Thousands of people in major cities like London and New York, whose iPhones have been stolen, track them through an app to see them end up in Shenzhen, China, according to a Financial Times investigation.
The city is a popular destination for stolen iPhones because there are buyers who can resell them outside China for profit, even when the phones are locked, as they can still use apps like the camera and WiFi.
The report provides the example of a London resident, who was typing a message on his phone when two men on electric bikes grabbed it from his hand. He tracked his phone’s journey using the app.
UK authorities say phone theft in London is a £50 million annual industry
Initially, the iPhone changed locations within London, and a week later, it appeared at an address in Hong Kong and then in Shenzhen.
According to the Financial Times, most sellers agree that the majority of phones sold in Shenzhen pass through Hong Kong, where hundreds of wholesale dealers of used devices are located.
People in Shenzhen also frequently send deceptive messages to victims, threatening to remove their phones from the app used to track the phone’s location.
