What Happens to Stolen Phones?
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- Опубліковано 11 січ 2025
- Phone theft isn’t just a crime-it’s the gateway to a global black market. Discover how stolen devices fuel organised crime, international smuggling, and identity theft in this eye-opening investigation
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I watched a guy get his phone stolen in downtown Copenhagen in 2022. The guy was leaning against a wall, waiting for some food, I think, and scrolling on his phone. A guy on a scooter zipped past me, rode past the guy, and snatched his phone out of his hand. But it was crowded and rainy, so the thief was slowed down, and when he tried an evasive maneuver, the scooters front tire slipped on the wet bricks(cobblestone?) and he went down. The phones owner and two other guys were on him in a few seconds, and the cops showed up in about a minute and hauled him off.
you had me up until cops coming in a minute
@vincentwildes5130 dude, foot cops and bike cops are everywhere in Copenhagen, especially during the summer tourist season.
@@AeroGuy07 my bias is being an american whos never left the country if it helps
Perfect karma
🤘
I used to work in crime recording in South Yorkshire. Next to shoplifting, phone theft was probably the crime I took the most reports of and those with tracking always seem to end up in Shenzhen eventually.
Maybe if he police bothered to do anything at all about rampant theft...
How do they ship such a large haul of hones to shenzen? I doubt they load them up in a shipping container and send them off to China, and they don’t have people carrying 5 phones at a time who happen to be going to China?
Easy. Packages don't tend to get opened once they've been dropped off at the postal office.
Might be cheaper to ship a container if there's several thousand needing to move
I'm travelling to my home country (Brazil) next week after 10 years in Europe. This video couldn't have been uploaded in a better date for me.
Why? You want to steal a bunch of phones and bring them to Brasil ?
@@rogierx yeah what he up to?
Keep your phone in a deep pocket until you're in a safe place. Had a friend get her phone stolen out of her hand in Marbella, she tracked it to Tripoli, where it stayed for a while and then "disappeared".
Carry a dummy phone to hand off
Phones on tables, and clearly visible in purses are such a bad idea. I have pants with zipper on some pockets, and they're not common pockets people keep said items in. When I'm in an especially sketchy area, I have a spare decoy wallet in the more common pocket. If you're in an especially sketch area, swap out your new phone for your old phone!!! Don't log in or download the major apps. There are 9 year old phones that still take great photos, and would still allow you to look at maps and talk to people you are traveling with. Make a new email account for it, so they're not going to get any important stuff. It's super reassuring if you're far from home, where you can't use half the stuff you usually would anyway!
Living in constant fear is not living at all. You are behaving at least 5x more extremely than is warranted. The only thing you really need to do is to make yourself a less appealing victim than anyone else nearby, and 90% of that is just being aware of you're surroundings and projecting confidence. No amount of zippers and decoys will protect you from targeted victimization.
Fortunately for me, my phone is damn near worthless
and that's honestly why I buy second hand ones from CEX (A second hand large brand store in the UK) I got it 3+ years ago for a couple hundred in cash. Still works just fine, too
Same - I know how clumsy I am and I literally only use my phone for calling people, so I have a brick that I know can withstand being yeeted down the stairs. .... Several times. (I've had it since 2020, so, y'know, it's like an average of one yeet a year. ...Plus all the other times I've managed to drop it just from standing height....)
Even worthless phones can be stolen to be used as burners or to extract personal/bank data.
Due to online payment apps, the phone have become credit card. Stealing phone is like stealing credit card. Unfortunately, you cannot stop them because you lost your phone.
@@Diomeyer Huh? Personal/bank data can't be extracted if there is none in it. When I got a new phone, nothing transferred over, not even my contact list b/c I didn't use Gmail/google/cloud/or apps on the phone. It had a few first names in the contact list and a bunch of cat pictures taken at home where I have internet. Internet service on the phone was limited since I never used apps. Oh and the alarm to wake me up was set. That's it. I use my computer for stuff, not my phone. I had the old phone immediately shut off when it disappeared. It could only be used as worthless parts to whoever found it. I've had no problems come up from that lost phone, no incidents of the phone number being fraudently used, nothing.
