The theft of mobile phones is still unstoppable. Criminals explore gaps in safety features, while manufacturers choose usability over protection. For those who sell new mobile phones, mobile phone theft is not bad business.
Smartphone theft has reached epidemic proportions in major cities in the world. Last year, it tells, only 80,000 devices theft were recorded in London alone.
Although there is technology that could virtually eliminate the problema conjugation of three factors continues to feed this profitable wave of crimes: a complex network of criminal companies, the priorities of manufacturers and regulatory gaps.
In recent years, The theft of smartphones evolved far beyond the simple street crime, now being the result of sophisticated criminal operations.
When the devices are stolen, they enter what the police describe as a “Crime Carrier”With multiple profit sources.
The simplest route involves reselling mobile phones internationally, often through criminal networks that smuggle phones to the foreigner in mass loads similar to drug trafficking.
More sophisticated schemes involve Remove SIM cards To intercep text messages and Contracting two factors authentication systemsgiving the criminals access to email accounts and online services of the victims.
Os more valuable targets are unlocked phoneswhere thieves can access bank applications, cryptocurrency wallets and social networking accounts to conduct elaborate throlles directed to the victim’s contacts.
London police reports having discovered “boxes and phone boxes” to be exported through criminal smuggling networks. These operations are international reach, and the stolen devices often end up in countries where were not reported as stolenwhich allows them to work normally on local networks.
O human cost extends beyond financial losses. A user whose mobile phone was stolen seconds after leaving a metro station, describes the experience as “traumatizing”. In addition to losing € 300 in fraudulent purchases, he lost irreplaceable photographs of his children who were not stored in cloud storage.
The police admitted that There was no “hypothesis” of recoveryalthough multiple thefts occurred in the same place in one hour.
Technology experts argue that Solutions already existbut they are not being fully implemented.
Each smartphone transports a Unique IMEI ID which can be used to block devices from cell networks, a system already operating in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Portugal. However, the blocked phones can still access the internet through Wi-Fi calls, maintaining a lot of its functionality and criminal value.
Police authorities have long argued that technological companies expand blocking capabilities to cloud serviceswhich would significantly reduce the usefulness of stolen phones. But large manufacturers, including Apple and Google, refused to implement these measuresdespite having the technical ability to do so.
Even existing security features frequently fail in providing proper protection.
Many phones include motion detection systems that block Automatically devices when a sudden movement is detected that is similar to that of the scenario of a theft.
However, these features are usually deactivated by omission, To give priority to convenience of the user to the detriment of security.
The former expert in police digital forensics Jordan Hare believes that manufacturers deliberately choose settings predefined that favor the experience of use over security. “Companies seem reluctant to add friction to the user’s experience,” says Hare.
As Tracking capabilities where many users trust to be able to recover their devices are in widely ineffective practice. When stolen phones are tracked in large apartments or dense urban areas, The police do not have a legal authority to conduct searches No specific warrants, making recovery virtually impossible.
James O’Sullivanthe creator of the application, which helps theft victims, suggests that manufacturers are not incentive to solve the problem – on the contrary. “Stolen phones are a good deal For people who sell new phones, ”he notes, highlighting potential conflict of interest.
The British government recognized the severity of the crisis, and promised to press manufacturers to permanently disable stolen devices. However, without international coordinationcriminals can simply export phones to countries with less rigorous blocking systems.
Apple, the only major manufacturer who responded to a new scientist request for commentary, says he had Significantly invested in anti-the-label measures In the last decade. However, the company refused to explain why many security features remain optional instead of predefined settings.
While manufacturers do not Security priority to the detriment of the convenience of the user, and the governments continue without coordinating international responses, The epidemic will probably continue to grow.
