The “I-Phone Effect”: Why You Should Put Your Phone Away on the Metro
December 27th 2011 Posted at Supplements
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Parisian police are having a tough time dealing with a new wave of crime: aggravated robberies induced by the attractiveness of the latest smartphones. Coined the “I-Phone Effect,” robbers are specifically targeting travelers on Paris’ Mtro and assaulting them for their smartphones. Many users are unaware and oblivious to their surroundings while commuting, making it even easier for fraudsters to catch passengers off guard and rob them. Adding insult to injury, many smartphone victims must now worry about the dissemination of their personal information since it is common to store personal financial information on cellular phones.The Apple I-Phone is the most common target. The I-Phone can garner up to $400 on the street, especially if it is an upgraded version. Thieves cleverly proclaim they’re “going to pick Apples” and strategically target those with the Apple cell phone. Par benefits of pomegranate isian police report theft without violence is up 10% on the Mtro. Paris police chief Michel Gaudin reports: “almost one of every two thefts on public transport now concerns a mobile telephone, while ?classic’ wallet or purse thefts represent only 33 percent of incidents.” The Ministry elaborated on the statistics by reporting: “2,813 objects reported stolen on Paris regional transit, 1,395 were cellphones, nearly 50 percent of the total, and of those, 64 percent were smartphones. The latest two models of theApple iPhone made up nearly 28 percent of all stolen phones.”The best way to protect yourself from theft is to recognize the thieves’ strategies and to always be aware:- Thieves tend to snatch phones in transition periods while doors are opening and closing. Working in groups, they will target a victim, quickly snatch the phone and pass it off down a long chain of criminals.