I once watched as a guy had his phone stolen from his hand but his other hand managed to grab the thief's shirt collar. The guy got his phone back and the thief got two broken hands. Seems like a fair trade if you ask me.
Got my iPhone stolen in Paris and I can see exactly where it is- a street market in Morocco
💀💀💀💀
Haha morrocans 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
That's the biggest issue with modern smartphones. They're worth way too much and people take very little care of them.
true
Because for the wealthy they're seen as disposable items.
@gianurwiler5098 I'm flabbergasted when I see someone tossing around a $1,200 iPhone with no protective case, no screen glass, no password. Nothing. Mine has all of that and more. If you use the correct settings, Airplane Mode can't be activated without the password.
And they store literally their whole lives on the devices. And just to make the life convienient, all the online/cloud services are on auto-login without asking passwords or even the phone has full password manager on it...
Iphone is permanently locked only the hardware has value unlike android that is easily unlocked 🔓
4:13 someone once asked my friend and i at the mall in a city to use our phone to call someone and we were like no way sorry for this exact reason
I know you can just put it on speaker for them…
@@kristova91find a pay phone. There is literally zero reason to ever EVER let a random borrow your phone
In Australia they can just use a pay phone for free. Speaker phone is a good idea.
@@Can0spam I live in America, and finding a pay phone is like discovering a lost ancient treasure. People will stop and take pictures of them, because they are so rare to find.
@@rhov-anion We still have a lot of them. They also offer free WiFi points (Telstra users only for that one). I haven't used one in 20 years because eww.
I have heard my local pay phones ring. It seems to happen to one in particular, around three times last year. I've never picked the phone up because I assume there's super glue or something nasty on it.
People that connect to public WiFi are absolutely insane!
How It's Made: Criming Edition. Great video; very comprehensive! After having worked in law-enforcement myself; I can say that this is exactly how this market operates, based on my personal experiences as well as the conferences I attended.
Had my phone pick pocketed in London a few weeks, a few days later find my iPhone says it’s in Romania. Certainly agree with the opening statement, it’s a gutting feeling.
That is hilarious to get robbed in London 😂
Invent a weapon that looks like a phone, that goes off seconds after it has been stolen.
😅😂😅😂😅😂😮🎉...❤❤❤🎉
Maybe Mossad can help with that 🤣
Thank you Simon with the rest of the team on the research and detail on a topic as it is important, especially as one who is a victim of such an incident.
Watching this video reminded me how risky it is to lose your smartphone-your accounts could be exposed. To stay secure, set up two-factor authentication (2FA). For the best protection, use a security key with a fingerprint scanner. This way, even if someone has your phone, they’ll also need the key and your fingerprint to get in. It’s an extra step, but it’s worth it! Just in case anybody was wondering how to be more secure
Or just be old-fashioned and don't use the phone for things that can easily also be done at home. Do you *really* need to be able to access your bank account on the phone? Also, 2FA doesn't do anything if people don't log out, and who logs out of social media on their phone?
Do you people just walk around with a phone that doesn't have a fingerprint login? Almost every phone today can detect when it's been snatched and lock the screen, requiring a fingerprint.
@@rubiconnn I bought my phone in 2017, so... probably?
@@juliajs1752Of course? In fact banks recommend you have access to your account at all times so that you can catch fraud as soon as it occurs. Could you imagine having your wallet stolen and then being like “I guess I’ll contact the bank when I get home 6 hours from now.”
I had my brand new S6 taken right out of my hand in Paris in July, 2015. Since that day, my phone is rarely visible when in crowded areas.
Was just thinking this morning, it's been far too long since an into the shadows video, is Simon sick or something? I get worried about the world when Whistler co. even slow down with relentlessly releasing videos 😂
Thank you for raising awareness.
A lot of it is country and society. Went to South Korea Sept 2024. My phone fell out of my purse. I spent total hours looking for it. Was about to give up. Had my brother (in Canada, cuz “find my iPhone” isn’t available in South Korea) play the sound as a last ditch effort and found it leaning up against the lamp pole at the edge of the intersection. Someone put it out of the way so it didn’t get stepped on. Never been SO thankful I was in a country of low crime. Why? CCTV is everywhere. Lots of crime is much lower than in western nations. Plus the respect of the people in Korean society helps. If I was in the states (for sure!) or (maybe) at home in Canada, that phone would have been GONE!!
