Apple Store Robbed Off 26 Products Worth $27,000 In a Few Seconds in California

If Apple is following their own recommended best practices for device management, they'll also be enrolled in DEP and will just automatically deploy whatever MDM tool Apple uses as soon as they touch the Internet again. The MDM tool can then be used to locate and wipe the devices in an endless loop.

But I see them grabbing laptops. Those can be rooted and setup again. Right?

The phones will be sold to a chop shop, which will take them apart and sell the parts, just as cars have long been to avoid getting caught.

In the 3 months since my phone was stolen, it never once connected to the Internet, preventing Find My iPhone from registering its existence ("Sound and Lost Mode Pending" until phone connects to Internet). That's how I know it was stolen by a pro network, working the busy Manhattan photocopy stores, swiping phones off counters when people like me are pre-occupied. The clerks at the store confirmed that this was a known (by them and the NYPD) and growing activity.

locked, but working parts only iphone 10 is still >$600.

did you miss a zero somewhere? iphone 10 screen alone is 5 times your number

They're almost certainly provisioned with DEP, which fully automates installation of MDM tools even when the devices are wiped. As soon as the device reconnects to the Internet, it will phone home, load whatever MDM solution Apple almost certainly uses on their demo products, and will likely either wipe itself again or lock the device. The LTE-enabled devices will almost certainly have their IMEIs blacklisted by US carriers as well.

Assuming Apple is following best practices for MDM on iOS and Mac OS, these devices are pretty much useless for anything but parts (and even then: the logic boards are still useless).

Get shot for a few laptops that aren't yours anyway? No can do. Not to mention that the official policy in all robberies is to let the thieves take anything they want, so any employee that tries to do something will be fired anyway.

Sounds like a good way to put oneself in harms way for no good reason. Isn't this what insurance is for?

One guy near the exit did and he got plowed over.

For $27k? Of goods that doesn't even belong to a natural person? That's nuts.

If you watched the video or read the article you see a man trying to block them from running and getting knocked over.

I would disagree. You're definitely risking violence because these people have a high need to escape. And the price of goods at stake? $27,000.

it's going to need to be a lot more than $27,000 worth of stuff that doesn't even belong to me on the line before I'll risk bodily harm for it

That is how you get stabbed/shot. There is a reason most police departments advise to give up property and not confront robbers

No. You don't get involved in a robbery. Things could go real bad real fast. The robbers (kids) are full of adrenaline and are scared. Backed into a corner taking - out a knife is just a second away. Companies pay insurance for a reason.

I'd not do it even if it was my $27k. First, these items are property of Apple. They are worth less than $27k as far as what cost them. Second, Apple can take $27k pretty easily. Third, they might have insurance. Fourth, Police might catch them and return the goods. Fifth, the goods might be damaged anyway for Apple standards.

There is literally 0 reasons to stop this crime unless you are law enforcement. You are not in Abidjan but the US. There is sufficient law to resolve matters.

What if they are armed? I'm not sure if it's recommended to play a hero.

Apple’s market cap exceeds the GDP of the bottom 171 countries in the world and you can bet their retail insurance policy dictates that employees take no action if the threat of violence is present. The average cost to treat a gunshot wound in the US is $154k.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9183471/

Absolutely disagree. There were innocent bystanders that would have been put in jeopardy. Let them leave, it's just stuff. (and as other posters have mentioned, there are better ways of dealing with this - bricking the items, etc)

From TFA:

> One customer right outside the entrance tried preventing the men from making a dash but fell down.

Many stores will fire their own employees for trying to physically stop shoplifters [1]. If it's not worth their while to protect their own merchandise, why would I put myself at risk for it?

[1] https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/labor-employment-law/huma...

Anon hero making $12 an hour so AAPL can have higher earnings? Nah, thanks, I'll pass. Not to mention that most likely you'll get fired. Apple, Walmart, Chase and all, would rather take the loss than pay $1000 an hour lawyers and potentially a multi-million judgment (Like it or not, you can't kill or hurt the thief for example).

Never interfere unless you’re convinced that your life is in danger. Any police officer will tell you the same. Money can be replaced, and insured... your life is not.

To everyone that replied to my comment, you are absolutely right and I thing I judged too quickly this kind of situation. It should be left to the authorities as those guys can be armed or pose a threat to anyone. I dont think it is the same in Europe, you never see armed robberies.