I hope you weren’t expecting to get away with it.
During recent riots in France, looters who targeted an Apple Store were met with a security alert on their stolen devices, which warned that the merchandise was locked and being tracked.
A viral video from the aftermath of the looting at the Lille Apple Store on October 17 shows one of the thieves displaying the security message on the stolen iPhone.
The alert read: “Please return the device to Apple Lille. This device has been disabled and is being tracked. Local authorities will be alerted.”
Apple devices often show such warnings if they are taken from stores, and many on social media mocked the individuals seen rummaging through the shop over the weekend.
“Protesters raided an Apple Store in Lille yesterday; it was the dumbest move ever,” one user posted on X. Another added, “Taking iPhones that will get blocked two minutes later, the morons.”
As users correctly predicted, those stolen products would soon be disabled and traced.
The Lille store was just one of many luxury retailers hit during the nationwide protests, with rioters also attacking outlets of Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Dior.
In Bordeaux, a masked group was seen breaking into a Louis Vuitton store, while protesters waved red flags with hammer and sickle symbols.
In Marseille, looters targeted Hermes along with jewelry, cosmetics, and clothing stores.
The demonstrations, initially sparked by issues surrounding education and the rising cost of living, quickly spiraled into chaos. Approximately 1,800 individuals were arrested, and over 500 police officers sustained injuries.
Insurance losses from the riots are projected to reach between $1.3 and $1.6 billion, according to the Morningstar investment firm, nearly double the costs associated with riots earlier this year following the police shooting of Nahel Merzouk.