Good story, but, I am in US and there are numerous instances of people all over being returned lost items all through the land. So I try to say there is still plenty of good in the Americas as well as other busy places. Just do not want to generalize too much.🎉
Mostly in the blue states it would be stolen.
Funny you say that because I live in the states and just found an iPhone at a self checkout at the grocery store. Gave it to the clerk right away
Saw a woman rush back in as I was walking out. Told her if she lost something it's at the customer service desk
Nit everyone is a shit person, even if the people you surround yourself with give you that idea
@ I’m not saying EVERY American is a horrible person. That’s a blanket statement that can’t apply to everyone. (Now, the only blanket statement that can apply to all Americans is; if you voted for trump, you’re an idiot! Lol!)
But it is a numbers game. Lost your phone in Times Square, probably gone. Some small city, might be fine. If you’re comparing the busy street I was at in Korea vs a similarly busy street in America … my phone would have been gone!! (Also, the phone you found wasn’t missing for 2 hours).
A friend of mine owns a company that services and repairs ATMs. He told me that a tiny component usually found in iPhones can be inserted in the ATM and reconfigured to read bank cards´ data. He says that´s the main market for stolen cellphones, especially the high end ones.
A sim card? If not what?
Intresting
@@RichardBaran No, something like an RFID reader, but really small.
The NFC chip?
As someone who has never bought a currently new phone, I wonder if thieves can tell at first sight which phones are new and worth more or not
Most thieves knows
My God, I’m glad I still use my 17 year old flip phone.
be aware of your surroundings, this isn't fairy land where you're surrounded by peace and good people... you are surrounded by humans...
Except for Japan, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia,...🤭
Once when I was in Paris we got in a bus and an old guy was standing there waiting for the doors to close, another guy walked in and started brushing the cuffs of the old guys pants off saying something in French I can’t recall while another guy came up behind the old man and snatched his wallet then jumped out of the bus and tossed the wallet to another guy and all 3 ran it all took literally 2-3 seconds . I mean it was lighting fast as soon as the old guy looked down at the guy brush his pants boom gone, the old man realized shortly after but as soon as he realized the doors closed and we were moving, all he could do was stand there and say “may wallet, they got my wallet” a couple times ….
When I'm on the Metro I watch fellow passengers out the corner of my 👀 eyes. Trust no one. Phone out of sight.
Yet another Simon channel! I have videos to watch for decades! XD
Not to victim blame, but nobody pays attention to their surroundings. We walk down the street holding $1000 out in the open, practically begging to be robbed.
Wallet, phone, keys. Always be aware of all 3 in your pocket.
I’d love a video detailing some of today’s most prevalent scams.
"Economic inequality" is the worse excuse for crime.
It's really no. You enjoy your bubble of wealth...
@@RichardBaranglad to see you get it. I've been living paycheck to paycheck for more than a decade now. If I can get ahead: it's not through legal means, I know. I've tried & am trying. So I get why some are tempted through desperation to make ends meet "by any means necessary."
I have a 7/11 flip phone. I put $100 on it once a year and never give out my phone number. plus I didn't install voicemail.
Then how are you able to comment on the channel? Use your PC or Laptop do you?
@@Hillbilly001 Is using a PC so strange?
@@fantabuloussnuffaluffagus A little like overkill especially when a PC has many more uses other than watching YT videos.
When traveling, using a cheap burner phone that can be reloaded when needed is the smartest way. …Except if you need your phone for business.
Make sure you have Find my phone turned on. This way you can wipe your phone remotely if needed.
You make the "hackers" who bypass the security seem way more impresive than they are, most are just idiots with access to youtube or similar sites
It wouldn't do a thief any good to steal mine. It's 5 years old & I don't keep ANYTHING of "value" on it. No credit cards, bank cards, or anything. The few passwords that I keep on there are encrypted & my email accounts don't have anything on there except normal non-professional mail - like mail between my daughters/wife & myself or buddies.
