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Apple Warns Looters with Stolen iPhones: You Are Being Tracked
- rvz 6y ago> Apple has taken step after step to try to render its devices worthless once taken, including the sticky “Find My” functionality that enables users to track down an iPhone. “If your device goes missing,” Apple says “put it in Lost Mode to lock it immediately and start tracking its location.” Well iDevices can already trace themselves offline via Bluetooth and Wifi back to Apple so the rioters have looted the forbidden fruit and will probably get a knock on the door by the local authorities.
- Malp 6y agoUnless they sell them to unsuspecting individuals or people looking to make a quick lowball trade, and then the burden and repercussions fall on them
- bhhaskin 6y agoBuying stolen goods is still illegal
- D2187645 6y agolol, how do you know something is stolen?
- bhahn 6y agoThe burden is on the buyer to take that risk or not. If the buyer isn't sure, then they are free _not_ to buy from a non-authorized source.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- soraminazuki 6y agoThis is simply untrue. When you look up the topic on the posession of stolen goods, you'll quickly find out that you have to know that they've been stolen for it to be illegal[1]. If you don't believe me, take a good look at the US law[2]. Notice how it contains the phrase "knowing the same to have been stolen." [1]: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/possession_of_stolen_goods https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/possession_of_stolen_goods [2]: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2315 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2315
- masonic 6y agoThat only applies to stolen property that has crossed state lines.
- soraminazuki 6y agoI can't post laws for each and every one of the 50 states, but you get the idea.
- soraminazuki 6y agoOnly if you buy them knowing they were stolen.
- babaganoosh89 6y agoThere's an underworld that will buy stolen goods and part them out. And lots of middlemen who will help buy the goods. They don't need to ever turn on the device.
- stevenwliao 6y agoWhen armed robbers took my iPhone, it ended up in Ho Chi Minh City after 3 weeks. I'm guessing it went robber -> fence -> exporter -> foreign shop. Presumably someone there defeated the Find My iPhone lock or parted it out then.
- rsykw_ 6y agoI doubt these looters have access to middlemen, they’ll probably list it on ebay and hope some clueless person buys it
- WheelsAtLarge 6y ago<-- Well, thanks to social media, we can now see the message that greets a looter powering up their new device: “This device has been disabled and is being tracked,” it says. “Local authorities will be alerted.” --> This is scary. Especially from a company that prides itself on individuals' privacy. I know that Apple needs to defend itself but if this type of tracking can be turned-on on thieves, who is to say that they won't turn it on anyone they wish to follow for whatever reason.
- thephyber 6y ago> a company that prides itself on individuals' privacy > I know that Apple needs to defend itself but This doesn't seem any different than Apple using Find My Phone on the phones that they still own.
- fortran77 6y agoApple owns these phones. If you owned the phone, you'd have the right to track it.
- nanomonkey 6y agoI'm curious how many of the smart TVs are being tracked. Quite a few of those were looted over the weekend from what I could tell of the videos being posted.
- AnonC 6y agoSmart looters would just sell the devices for parts without ever powering them on (by themselves). Anecdotally, I have seen instances of looting different kinds of items where the thief is interested in getting some amount for the product. They usually don’t look for the best price available in a used products market. The amount they got would be a small fraction of what the item is worth. This may not apply to organized gangs and groups.