The High-Tech Heist: How a Sophisticated Crime Ring Stole Thousands of iPhones Using Delivery Data and Bribery

A sophisticated crime ring managed to steal thousands of iPhones across the United States through a combination of technological methods and bribery. The group developed software to scrape FedEx tracking numbers and recruited AT&T employees to provide order and delivery details in exchange for bribes. Dispatchers would then direct thieves to specific addresses where packages were to be delivered, and stolen goods were shipped abroad and sold. The crime ring involved international participants, with some members not yet apprehended by authorities. Law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and Dominican Republic prosecutors, collaborated to take down the group, resulting in 13 arrests. FedEx and AT&T cooperated with the investigation and have implemented measures to combat porch piracy.