Absolutely! Same with mine only do banking and other personal things on my computer😊😅 So many people put themselves out there with their data and although it might be convenient thieves now have all the information they need to totally screw you!!!!!😢🥺😔😢
My neighbour across my street stole my phone once; I didn't know what was happening until weird photos showed up in my google account a few months later. Still don't trust that guy.
I can that you're training, Simon.
Looking good dude.. your PT is doing a good job.
Because of this video I am starting to be more conscious and careful about my phone when in public. Phone theft is thankfully not as common here in Singapore as it is elsewhere (probably because of the relatively severe punishments for such crimes along with the rather-pervasive police surveillance camera network here), but it’s still a good idea to err on the safe side.
This is why I am glad I never got addicted to my phone.
Don't walk around with your phone in your hand, problem solved!
Bag snatchers
Pickpockets
Muggers
Hacked Wi-Fi sites
Online hackers
Problem not solved
Ever hear of a pickpocket?
I think you mean in your hand, in your pocket, in your purse, bag, satchel, briefcase...
Are you saying that you should not answer your phone or make a call in public?
@@thehun1234 I would suggest that it is a bad idea to walk down the street focusing on the screen, not paying attention to what's going on around you, and then, surprised Pikachu face, some snatch and run team has your phone.
If you need to reply to a text, move to a safe spot where you can safely pull out your phone, answer the text, put it away, and continue on your way.
If you need to take a call, use a wireless earbud or step off the street.
Doom scrolling tik tok while walking through a city is as clever as going for a walk on a firing range.
One day My phone was stolen while I was traveling to a minibus in Mogadisho Somalia, I still remember can't forget kkkk
Sounds about right for Somalians
i have to go to Johannesburg soon. the timing of this video could not have been any better lol.
Simon Sensei, be honest.
Somehow, someway, you were able to trace your lost Samsung smartphone at Computer Village. 😂😂😂
My younger brother, walking home from school decided to pop into a convenience store near his school and home, some guy called him to his car and said my car doesn't lock and I need to withdraw money from the ATM, I'll pay you. Dude heard that and was eager to help, the dude then said what if you leave with my money, as a guarantee leave your phone with me,e and when you get back I'll hand you your phone and reward you for the favor. Dude gave him the phone, and he went to the ATM, the pin was incorrect and when he returned to the parking spot the guy was gone and that's where he realized his phone was gone.
This creators phone just got stolen. He pissed.
yup
I watch a lot of Simon’s videos and he did mention his wife’s phone was stolen awhile back, except they actually caught the dude.
@nicholaslewis8594 mandom still angry as f
Whenever I hear the use of the word pickpocket all I think about is Oliver twist and that incredible song just to pick a pocket or two
Joke's on them my phone sucks 😂
I think this trade will die at some point. When phone tech/Manufacturing reaches a point were its so cheap to get a smartphone it will only be super high end phones worth stealing. Depending on how tech changes it might be diminishing returns that will stop most criminals. You can get a smart phone for $100-$300, which is a lot for the 3rd world but many tech people are working towards cheap smart phones for all. When I was a kid stealing phones was very common (Like Nokia 3310s) But it died once phones were harder to crack and every bugger had a cheap phone. Then it bloomed agian when tech was made to re-set phones and the prices went up. Maybe you will be able to remotly brick a phone in the future as well.
Not just the value of the phone that is the problem.
The information on it is what will bite the victim in the butt.
Only solution is not to have one or stay aware in public, which is what phone zombies need to do in the first place.
Bricking a phone?
Really glad to see more about Rojava!
Cherán, Mexico next ☮️ Ⓐ
I've always said that people who are staring at their phones while having them on show are easy targets
Into the Shadows road to 1 million subs!
Living in Dubai, leaving your phone at the bar or on a table when you go to the bathroom signifies that the seat is occupied and makes sure no one sits there while you are away…
To anyone that sells a broken smartphone. It's extremely important to change your passwords stored on the device because they only have to connect it to a computer to have all of your debit and billing information. Even without repairing the device.
