Apple is tracking iPhones looted from it's Apple Stores
Steal an Android instead?
As Americans across the country continue to protest peacefully as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, opportunistic thieves look to looting as a way to steal free product from local stores. Apple stores have become a popular target for looters and vandals alike. But, little did they know what Apple had up their sleeve…
iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and other Apple store demo devices are pre-loaded with special software that will render them useless once removed from security tethers. An image found online shows a stolen iPhone from Apple Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It displays an on onscreen message that reads:
"Please Return to Apple Walnut Street. This device has been disabled and is being tracked. Local authorities will be alerted”
Stolen iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones are reportedly bricked as soon as they are removed from their security anchors using a special automatically-toggled iCloud activation lock which emits a Find My iPhone beacon tone until the battery on the device dies. When it comes to stolen Macs, the demo software is configured in such a way that with each reboot or sleep session all previous user-created data is deleted, thereby rendering each computer incapable of normal usage.
Apple stores all over the country, including stores in Salt Lake City, Washington DC, Santa Monica, and Portland have suffered severe damage from vandals with looters stealing many of the on-display demo units. Apple has begun boarding up and barricading several high profile stores including Apple Palo Alto in Northern California and Apple Fifth Avenue located in New York City.
So please, don’t steal an iPhone from the Apple Store. It’s not worth your time. Steal an Android instead!
For legal reasons, the preceding sentence and any encouragement of theft is a joke.