Numerous iPhones taken from various locations, including London and Los Angeles, find their way to one specific building in Shenzhen, China, where they are either sold or dismantled for parts.
One individual, whose iPhone 15 Pro was forcefully taken from him, managed to trace his device’s 6,000-mile trek to what many locals refer to as “the stolen iPhone building” in Shenzhen.
The Feiyang Times building has a reputation for offering iPhone repairs and upgrades, but a report by the Financial Times highlights that it is also a well-known hub for the trade of stolen phones.
The fourth floor of this building specializes in selling used iPhones from Europe and the US.
While many of the devices sold here are indeed legitimate returns from customers upgrading their phones, the location has gained notoriety on Apple community forums and social media as China’s “stolen iPhone building.”
Few outlets tend to buy locked phones, but this building has a consistent demand, explaining why so many stolen devices are funneled there.
The article mentions an instance where a robbery victim utilized Apple’s Find My feature to monitor the journey of his phone from the streets of London to the Feiyang Times building.
Sam Amrani had his iPhone snatched away by two thieves on electric bikes, a method they favor as it allows a quick getaway after grabbing phones off the street. Remarkably, he was able to trace its long journey across thousands of miles:
While unlocked iPhones fetch higher prices, the report indicates that even locked models can generate buyers for nearly any spare part. Sellers within the building often claim ignorance regarding how these phones arrived.
Attempted Blackmail via iMessage
Your old iPhone is recycled by us; think of us as recycling merchants. We don’t steal your phone, but if you don’t unlock it, your old phone’s motherboard could be sold to someone else who may misuse your data or contact your family. So, it’s best to remove it promptly for us to restore factory settings and erase your data.
This is, of course, a threat with no basis—there’s no way to extract personal information from a locked device. However, it sounds intimidating enough to potentially mislead those less tech-savvy.
9to5Mac’s Perspective
Thanks to Apple’s security features like the Find My app and Activation Lock, the market for stolen iPhones has markedly diminished. Yet, this article shows that completely eradicating the demand remains a challenge.
It’s crucial to utilize a strong passcode along with the Stolen Device Protection settings to safeguard against losing something far more valuable than your iPhone—your personal information.