This video felt like it just kepted repeating itself. I even checked to see if I had restarted or something.
Any thoughts on free weights being easier on joints as you are free to choose the movement path that suits you best compared to machines that dictate the movement path?
Did Alex Jones write this episode? I'm surprised I wasn't offered a supplement to save me from phone theft.
Jokes on them! This is why I use a $60 trash phone from Wal-Mart. This thing freaking sucks 😂😂😂
Are you wearing a Rolex Day Date? Very classy!
High stakes, low risk, almost zero punishment when caught. Enough said.
I worked for a phone company and heard several reports of mobile phone theft. Almost every time the people thought we could track the phone. Sorry but the phone company can’t track your phone. GPS tags or find my device apps are better for phone tracking if you’re worried. Phone companies aren’t immune to stolen phone trafficking. True story, the company once sent a stolen phone to a client as a replacement for a damaged phone. Attempting to activate the phone triggered a stolen device alert in the system.
Why does the culprit have to be speeding away on a motorcycle? It could be some clown on a unicycle.
The average smartphone is not costing upwards of a $1000.
I’ve been to this legos many times a small block for one a eurocity for others where small black boxes are low risk high commodity. Stolen phones stolen by criminals (legos)loaded with stolen sim cards
I had my phone stolen about 10 years ago, maybe a bit more, while I was on my way to my friends place.
I lost a whole bunch of things on that SIM (I am in the UK for context) and I am on a Contract.
What I did was called up my provider (what is now EE, I think it was Orange back then) and had the SIM and phone locked.
The next day I went into a shop and had both replaced.
Personally, if I have to help someone (and I will), what I will do is say I will do it, but I will keep a grip on my phone and enter the number myself if they want to make a call.
Had my phone stolen a few weeks ago. This was interesting.
I don't keep any of my financial information on my phone. Bank, stocks, etc. Oh, wait, I just realized that I have Cash App to use to donate at my AA meetings. I guess a thief only has to enter his information as a recipient.
Watching this has made all of us more vigilant. 😳
This is why phones don't just need a remote factory reset, but a remote detonation.
Not a big one, just enough to remove a thief's fingers...
Ok Israel. You & your "most moral army" certainly have some really... unique ideas as to what's morally acceptable.
Globally on average people spent around two hundred and eighty five dollars The higher end models are over a thousand but that's not the average
Happy Good New Year from Switzerland fellows🥳
Whoever’s writing these should do a video on the “brothers home” in Korea
Is it really a significant issue in non-touristy parts of first world countries? I don't think I've heard of a single phone stolen in my social circle in years, unlike early 2000's, when it was a frequent occurrence. It seems to be strongly concentrated in tourist spots and music festivals these days.
Also, I'd love to know what criminals actually do to access stolen phones - to my best knowledge fully updated iPhone is impossible to crack without state-level hacking tools, and they are not useful as parts either as most of valuable components are encoded with cryptographic measures to work only in one specific phone.
Android at least can be made to factory reset itself easily with only the power and volume buttons -- I imagine iPhones have a similar recovery mode that can wipe the prior owner's account and make it a usable phone, ready to be resold
@@hyper_lynx I don't think they do. Even if you somehow manage to reset iPhone to factory settings you will have to activate it again, which you won't be able to do when it's registered to owner's iCloud account.
@@hyper_lynx iPhone equires users icloud password (not stored on phone) to be reset. Attempts will lock the phone and block any further reset. Pain in the arse if you forget your password. They added something (not tried it myself) where if the phone disappears outside of a usual area quickly it's locked.
Iphone still pings tracking data when powered off if needed.
plus people should know hitting/holding teh power button can trigger this kind of lock as well as messaging/calling services. If it's in your pocket do that before handing over.
Sadly if you live in London EVERYWHERE s a touristy part.
Anyone else waiting for the tangent where Simon tells about his wife's phone getting stolen, found and her being put in front of a line up? 🔥💗
Yes, I know this channel doesn’t have as many tangents, but it would have worked perfectly here.
When i went to London and Paris, i took a very old , but still functional phone with me. I also bought a prepaid sim card in London use during my trip. But, i still had my phone in the middle of my bag, which had a cross body strap.
