The Met also put forward a series of security tips in case of falling victim to the scourge of phone snatch gangs, including promptly installing security updates, activating anti-theft features on handsets, securing online accounts and apps with strong passwords, and only storing sensitive or high-value information behind security features like passwords.
Judge Rosina Cottage KC identified phone muggings in Borough high street, Soho, and Stockwell as she sentenced three men with ties to a criminal gang which has stolen hundreds of thousands of pounds from victims over the course of a year.
Jacob Raki, 23, admitted a series of allegations of handling stolen goods including a Louis Vuitton scarf, as well as a phone robbery and a count of attempted fraud.
Judge Cottage said Raki gave the name of one of the phone snatch victims when he was stopped three times for driving offences in high-performance rental cars.
Raki admitted direct involvement in a robbery where the victim’s Amazon account was accessed on his stolen phone, the password and ID were changed, and an online shopping spree was commenced.
