As demand for smartphones continues to increase, mobile-related crime has risen with it. In the US, not only are smartphones a prime target for thieves looking to make a quick buck, organized crime gangs are paying large sums of money to ship devices outside the country. The Huffington Post takes a look at the massive global market for smartphones, detailing the operation of a US company that accepted so many stolen iPhones and iPads (to ship overseas) it needed an armored truck to deliver the stacks of cash it used to pay for them all. While there are strict processes in place to restrict the trading of stolen smartphones in the US and neighboring regions, carriers lack arrangements with other countries, which allows international smartphone trafficking to thrive. It explains why some stolen handsets are often traced to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where smartphone prices can be up to ten times higher than in western markets.
What happens to your smartphone after it’s stolen?
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