The U.S. Department of Justice has cracked down on an international crime ring that was responsible for the theft of expensive electronics like the iPhone, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The international network consisted of thirteen bad actors that conspired to steal FedEx shipments of iPhones from buyers’ porches. The gang used automated scripts to scrape from FedEx tracking systems, while also bribing employees from AT&T, who took bribes to share confidential customer information from a company order tracking system.
While some members of the criminal network gathered and sold the information, other members, called runners, purchased the shipping info and stole the iPhones from customers’ doorsteps mere minutes after they were delivered.
Three of the bad guys received a steady stream of stolen devices at a location in the Bronx neighborhood of New York. Meanwhile, another baddie receiving bulk deliveries of stolen devices from around the United States at a Brooklyn location.
Two of the runners tried to send a package at a local FedEx store, claiming there were baby clothes inside. However, when FedEx security agents inspected the package, they found stolen iPhones and confiscate them. The package was sent ahead to its destination, where another bad guy had the nerve to complain to FedEx customer service that his iPhones had been stolen.
Both FedEx and AT&T cooperated with law enforcement officials to locate all of the criminals involved.
Everyone who participated in the criminal enterprise have been charged, and some of them will face up to 20 years in the big house.
