Home Apple AT&T subcribers are having their new iPhones stolen by porch pirates in what could possibly be an inside job

AT&T subcribers are having their new iPhones stolen by porch pirates in what could possibly be an inside job

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AT&T subcribers are having their new iPhones stolen by porch pirates in what could possibly be an inside job

It is a story that sadly we’re all too conversant in. A bundle containing an eagerly awaited new iPhone is dropped on the customer’s doorstep by a FedEx driver. Inside seconds, a thief, extra generally often called a “porch pirate,” runs to the doorstep, grabs the field containing the iPhone, and runs off with the prize. A latest Wall Avenue Journal report says that many of those stolen iPhones are being despatched to AT&T subscribers who ordered their new telephones from the service.

Why are AT&T’s iPhone shipments being focused?

Why are AT&T subscribers extra prone to have their iPhone stolen from their doorstep? It is as a result of the service often doesn’t require a signature for the bundle containing the brand new cellphone to be delivered. Verizon and T-Cellular require a signature for the bundle to be handed over. And to make issues worse, that is an inside job as some thieves have been caught with an inventory of monitoring numbers of their possession. These numbers permit them to know when a FedEx driver plans to ship an iPhone.

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A number of doorbell movies from a number of states present the scheme in motion. The FedEx driver leaves the field with the brand new AT&T iPhone inside it by the door. Seconds later, the porch pirate, usually carrying an Amazon supply vest, swoops in and takes the bundle. The crime was recorded on video in such states as New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. The Journal notes that the thief strikes in so quick that the FedEx driver and the porch pirate usually cross paths.

AT&T and FedEx are working collectively to cease these thefts and are teaming up with legislation enforcement. A typical story is much like what occurred to Jaqueline Rosales who ordered 5 new iPhones for her household in August from AT&T. All 5 of the telephones had been stolen and the video that the sufferer recorded from her doorbell digicam confirmed the thief dashing out of his automotive, grabbing the telephones, and reentering his automobile in a span of 10 seconds. 

Rosales had observed the identical automotive driving up and down her block hours earlier than the supply. Commenting on the crime she stated, “I’ve ordered high-value objects earlier than. This has by no means been an issue. It’s so bizarre and alarming.”

AT&T says that it would not require a signature for a bundle to be delivered as a result of it needs to make it simpler for patrons to obtain their telephones. It additionally prices FedEx shippers an additional $7.15 per bundle to request a signature on a supply.

The arrest of two porch-pirating teenagers yields a clue pointing to the involvement of an AT&T insider

The arrest of a pair of porch-pirating teenagers in Texas on the day Apple launched the iPhone 16 collection in September yielded an fascinating clue. The pair had flown from Detroit to Houston, Texas expressly to do some porch pirating, and when busted that they had of their possession AT&T parcel monitoring numbers. An AT&T spokesman stated, “We’ve no proof of any breach of our techniques, and this was not a hack.”

AT&T must work with legislation enforcement to find how two teenagers had been capable of get their arms on the monitoring numbers belonging to the service’s parcels being shipped by way of FedEx. This smacks of a rogue insider on the firm making a little bit cash on the aspect. The wi-fi supplier also needs to require {that a} signature be captured to ensure that a bundle to be delivered identical to Verizon and T-Cellular do.

One other AT&T buyer had her new iPhone 16 stolen off her porch final month. Whereas AT&T did put a block on the gadget and ship a alternative, it will not, even on the buyer’s request, ask for a signature requirement for the alternative bundle. Nor would the service ship the cellphone to the client’s office or ship it to a close-by AT&T retailer. The client stated that she instructed AT&T, “Effectively, son of a gun, you understand I may need one other iPhone stolen.”

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