One time one of my phones was stolen in NYC. I called my missing phone to know where it was and some lady answered and claimed she bought my phone from someone else. The lady had the nerve to demand money for my missing cell. So I told myself "fuck it" and bought myself a new burner phone. I really wasn't missing that phone anyway.
You could have told her you will meet her somewhere and set up a sting with cops, then she would have handed it over for free in order to avoid theft charges..
Once you report it missing, the IMEI gets blacklisted. Whoever bought it then no longer has a functioning phone, and they wasted their money. However, if they file a report with eBay or whoever sold it to them, they'll be refunded. If they bought it off a random dude, then they're an idiot and deserves to both look gullible AND live with the knowledge that they could have done a good deed by helping YOU out but chose not to.
In some countries, buying a stolen thing is also illegal. I don't know, how it is in the US though.
Who loses all of their photos and contacts when they lose their phone? Doesn't everyone just have them backed up to Google or iCloud?
Wow, an actual 'Into the Shadows' I was able to watch. Well, I guess stomach is a better word maybe.
I really liked this topic its unique to UA-cam
Killroy was here.
I doubt that they can run faster than 1200 fps.
Say what you will about the few people that still rock a flip phone, nobody is going to be stealing it from them.
Take it up a notch and study on the “middle company” between the carrier and Apple.
Mobile Iron
One wrong keystroke and click, your phone will be completely cloned to some other phone like magic. Glad I left IT as it’s not my problem anymore…
Bluetooth. Smart watch. I rarely take my phone out in public and NEVER carry it in my hand.
Simon has 20 channels I swear
this is why I own a shitty, smashed up, phone
never use public wifi
Without a vpn
A sad state of affairs as humanity always finds a new low in self degradation. We need real societal reformation from the bottom upwards. People are valuable and these phones are materialistic garbage that possesses only subjective value to the individual. Oh how we have lost our way when we allow the creation to become more valuable than the creator.
Smartphone theft seems like a pretty tamed topic for an "into the shadows" video. 😑
What's next? Not respecting the speed limit 😅
I never use my phone for any financial purposes. No credit card or banking on it.
How dare you say that criminals are using stolen property to commit crimes. There are laws stopping them!!
Didn't know a "black market network" is walking down to my nearest town, finding a Slim Shady, and buying some cheap ahh phones
My friend got her brand new phone stolen last week in London now she has to pay it off for the next two years
They end up in the electronics markets in Shenzhen
3:02 I expected a Spanish Inquisition joke.
This is why in public i hold my phone very tightly
You will instinctively let go when that fist makes contact with your face.
I think I escaped from having my phone stolen via the way of someone asking to make a call as when I gave them my phone they saw it was old and smashed up so probably thought it either wasn’t worth it or had enough sympathy to know I wouldn’t be able to afford to get another lol. It was only afterwards I was like yeah I definitely shouldn’t have done that.
That thing I never learned to rely on so it stays in my car. I never liked phones even as a kid before they were mobile. The idea of a device that routinely grabs a person's attention from what is happening around them to redirect it to something remote never appealed to me. It's only gotten worse with people trying to use them while driving and people who only use speaker mode, sometimes blasting videos in a public restroom.
I’ve had my car broken into too many times to leave ANYTHING in my car. One time I came out to go to work & my whole CAR was gone. And I live in a relatively nice area in the suburbs
I experienced someone playing tiktok videos on the cubicle next to me with their speaker a couple weeks ago. Never did I think I would side eye a cubicle next to me, but there I was. Like headphones and earphones are sold en masse. Why not use them? I don't get it
@@FatcatandFriends LOL I don't even lock my car. I couldn't care less if something went missing unless it was part of the car they stole.
Video starts at 05:25
8:07 I have never seen any kind of description on any product that ever said must sell quickly. Craigslist Maybe I don't know I don't stop there.
Well, I usually just sell them.
One thousand bucks! My phone cost 200 bucks and still has a good camera.
I leave my phone at home. Phones suck
So that's what the middleschoolers did with my phone back in 2008