Thieves Cleverly Disguised as Apple Employees Rob Swanky NYC Store, Make Away with 19 iPhones
Toggle Dark Mode
There’s definitely something to be said about the finer things in life, right? Of course, that “something” would be that everyone simply wants to enjoy them — including, those that always seem to have some nasty tricks up their sleeves in an effort to obtain those sought after luxuries in the most unorthodox ways.
We’ve seen this happen a few times in recent years, actually, in particular when it comes to Apple and the company’s highly acclaimed, gotta-have-it iPhone. However, this most recent tale of iPhones obtained by ill will is definitely one for the books.
According to the New York Police Department, the most recent New York City Apple Store robbery was perpetrated by a thug, cleverly outfitted in threads emulating those of actual Apple Store employees. As DNAinfo reports, the man apparently waltzed right into (and out of) an employee-only repair room, located at the back of Apple’s posh SoHo retail store on June 1st of this year — allegedly taking with him a total of 19 iPhone handsets, valued at around $16,130, which were, strangely enough, just casually tucked away under the standard blue t-shirt on his back.
The heist was, as you might imagine, quite the jackpot for the ‘man who got away’ (who has yet to be caught or identified, as far as we know). However, what’s perhaps most unsettling about this story is why, exactly, Apple Stores have become such a hot target for these types of schemes.
While some speculate that the heists — which have been increasing, quite alarmingly, in recent years — could perhaps be due to the Cupertino-company’s simple, and, therefore, easy-to-copy, dress code, a major loss prevention faux pas like this has got to be a pretty big blow, to say the least.
As we mentioned, though, this robbery certainly wouldn’t be the first of such cleverly thought-out instances. Similar to the June 1st SoHo “uh-oh,” back in February of this year, a woman disguised in similar Apple Store employee attire managed to get away with eight iPhones from New York’s Upper West Side Apple Store. In that instance, however, the woman was aided by two male accomplices — one of whom caused a distraction, while the other acted as a lookout. Realizing their success, the three returned to the same store in March, and somehow managed to stuff a whopping 59 iPhone handsets into a duffel bag! Their haul of 67 iPhones, according to police reports of the incident, were valued at around $49,300.
What do you think about the apparent increase in Apple Store robberies? Let us know in the comments!
Featured Photo A. Aleksandravicius / Shutterstock.com