile devices inoperable, eliminating the incentive for theft.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/05/apple-samsung-thefts_n_3383407.html

ronjor · Jun 11, 2013

Positive Response to New iPhone Antitheft Feature
By BRIAN X. CHEN

Thefts of Apple iPhones have become so widespread that the police have coined the term “Apple picking” to describe the crime. Apple says it has come up with a solution for the problem, and legal officials are already showing thanks to the company.

Apple on Monday said its next mobile operating system, iOS 7, due out in the fall, will include a feature called Activation Lock that should help deter theft. The feature disables the iPhone even if a thief has turned it off or erased the data on the phone. It can be reactivated only after the user logs into it with the right Apple ID and password.
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http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/positive-response-to-new-iphone-antitheft-feature/

TheKid7 · Jun 11, 2013

Crusading lawmen want more details on Apple's iOS 7 'Activation Lock'

Crusading lawmen want more details on Apple's iOS 7 'Activation Lock'

The New York State attorney general and San Francisco district attorney are in a wait-and-see mode as to whether Apple's "Activation Lock" theft-deterrent feature in iOS 7 will satisfy their call for smartphone manufacturers to make their devices less attractive to thieves.

"We are appreciative of the gesture made by Apple to address smartphone theft," New York's Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco's George Gascón said in a joint statement. "We reserve judgment on the activation lock feature until we can understand its actual functionality."

Their caution is warranted, seeing how Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi gave scant details about the new feature during Monday's keynote at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote presentation.

"Hundreds of millions of us use Find My iPhone to find our phone when it's just lost in the couch or maybe left at Starbucks, but also when it's been stolen," said Federighi. "And now, with Activation Lock, if a thief tries to turn off Find My iPhone, or if they even wipe the device entirely, they will not be able to reactivate it, because they don't know your iCloud username and password."..........
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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/11/apples_activation_lock_and_lawmens_smartphone_summit/

TheKid7 · Jun 12, 2013

Apple adding 'kill switch' to iPhones:

(CNN) -- It's called "Apple picking," a growing wave of crime in which thieves target mobile devices, particularly iPhones and iPads.

Now the company that gave the crime its name is taking a step to stop it, with a "kill switch"-style update aimed at making the mobile gadgets less valuable to thieves.

Activation Lock will be part of iOS 7, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system expected to roll out in the fall. The feature will require an Apple ID and password before the phone's "Find My iPhone" feature can be turned off or any data can be erased...........
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http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/11/tech/mobile/iphone-ios7-kill-switch/index.html

ronjor · Jul 18, 2013

Apple, Samsung's latest phones face antitheft stress test

by Josh Lowensohn

Apple and Samsung's latest smartphones will face the scrutiny of state and federal prosecutors in San Francisco on Thursday, who plan to test the latest in antitheft security.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are testing the latest security features of Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S4 to see whether they can stop thieves who have made off with said devices.
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http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...ngs-latest-phones-face-antitheft-stress-test/

NormanF · Jul 20, 2013

There's another reason thieves love smart phones - easy access to your bank account online.

Like Willie Sutton famously said, "that's where the money is." For criminals its a crime of opportunity low in risk and rich in potential reward.

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