London police say criminal gangs are using Snapchat to offer cash rewards of up to £380 for stolen iPhones
Gangs are recruiting children to go out to steal smartphones before they head to school, using Snapchat to offer rewards of up to £380 for the latest Apple iPhones, police have revealed.
The Metropolitan police said they were deploying new resources including drones and Surron ebikes to chase suspects as they step up their fight against phone snatching.
London is the area in Britain most plagued by phone theft and the Met has been criticised for its response.
The force said thefts were down 12% in the last year to 71,000, but the commissioner, Mark Rowley, wants technology companies – especially Apple – to do more to make phones harder to reactivate when stolen and shipped overseas.
