Phone thefts in the UK have surged 425% since June 2021, with 39% of all thefts in Europe occurring there, despite the UK making up only 10% of SquareTrade’s European customers. London alone accounts for 42% of UK phone thefts, equating to 16% of total European thefts. Stolen phones, particularly iPhones, have a significant street value, with organized gangs increasingly involved in this crime due to profitability and lower risks compared to drug dealing. The police urge phone companies to disable cloud services on stolen devices to deter resale.
Nearly 80,000 phones were stolen in London last year, with iPhones being the most targeted devices, yielding a street value of about 20 million.
Data shows that 39% of phone thefts across Europe occur in the UK, despite the country being only 10% of the company’s European customer base.
The increase in phone thefts, with a rise of 425% since June 2021, reflects a shift among gangs towards robbery due to lower risks compared to drug dealing.
Met police commanders highlight that sentence disparities between theft and drug trafficking crimes incentivize gangs to focus on mobile device thefts.
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