EcoATM Theft: How Thieves Exploit Phone Kiosks for Cash

Phone thieves exploit ecoATM kiosks for quick cash, consequences later

Nice story on how phone thieves exploit ecoATM kiosks to quickly convert stolen phones into cash. For reference ecoATM is one of the good guys here.

Super video story highly recommended.

Summary – Here are the key points:

The Issue: Thieves are using ecoATM kiosks, found in places like grocery stores and malls, to sell stolen phones for quick cash. Despite security features, this has become a significant problem in areas like Portland and Beaverton.
Case Example: The article highlights a case where Jaime Madrigal tracked his stolen phone to an ecoATM at a Fred Meyer store. He could feel his phone buzzing inside the machine but couldn’t retrieve it immediately.
Police Reports: Since 2020, there have been around 150 police reports in Portland and Beaverton mentioning ecoATM. However, this is likely an undercount of the actual number of thefts.
ecoATM’s Response: The company has several security measures, including ID verification and holding items for 30 days. They also cooperate with law enforcement to return stolen devices.
Challenges: Despite these measures, thieves can still sell stolen phones using their own or stolen IDs. This makes it difficult to completely prevent the misuse of ecoATMs.
Advice: The article advises setting up lost or stolen phone features, reporting stolen phones to carriers and police, and contacting ecoATM immediately if a stolen phone is tracked to one of their kiosks.

Excerpt

One Washington County arrest warrant affidavit detailed how a police officer found a stolen iPhone 14 Plus in a national database and tracked it to a Happy Valley Walmart ecoATM transaction, where someone sold it for $205. The officer found photos and verified the ID, thumbprint and signature of the alleged thief.

Another workaround: thieves could opt to use someone else’s ID.

“People that are stealing phones are probably also stealing purses and wallets, which contain IDs, so they’re likely going to have that stolen ID on their person,” said Henderson

An ecoATM spokesperson told KGW, in part: “Phone theft is a concern for ecoATM and the general public, which is why we take proactive measures to address it… We return any device requested from us by law enforcement or customers who can demonstrate their device was sold to us without permission, at no expense to the rightful owner.”

Madrigal found that ecoATM does return stolen devices, but he still felt the whole experience was frustrating.

ecoATM Kiosk Theft – Phone Laundering for $200

Phone thieves exploit ecoATM kiosks for quick cash, consequences later

Summary – Here are the key points:

Excerpt

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