Scangers Stealing Iphones in Dublin City Centre

Oasis678

Hi Guys Just want to give ye the heads up in case there is anyone that isnt aware of it.
My wife got her iphone robbed this evening on Gardiner Street. While she was talking on it a scanger came up behind her took the phone and ran off.
Annoyingly she saw this happening someone else a few weeks ago except the guy that took it was on a bike.
Probably not a good idea to be on your iphone in the city centre these days.:mad:

skimpydoo

That happened to me before. The best way to stop this is by using your headset and having your phone hidden. I hope she was insured.

Oasis678

She was insured and thankfully was not hurt which is the main thing. Still real annoying though.

bryaner

And I hope you have it IMEI blocked now to stop the dirty rotten ********************************************** from getting any gains, hope the wife is ok..

Oasis678

yeah blocked it straight away shes grand just annoyed at herself for getting caught out when she could have prevented it. she loved that iphone more than she loves me

Blazer

Oasis678 wrote: »

yeah blocked it straight away shes grand just annoyed at herself for getting caught out when she could have prevented it. she loved that iphone more than she loves me

must be the vibrate function

Savman

Any joy with the 'Find my iPhone' tool?

spoonface

Oasis678 wrote: »

Hi Guys Just want to give ye the heads up in case there is anyone that isnt aware of it.
My wife got her iphone robbed this evening on Gardiner Street. While she was talking on it a scanger came up behind her took the phone and ran off.
Annoyingly she saw this happening someone else a few weeks ago except the guy that took it was on a bike.
Probably not a good idea to be on your iphone in the city centre these days.:mad:

We caught a guy lately around Capel st who had grabbed and ran with one of those white iphones. And then a couple of weeks later I saw a guy on a bike cycling along slowly on the pavement behind a girl on her phone who didnt even see what was about to happen. Luckily for her, he changed his mind last minute and she never even knew.

So yeah I totally agree, don't walk down the street with your mobile on your ear or trouble may find you.

I think they're targetting women in particular, from these 3 cases.

fjk49er

My brother had his robbed at one of the Luas stops. He had his earphone in so when they grabbed it, it snagged and he was able to catch the guy with his two hands. The thief was yelling at him to let him go but he said he wouldn't until he got his phone back. My brother is well built so had him caught until an accomplice came up behind him and stabbed in the shoulder from behind. He felt the blood and quickly realised it wasn't worth the risk so released the guy, and they both absconded. Thankfully, he wasn't seriously injured but easily could have been.

Oasis678

thanks for the replies guys

I think you're right blazer
Unfortunately she didnt have the findmyiphone tool. I will put it on her new one when she gets one.
Bad news is insurance wont cover her because she never updated the imei when she got the iphone 4.

fjk49er sorry to hear that, thats terrible what happened your brother.
After hearing that Im relieved that my wife just let the guy go. At the end of the day a phone can be replaced.

Dont know is it just me being paranoid or is the city centre getting a lot rougher these days?

Arciphel

My wife had hers snatched out of her hand at the bus stop on Suffolk Street (opposite Avoca there) and some absolute legend of a guy chased after the guy who stole it and brought it back to her. Kind of strange to have your faith in humanity shaken and then restored again inside 60 seconds... I reckon if the guards put more heat on the shops buying these robbed phones, like they should be doing with all the gold shops, the robberies would probably subside a bit. Incidentally, I walked from O'Connell St to Smithfield this afternoon and the amount of scumbags and hapless junkies I saw floating around was absolutely incredible - but I suppose that's for another thread!

The Mad Hatter

Mine was stolen too, while I was on the commuter train from Maynooth to Dublin. The kid who took it (he couldn't have been more than 15) stood behind me as the train pulled into (surprise, surprise) Broombridge, then when the doors opened he grabbed it and ran.

