Newly released figures by the Wall Street Journal show that in New York City, nearly a fifth of all grand larceny* cases in 2013 involved an Apple product being taken. 18 percent to be precise. The iPhone is the most valuable cell phone to thieves who are also targeting Apples iPads and iPods as they know that reselling these high end devices will yield the highest returns. In total, over 8,000 Apple devices were stolen.The NYPD are advising commuters to be extra vigilant as almost all thefts happen on or around public transport where uses of gadgets are preoccupied, either making calls, sending SMS, listening to music, reading e-books or surfing the net. This preoccupation makes gadget users easy pickings as they can be unaware of their surroundings. Only 20 percent of thefts that are reported lead to an arrest with most victims filing a report for insurance purposes.
Steps to prevent yourself from being a victim
We know that commuting can be a mundane chore and is precisely the time when a cell phone, tablet or other gadget can help to ease the boredom but there are a few steps that you can take to try to prevent yourself from becoming part of the grand larceny statistics:
- Activate the “Find my iPhone” app which allows to you track and locate a lost or stolen iPhone as well as allowing you to remotely wipe its data
- If you have iOS7 (most do now) use the “Activation Lock” which prevents reactivation of remotely wiped devices unless the owners Apple ID and password are entered
- If you are only going to use your device to listen to music whilst out and about, set up and start a playlist before you leave the house so that you can leave it in your pocket as much as possible
- Use silent mode instead of a ringtone so that if you do get a call it won’t attract as much attention
- Do not use your device for reading or surfing whilst walking, it will make you unaware of your surroundings
Most of the above tips are common sense but it doesn’t help to be reminded now and again. The iPhone and iPad are fantastic devices, the last thing you want is to have it swiped from your possession because you weren’t paying attention.
The iPhone is the most valuable cell phone in our database. If you are looking to sell your iPhone, iPad or any other cell phone then do it through us. We aim to only compare prices paid by reputable and trustworthy cell phone recyclers.
To see our Apple prices click here or simply search for the model cell phone you wish to sell using our search function or Brand Search.
*Grand Larceny
A category of larceny—the offense of illegally taking the property of another—in which the value of the property taken is greater than that set for petit larceny.