Delivery man in Gurugram steals 10 iPhones, replaces them with fake phones before delivery

By Divya BhatiIn a world where owning an iPhone or other Apple devices is not just about having the latest technology, but also a status symbol, it’s no surprise that they are always in high demand. But with popularity comes vulnerability. iPhones or other Apple gadgets are a prime target for thieves looking to make quick money by selling them in the black market. In a recent case, a delivery man, on his way to deliver 10 iPhones, swapped the real devices for replicas.

According to news reported by PTI, a delivery executive of an e-commerce firm in Gurugram allegedly stole 10 iPhones and replaced them with replicas on the way to deliver them to the customer. A complaint was later filed by Ravi, the station in charge of Matrix Finance Solution, which delivers Amazon’s parcels.

In his complaint, Ravi alleged that on March 27th, a delivery executive named Lalit was given a parcel containing 10 iPhones and an AirPods to deliver to a customer. However, instead of delivering the parcel, Lalit replaced the iPhones with replicas and had his brother Manoj return them to the company, claiming that the customer could not be contacted.

However, after the parcel was received back, the delivery company suspected some tampering with the packaging. To further check, they opened the package and found the fake phones inside.

Later, a case was registered against Lalit under sections 420 (cheating), 408 (criminal breach of trust by employee) of the Indian Penal Code at Bilaspur police station. Police are investigating and trying to arrest the accused who is currently on the run.

In another incident of iPhone theft, thieves in Seattle, US, went the extra mile and stole 436 iPhones worth Rs 4.10 crore ($500,000). They tunnelled their way into an Apple Store through the bathroom wall to access the backroom where the phones were stored.

According to the local news- King 5 News, thieves broke into Seattle Coffee Gear and cut a hole in the bathroom wall to access the backroom of the neighbouring Apple Store. They bypassed the Apple Store’s security system and stole iPhones.

Later, Seattle Coffee Gear had to spend nearly $900 to replace their locks and expected to spend between $600 and $800 on bathroom repairs.

Notably, fake iPhones and thefts are common, but what’s interesting is that thieves usually target banks and jewellery shops for money or valuables. However, with the high retail price of Apple products, like the iPhone 14 starting at $699, these gadgets have become as valuable as gold and are in high demand on the black market.