An Apple Watch is a clue in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, a Senate committee has Anthony Fauci's iPhone, and a man is accused of using a fake Instacart order to steal iPads, all in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.
Men tried using stolen credit cards at Miami-area Apple Store
Police in South Miami are looking for a pair of men who they say stole a wallet from an unlocked vehicle, and later attempted to use credit cards from that wallet at the Apple Store at Dadeland Mall, as well as a liquor store.
According to CBS Miami, police say the two men unsuccessfully tried to use the cards to buy "$2,500 worth of items at the Apple Store," although a second purchase for $1,285 did go through.
One of the suspects was described as "a heavy-set man in his 50s or 60s, wearing a baseball cap."
White Apple Watch is a clue in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance
Among the details in one of the ransom notes purportedly sent by the kidnappers of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was the presence in her bedroom of a white Apple Watch.
In a Wall Street Journal story about what are seen as police blunders throughout the Guthrie case, the alleged ransom note was sent shortly after Guthrie's disappearance in February, and included details that "only a kidnapper would likely know." This included a White Apple Watch in Guthrie's bedroom.
The ransom note was sent to a TV station's tipline in Tucson. The station shared the note with police but did not report its contents. Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown, and the case remains unsolved.
Senate committee obtains Dr. Anthony Fauci's iPhone
The Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has obtained a copy of the iPhone used by Dr. Anthony Fauci during his tenure leading the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the copy of the device was transferred to the Senate committee by the Department of Health and Human Services. It was a government-issued iPhone, which was handed back to DHS when Fauci retired from government service in 2022.
A few days later, after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during Congressional testimony, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress, and to refer a potential criminal case to the Department of Justice.
Man accused of using fake Instacart order to steal iPads
A Detroit man was arrested in Burnsville, Minn., on charges that he used a bogus Instacart order to steal $5,300 worth of iPads from a Target store
According to Limitless News, the incident took place on July 4. The man showed an employee what he said was an Instacart order on his phone, claiming he was there to pick up four iPads.
The man then went to the electronics section, picked up the iPads, and "placed his phone face-down on one of the register scanners" before exiting. However, investigators determined "no transaction occurred" when he placed the phone on the scanner.
The man was also found to have three pending cases elsewhere in Minnesota for executing a similar scam.
Teens arrested for Omaha iPad thefts
In other news involving iPad thefts from Midwestern Target locations, three teenagers from Omaha are accused of stealing multiple iPads from a Target store in Omaha.
KLIN reports the four teenagers were in the store with backpacks, and when police arrived, they ran out of the front of the store, ditching the backpacks there. Three were caught, while the fourth escaped.
The teenagers are accused of taking 17 iPads, with a total value of $14,000. They are also accused of exchanging counterfeit currency at two local stores and stealing from a Nike store that day.
One of the suspects, an 18-year-old, was charged with felony shoplifting, first-degree forgery, and obstructing a peace officer, while two others arrested are 16 and 17 and were taken to the Youth Services Center.
AirTag on stolen car leads to uncovering of VIN-swapping scheme in Philadelphia
It's not uncommon for someone whose car was stolen to use an AirTag to locate it. But when a Philadelphia woman did that with her Honda Accord, police didn't believe the car was really hers.
According to WPVI, the car that was discovered in New Jersey didn't match her description. That's because it was part of a VIN-swapping scheme, in which the thieves altered its VIN number and license plate.
Thieves, Philadelphia Police Major Crimes Auto Squad Captain Robert McKeever told the TV station, "often replace the public VIN plate on the windshield, obtain a fake title, and sell the car."
Two arrested after stealing iPhone, crashing into truck
Two men in Laredo, Tex., were arrested at the end of July after allegedly stealing an iPhone from a party, after which one of them crashed into a pickup truck.
LMT Online explains the complainant was hosting a small gathering and noticed unfamiliar people at the home. After they were asked to leave, another guest noticed their iPhone was missing from a counter.
A "loud bang" was then heard, which was the sound of one of the accused thieves crashing a Chevrolet Silverado into a Ford F-150.
Officers later traced the iPhone to another residence, where it was found in the bed of the Silverado.
Both suspects were charged with theft of property between $750 and $2,500, while one of them was also charged with duty on striking an unattended vehicle.
Iowa man charged with AirTag stalking
A man from Carroll, Iowa, has been charged with stalking after he allegedly placed an AirTag on the car of a woman who had obtained a no-contact order against him.
According to KCIM, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said it was investigating the man when they moved the AirTag to a trash barrel to see whether he tried to move it. When he was caught on surveillance video doing so, he was stopped by law enforcement and admitted to placing the AirTag on the woman's car.
He was charged with stalking, a Class C Felony, and for violating a no-contact order.
Stolen car tracked down with Find My iPhone
A man's car was stolen in Nashville in late July, but because his iPhone was left behind in the vehicle, police were able to track the car and recover it.
WKRN, which cited court documents, reported that police made three unsuccessful attempts to stop the vehicle before a helicopter began surveilling it.
The car was tracked to a mall parking lot, where the alleged perpetrator, a 34-year-old man, was caught and arrested. He was carrying a bag, which contained "a loaded firearm, about four grams of marijuana, a used crack pipe containing suspected crack cocaine, and a baton equipped with a window breaker."
The man also admitted that he was "so high that he needs some air."
He was charged with five felonies — one count of vehicle theft, three counts of evading arrest, and one count of felon in possession of a handgun — and six misdemeanors.
Content creator in Philippines says iPhone was stolen during a date
The Filipino content creator Philip Doria, known as "Fifi," warned his followers in late May to be careful when using dating apps, after someone he met on Tinder stole his iPhone 17 Pro.
According to the media outlet Interaksyon, the date claimed to be a student-athlete from De La Salle University and picked him up on a motorcycle.
When they were on their way to a coffee shop, Doria said, the date asked him to open a navigation app. The device was repeatedly locked, which Doria believes may have been a tactic to help the thief memorize the password.
When they stopped for gas and Doria got off the motorcycle, the duplicitous date sped away with the phone.
@fifiontheset Alam kong marami ang magja-judge sa akin after posting this. Trust me, I've already judged myself enough. Pero ang dahilan kung bakit ko ito shineshare ay para mag-raise ng awareness sa mga katulad kong nakikipag-meet sa mga taong nakikilala online. Akala natin minsan hindi tayo mabibiktima ng mga ganitong bagay, hanggang sa mangyari na sa atin. If sharing this experience can help even one person avoid the same mistake, then it's worth telling. Please be careful out there. #datingapp #awareness #onlinedating original sound - fifiontheset
It was later determined that the same man had pulled off a similar scam many times before.