I'd suggest using hands-free wherever possible and keeping your phone in your pocket, especially in stations and on the street.

spoonface

Arciphel wrote: »

My wife had hers snatched out of her hand at the bus stop on Suffolk Street (opposite Avoca there) and some absolute legend of a guy chased after the guy who stole it and brought it back to her. Kind of strange to have your faith in humanity shaken and then restored again inside 60 seconds... I reckon if the guards put more heat on the shops buying these robbed phones, like they should be doing with all the gold shops, the robberies would probably subside a bit. Incidentally, I walked from O'Connell St to Smithfield this afternoon and the amount of scumbags and hapless junkies I saw floating around was absolutely incredible - but I suppose that's for another thread!

It's just possible I was that guy. It's over 5 years ago now but while coming to Suffolk St I heard a commotion and saw a guy run off and a girl run after him, so I chased the 2 of them and passed her out and eventually caught up with the guy at the old bank on college green ; I didn't even have to say anything to him to get it back, he was knackered out after the chase (I run for sport so it didn't bother me) and just handed it to me and said "Here take it, I'm wrecked". There's a lot of chancers out there and where possible they needed to be challenged so they know they'll end up with a criminal record for stealing.

kaizersoze

I'm not having a go at any of the above posters who had their phones robbed by scumbags. It's a terrible thing to happen but people really need to be more careful and aware when out n about.
I see it everyday. People walking along chatting away on their phones or with headphones in and music blaring, completely oblivious and unaware of who or what is going on around them. They appear to be in a world of their own.

It's a sad state of affairs but we really need to be more careful.

biko

Been going on a while http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/garda-operation-launched-as-dublin-gang-target-iphone-owners-499594.html

The cowards that do this pretty much only target women and then they sell the phone off to phone shops that don't care that they fence stolen goods.
I think they get a couple hundred for each phone and the shop sells it on for +300 or more.

More threads
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056557884
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056228599

They also use ebay/donedeal etc to sell the phones.

Maybe a two pronged attack on these thieves would work, firstly crack down on these shops and secondly have bait phones with small colour bombs on them that you can set off remotely.

Bishop22

Or better still, could the phone be set to take a pic of the scumbags?

To be fair, people do wander around and appear to be in another world when talking on their phones, but thats the nature of it, you are distracted. Theres a lot of disgusting characters out there, more than we could ever imagine. I agree on the gold shops and phone shops, they are fuelling these crimes and that level should be tackled by the authorities. I hear you already... push it underground etc...... but something/all lot of things have to be done.

ryaner777

Something similar happen to a woman at a bus stop across from the drugs clinic at Connolly train station. She was waiting on the bus talking on her phone and a little f**ker no more than 13 came up on a push bike and grabbed her phone.

Went chasing after him and when he realised he just threw the phone into the road and it smashed to bits.

The woman was a foreign national and really upset. I was so embarrassed to be Irish at the time. I grew up in the area and it was horrible to see what the kids in that area are doing with themselves.

JTR

ryaner777 wrote: »

Something similar happen to a woman at a bus stop across from the drugs clinic at Connolly train station. She was waiting on the bus talking on her phone and a little f**ker no more than 13 came up on a push bike and grabbed her phone.

Went chasing after him and when he realised he just threw the phone into the road and it smashed to bits.

The woman was a foreign national and really upset. I was so embarrassed to be Irish at the time. I grew up in the area and it was horrible to see what the kids in that area are doing with themselves.

I use to work in the IFSC, the security guard on our building use to give us a heads up on all the briefs they would get, I remember him saying to me back in like 2010 that they were told by the Garda that on average there were 30 muggings a week between Amiens Street, Talbot Street and Gardner Street.

Two people I worked with had their iPhones robbed from them walking down Talbot street.

A close friend of mine was sitting at a cafe in Temple Bar and two women walked up asking for directions, before she knew it they swiped her bag and her phone and had bolted.
Its terrible to think you cant even walk around Dublin City Centre in safety.

whatsupdoc?

