Nearly two in every five phones stolen in Europe are taken in the UK, according to data from insurance firm SquareTrade. The analysis shows that 39% of all phone thefts across 12 European markets occurred in Britain, despite the UK accounting for only 10% of the company's European customers.
Phone theft claims in the UK have surged by 425% since June 2021, with 42% of thefts happening in London, equating to 16% of all European phone thefts. The Metropolitan Police reported about 80,000 phones stolen in London last year, with a street value of around £20 million, targeting iPhones most frequently.
Police say gangs are increasingly involved in phone snatching as an easier way to make money than drug dealing. Commander James Conway of the Met Police described it as an 'organised criminal enterprise', noting that these gangs can achieve 'huge profitability' with lower risk compared to drug trafficking.
Conway stated: 'They can make a far greater profit than from dealing drugs in the same period of time with a lower risk from a criminal justice perspective.' He added that sentences for theft are often much lighter than for drug offences.
Police have called for phone companies to disable cloud services on stolen devices to reduce resale value. Representatives from Google and Apple told MPs that security features are already in place, but Apple expressed concern about potential fraud if accounts are deleted.
