iPhones turn into blaring sirens after being stolen from stores in LA

Instead of new iPhones, thieves get blaring sirens.

Several retailers, such as Apple, T-Mobile, and Adidas, had their stores robbed during protests in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, this led to at least three arrests for suspicion of theft, with one being taken at the scene and two more detained for robbery.

The reason behind thieves getting caught was Apple’s intricate in-store security.

Apple’s stores are equipped with a special anti-theft technology that turns products into unusable devices once they leave the store premises. For example, once an iPhone leaves the store and is no longer connected to the store’s WiFi, it’s instantly disabled.

It’s been reported that all that thieves were left with were smartphones displaying a message: "Please return to Apple Tower Theatre. This device has been disabled and is being tracked. Local authorities will be alerted,” shares Techspot.

In addition to the message, the device also blares an alarm and gives a warning, so it can’t be activated or resold.

It’s not the first time Apple has used the system to protect its products. In 2020, the company took the same measures during nationwide unrest after George Floyd's death.

This protection system relies on location tracking and network monitoring. Once the device is no longer in the store, it is locked remotely, and its location is tracked, with authorities being notified about the theft.

While it might seem that thieves no longer care about smartphones because they are easily tracked, that’s not the truth. The rising thefts led California to call for stricter penalties. Proposition 36 allows prosecutors to file felony charges for repeat offenders despite the value of the goods stolen and imposes stricter punishments for organized group thefts.

Those who use states of emergency to commit the crime will face even harsher penalties in Southern California.

In Southern California, district attorneys are discussing imposing even harsher penalties for those who use states of emergency to commit crimes. It’s been proposed that such individuals would be charged with a felony offense and would get longer prison time.

The aim of such a change is to discourage criminals from using such a crisis to their advantage.