A cab driver is arrested for his part in a Miami Beach iPhone theft ring, one of the first iPhone 18 Pro thefts, and an AirTag recovers a stolen food trailer, all in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.
Two men from Queens have been charged with stealing more than $9,000 in items from two different malls in northern New Jersey. This included 10 accessory items from the Apple Store at Garden State Plaza in Paramus.
According to The DeMarco Report, authorities say the two men stole $3,468 worth of gear from the ALO Yoga store at the American Dream Mall. Later, police spotted the pair at Garden State Plaza, where they "took a trip down the accessory aisle" at the Apple Store.
Police later found ten accessory items from the Apple Store in their car, valued at $920.95. They were charged with shoplifting, retail theft, and receiving stolen property.
A Miami Beach taxi cab driver was arrested at the end of September and charged with carrying out a scheme to steal iPhones from intoxicated people after leaving area nightclubs.
CBS News Miami reports Miami Beach Police spokesman Officer Chris Bess said that the man was part of a ring that would "prey on drunk victims, and they would use biometrics and the victims' faces to break into iPhones and steal money and do fraudulent transactions and do fraudulent purchases."
The 48-year-old man faces eight charges, including kidnapping, an organized scheme to defraud, offenses against computer users, unlawful use of a communications device, and strong-arm robbery conspiracy.
Police in Western Pennsylvania are seeking suspects who they say stole over $14,000 worth of Apple products from a Costco.
According to CBS News Pittsburgh , police believe two suspects used fake IDs to get Costco cards, then used stolen credit cards at the store to steal the products.
"I don't know what they could've taken. That's a lot of products," a Costco customer told the TV station.
AppleInsider reported at the end of September about the $3.8 million in iPhone 18 Pro purchase fraud in Hong Kong.
Now, one of the first prominent iPhone 18 Pro thefts has also taken place in Asia.
As Indian Express explains, a woman in Greater Noida in India named Shubhi Bhandari was traveling on an e-rickshaw when she took out her iPhone to pay for the ride.
"Is This iPhone 18?" 2 Men on Bike Ask Woman in E-Rickshaw, Then Snatch Her iPhone 18 Pro in Greater Noida, First in my bloodline to see thieves use two factor authentication before executing the theft. pic.twitter.com/WpCEnQHjdm
At that point, two men in helmets approached on a motorcycle. When one asked if she was holding the new iPhone, one grabbed it and sped away.
A Virginia man who owns a food trailer had it stolen, but was later able to recover it thanks to an AirTag.
According to WAVY, the victim got home from an overnight job to discover his trailer was gone. When he told the police, they said it would take "a couple of days" to investigate, so the man decided to track the trailer himself, following the signal to a resident in Chesapeake.
Police in that city arrested a 45-year-old man, charged him with possession of stolen property, and recovered the trailer.
The Dalton Police Department in Tennessee is looking for a man it says stole an iPhone from a customer at a local store.
The victim said he was playing video slot machines in the back of the store before he left to get a drink. When he returned, his iPhone Pro Max 17 was gone.
Surveillance footage, WDEF said, showed the man sitting next to victim looking to see if anyone was watching, before he concealed the iPhone and left.
A 42-year-old man was charged in California with robbing a man at gunpoint, stealing his cellphone and MacBook Pro, and later making off with the man's Chevy Tahoe. Later, in that stolen car, he led officers on a chase.
According to VVNG, the accused thief struck the victim, took the items, and then left in his car. After police located the car, he led them on a chase, which ended with his arrest.
He was charged with suspicion of robbery, felony reckless evading and vehicle theft.
The Mobile Police Department in Alabama said in late September that they were looking for two suspects who stole two Apple Watches from two different area Cricket Wireless store.
According to NBC 15, the thefts took place on September 20, and the individuals are still at large. Police are appealing for help to identify the suspects.
