Cell phone theft has always been an issue, but with Apple’s iPhones carrying such a hefty price tag, they’ve now become one of the prime targets in a nationwide stealing spree across America, a spree that is costing phone owners up to $30 billion in annual damages.
According to the ABC News, cell phone theft has absolutely skyrocketed with 40% of all robberies in New York now being cell phone related and a quarter of all theft in Los Angeles accounts for cell phones, with a 27% rise in theft over the previous year.
San Francisco Police Capt. Joe Garrity commented about the rise in cell phone theft, especially for Apple’s highly coveted iPhones, saying…
“This is your modern-day purse snatching,” …”A lot of younger folks seem to put their entire lives on these things that don’t come cheap.”
The issue has become so widespread that senators and the FCC in the U.S. are expected to put together a national database to track stolen or lost cell phones by the end of 2013.
There is also a bustling black market for cell phones since SIM cards can be replaced. Chris Guttman-McCabe, CTIA’s vice president of regulatory affairs wants to put an end to the aftermarket cell phone ring, saying…
“We want to dry up the aftermarket,” … “Hopefully, there will be no sense in stealing a phone and a once valuable piece of hardware will essentially turn into useless metal.”
More than 1,300 cell phones have been reported stolen in Oakland, California this year alone. If you have a smartphone, especially any of Apple’s iPhone handsets, it’s important to register your serial number in case it goes missing or gets stolen. It just might save your cell phone’s life.