Mugged victim outsmart robbers thanks to the iPhone

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Here’s a story for the bad guys. When robbing an innoncent pedestrian, don’t take the iPhone. It is a tool for the victim to track the robbers via GPS and MobileMe.

A Pittsburg man was robbed by two men around 1 AM at a street intersection. One of the robbers flashed what appeared to be a hand gun. The victim handed over his credit cards, PIN numbers, wallet, and his iPhone. After the robbers ran away, the victim called the police, cancelled his credit cards, and tracked the robbers via MobileMe’s find my iPhone service.

MobilMe tracked his iPhone to a Walmart, where the robbers used his stolen card to purchase items. The robbery suspects were then detained at a gas station by the police, where they are charged with access device fraud, conspiracy, receiving stolen property, possessing instruments of crime, and robbery.

This is a good example of how technology trumps criminals dead in their tracks. It will make criminals think twice again about robbing or stealing your cell phone. Hopefully, one day, all GPS enabled cell phones can be protected this way to enable law enforcements to better track down criminals.

The victim also chose the smart way of catching criminals, enlisting the police to help him get his stuff back. Remember, don’t go after those crooks yourself. It’s dangerous to go after criminals with deadly weapons. Hire the professional crime fighters for free, already paid for by your tax dollars.

Via TUAW via The Pittsburg Post Gazzette