Apple Crime Log: iPad Thief Bites Owner, Fake AirPods, and a CVS Heist
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It’s time to once again dive deep into the Apple Crime Log, a regular feature where we share the latest in Apple-related crimes. This time around, a UK woman challenges an iPad thief and gets bitten for her trouble, a less-than-slick thief tries to sell counterfeit AirPods to a cop, and more.
iPad Thief Bites Woman
An Everton, UK, woman had a face-to-face with a thief who had stolen an iPad and bank card from her home, getting bit by the assailant for her trouble, reports Liverpool Echo.
While the woman got her items back, she was “threatened and suffered a bite to her hand, causing a small gash and bleeding,” according to Merseyside Police, who added she had to undergo medical tests to ensure she hadn’t been infected. (After all, no one wants a repeat of An American Werewolf in London.)
The man in question did appear on CCTV video, resulting in the fuzzy image seen below.
“This has been a very distressing experience for the victim of the assault,” Detective Inspector Lee Egerton said, adding that “she has had to undergo medical tests to ensure she hasn’t caught anything.”
“I am appealing for the man featured in the CCTV image, or anyone who recognises him to come forward. We believe he could hold information that could be vital to our continuing enquiries.”
“We also encourage people to come forward if they know anything about the incident or someone selling the stolen goods which will help with our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or on Facebook “Merseyside Police Contact Centre” with reference 26000426407.
Over Two Dozen iPads Taken From Long Island Elementary School
When staff arrived at Chatterton Elementary in Nassau County on Long Island in mid-June, they found the school had been burglarized, with 26 iPads stolen from the premises.
According to News 12 Long Island, the burglar entered the school through an unlocked rear window, relieving the school of over two dozen iPads before fleeing. Police say there was also $300 in damage done to window screens.
It sounds like insurance premiums could soon be on the rise in the Long Island area, as this comes on the heels of a group of gunmen performing a “brazen stickup” outside of an Apple retail store in Long Island in early January.
A team of bad actors overpowered a pair of delivery workers at the Apple Store located at the Americana Manhasset mall and held them at gunpoint while stealing a load of Apple products from the workers’ truck parked outside of the store.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-Tips or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.
Man Tries to Sell Fake AirPods to Cops
Let’s head over to New Jersey for this next Apple-related crime, also reported by News 12 after a man was arrested for trying to sell counterfeit AirPods to police.
Cops say they pulled 23-year-old Xzavier Brown over in his 2005 Saturn Ion (wow, crime really does pay) for a minor equipment violation, when the officers noticed “several packaged Apple products” in Brown’s car. Brown claimed he sold the Apple products as a side gig, and even offered a pair of AirPods to the officers for $50.
Even if police weren’t already suspicious of the situation, they soon discovered several “dead giveaways” that something fishy was going on. Not the least of these was the same serial number on every package. There were also several packaging errors on the boxes. The man was arrested and charged with selling or attempting to sell counterfeit items.
‘Safe Pickup Site?’ Not So Much, As Man Has His iPhone Stolen
New Jersey resident Peter Tsistinas ordered a new iPhone and had it delivered to his local CVS drug store, which had been designated a “safe pickup site.” However, that didn’t stop a roving thief from stealing the new device.
Such pickup sites have become popular among buyers of expensive items often targeted by “porch pirates” — thieves that steal packages from front porches almost as soon as they are delivered. To mitigate that risk, delivery services can drop off your item at any number of safe locations, where you can later retrieve your package.
However, ABC 7 in New York reports that a security camera in the drug store recorded a thief arriving at the store, showing an ID, signing, and walking out with the iPhone that wasn’t rightfully his. The actual purchaser of the iPhone received two messages — one that the iPhone had been delivered and another that the item had been picked up.
Tsistinas said he paid extra for the delivery to the “safe pickup site,” and added that even though he reported the crime to the police, while also alerting UPS, CVS and his carrier, T-Mobile, the response he received was “crickets.”
“I was watching, you know, ABC News, and I saw 7 On Your Side and I’m like, ‘you know, you’re the first thing I thought of,'” Tsistinas said.
After 7 On Your Side looked into the matter, T-Mobile says it is working with the rightful owner to “resolve” things, saying, “Our care team is working with Mr. Tsistinas directly to get him the device he ordered from us, and we’re working closely with CVS and our other partners to further protect our customers’ orders from theft. Our dedicated fraud, crime and logistics teams collaborate with vendors to address these issues and improve delivery processes.”
CVS also made an official statement, saying, “We’ve connected with the customer and apologized for his experience. T-Mobile is now working directly with Mr. Tsistinas to help resolve the matter. Anyone picking up a UPS package at CVS Pharmacy must present identification matching the person and name on the package to be released. We’re working with the store team to help prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.”
Police are still looking for the suspect seen in the video and say he’s part of a crime ring. If you recognize him, you are asked to notify Jamesburg police in New Jersey.