Its terrible to think you cant even walk around Dublin City Centre in safety

Not a new thing, it's been like that for years.
There are parts of town you wouldn't dream of going into in a million years, yet people park their cards within yards of these areas.

antodeco

Bishop22 wrote: »

Or better still, could the phone be set to take a pic of the scumbags?

If the passcode on mine is entered incorrectly it takes a photo from the front camera and emails it to me with GPS location.

Mr. Loverman

antodeco wrote: »

If the passcode on mine is entered incorrectly it takes a photo from the front camera and emails it to me with GPS location.

What app is that?! Sounds cool!

antodeco

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

antodeco wrote: »

If the passcode on mine is entered incorrectly it takes a photo from the front camera and emails it to me with GPS location.

What app is that?! Sounds cool!

Needs to be jail broken! (cause Apple are mongs) CaughtU Pro is the app

Mr. Loverman

antodeco wrote: »

Needs to be jail broken! (cause Apple are mongs) CaughtU Pro is the app

I'm scared to jail break my phone... I'll just continue with my current anti-theft mechanism (fresh turds spread generously over the phone three times a day).

kirving

Or how about a "feature" whereby the phone electronically short circuits itself, ruining the electronics and setting the lithium battery on fire. Could be set only to happen when both camera see black(in a pocket) and the accelerometer judges that the holder is walking.

OR... Have a mini transformer to create a 50,000 volt shock built in.

biko

For women with their handbags this would be useful.
http://www.allsecuritylocks.net/2012/02/iphone-lock-case-iphone-antitheft-case.html

You lock the phone to the handbag with a cord.
Cord looks pretty weak but all you need is for it to temporarily stop the thief and he will drop the phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Hc0s5n3J4

nolitimere

I find this app to be very useful, would recommend having this installed on your iPhone if you haven't already.

In the event of having your phone stolen, you can have it set off an alarm/send a text/lock the phone. As well as turning on the the GPS and/or camera.

Thought it would be worth sharing anyway.

digitaldr

I'm a skanger and even I know skanger is spelt with a k and not a c;)

nightster1

biko wrote: »

For women with their handbags this would be useful.
http://www.allsecuritylocks.net/2012/02/iphone-lock-case-iphone-antitheft-case.html

You lock the phone to the handbag with a cord.
Cord looks pretty weak but all you need is for it to temporarily stop the thief and he will drop the phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Hc0s5n3J4

One way to get your phone and handbag robbed together

bryaner

digitaldr wrote: »

I'm a skanger and even I know skanger is spelt with a k and not a c;)

Where did you rob your computer from so?

G-Money

What exactly does the remote lock do? I saw that's available through iCloud but I don't know if it makes the phone unusable or just add's a pin code to it or something.

guil

G-Money wrote: »

What exactly does the remote lock do? I saw that's available through iCloud but I don't know if it makes the phone unusable or just add's a pin code to it or something.

I think it locks it until you connect it to iTunes or enter your iTunes password. Probably just locks it in the hope you have a pass code set and I'd say if you put it in DFU you could restore it anyway

biko

G-Money wrote: »

What exactly does the remote lock do? I saw that's available through iCloud but I don't know if it makes the phone unusable or just add's a pin code to it or something.

It adds a pass code to your phone so it can't be opened just by swiping the slider.
If phone already has a pass code it just locks the phone.
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2700

jayweld

Oasis678 wrote: »

Hi Guys Just want to give ye the heads up in case there is anyone that isnt aware of it.
My wife got her iphone robbed this evening on Gardiner Street. While she was talking on it a scanger came up behind her took the phone and ran off.
Annoyingly she saw this happening someone else a few weeks ago except the guy that took it was on a bike.
Probably not a good idea to be on your iphone in the city centre these days.:mad:

hi there my friend had her phone robbed the other day around town ,would love to no if this fella is the same one robbing phones, and around how old he is and what he was wearing as my friend said he was only young,would love to here back from the people who had there phones stolen out of there hand thanks