Having our iPhone stolen is one of the worst experiences that can happen to us when we travel. Barcelona is one of the world’s great tourism capitals. Seven million people visit it every year. to which must be added more than one and a half million inhabitants. With so many people, thieves take advantage of it to steal one of the easiest thefts: smartphones.
Where do the more than 30,000 smartphones stolen each year in Barcelona go?
In 2023, the Mossos d’Esquadra registered 31,007 complaints of mobile phone theft in Barcelona. InsideIn these flights there are iPhones and smartphones of other brands. Any model is good for making money later on the black market. And iPhones have advanced anti-theft techniques that make them unusable once locked. What do they do with them and where do they go?
The main goal of the thieves is take them out of the European Union in order to avoid the IMEI blocking that mobile operators can carry out at national and European level. The vast majority of stolen iPhones go to North Africa, but We even found some in Tokyomore than 10,000 kilometers from Barcelona.
They steal them and wrap them in aluminum foil “as if they were a sandwich”
The Mossos d’Esquadra warn that the area where the most iPhone thefts occur is in the Eixample. central area, with high tourist densitycommercial and gastronomic. There are an average of 85 reports of cell phone thefts per day.
The thieves’ method is simple: they take advantage of moments of inattention (especially tourists) to grab the iPhone from a table, a bag, grab hands… After taking it, They wrap the smartphone in aluminum foil to isolate it from GPS positioning. Then, already in an apartment, he begins his preparation for the trip abroad.
Already in North Africa, the main destination, parts such as screens and batteries are being replaced by sell them second hand. This happens especially on Android smartphones because it is easier to bypass the blocks. If we talk about iPhone, what is usually done is to remove all the parts to sell them independently for unofficial repairs. That is, They steal iPhones and then resell the screens and batteries separately on the black market.
Theft figures are down, even as they call for tougher penalties
Despite the impression that thefts are increasing, the figures give reason for hope. In 2023, 31,000 mobile phones will be stolen in Barcelonaand if we compare it to 2019, the figure was 39,000. An amount that has been reduced due to police pressure. However, many thieves are repeat offenders and do not go to prison.
The Mossos d’Esquadra are demanding harsher penalties and faster trials. They also take the opportunity to remind us that You should always file a complaint even though we have no hope of recovering the iPhone. It is important to provide the IMEI number so that it can be locate and identify the smartphone in case we find it.
To protect yourself from theft, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the Find My app and enabling the iPhone’s advanced anti-theft mode. Of course, being aware of your surroundings is essential to prevent this from happening. TAlways put it in your front pocket and never in your back pocket or in your bags.. And avoid holding it in your hands in places that are easy to escape from, such as café terraces or next to subway doors.
Source | The Spanish
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