SmashAndGrab Thieves Use Snapchat & Other Apps To Coordinate Attacks

Smash-And-Grab Thieves Use Snapchat & Other Apps To Coordinate Attacks

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Bad actors are reportedly using social media apps like Snapchat to organize and execute smash-and-grab thefts at well-known retail outlets discretely.

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SmashAndGrab Thieves Use Snapchat & Other Apps To Coordinate Attacks

Snapchat and other social media apps of its ilk are reportedly being misused to coordinate mob theft attacks that have recently resulted in a few smash-and-grab heists at retail stores. Now, social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram haven’t been agents of positive communication these companies tout them to be. Time and again, concerns have been raised regarding their abusive usage, but these multi-billion dollar brands have almost always lagged behind in taking the appropriate action.

From peddling drugs and fanning fatal health-related misinformation to predatory behavior targeting minors, the likes of Snapchat and Instagram have been the preferred medium of malefactors for years. And unfortunately, these platforms are often either too late or take steps that are barely effective. Instagram was reportedly even aware of how toxic it was for teens struggling with body image and mental health issues but ignored those red flags in favor of driving engagement. It now appears that mob theft is the latest ill plaguing these platforms.

According to The Wall Street Journal, organized retail thefts by quick-moving mobs have lately been recorded in the Bay Area and outside Minneapolis, among other regions. But interestingly, they appear to have been organized on social media platforms like Snapchat, as per law enforcement officials. And the worrying aspect is that those arrested over suspicion of carrying out these pilferage attacks don’t often know the identity of their companions. Snap, on the other hand, claims that it hasn’t found any evidence of such organized crime on the app. Unfortunately, however, the app has recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons. A few weeks ago, Snapchat and fellow social media apps were warned about the bustling online drugs trade on their respective platforms.

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Another Dirty Tale Of Social Media & Its Perils

A Nordstrom store in California reportedly lost nearly $100,000 worth of goods to one such mob theft involving 90 people, while a group of 20-40 people ransacked a Louis Vuitton store just a day earlier. Three Best Buy storefronts were also targeted on the same day, and as per investigation, all the attacks were reportedly planned on social media. The mob of bad actors mobilizes after someone randomly posts a target and the timing of the mob attack on social media. However, it is unclear if such provocative posts are public or only shared in private groups. But the behavior is not entirely alien. Facebook, in particular, was criticized for playing a pivotal role in helping shape the Capitol Hill riots earlier this year, leading to Donald Trump’s suspension from multiple social media platforms over alleged mob incitement.

So far, the police have caught multiple suspects and slapped them with charges such as second-degree robbery, organized retail theft, and looting during a state of emergency. While the number of mob theft incidents allegedly fueled via social media has spiked recently, the overall figures are down across the country compared to 2019. In a similar Snapchat-linked event that transpired in September this year, burglars filmed themselves on the social media platform as they took a joyride in stolen vehicles. Earlier this year, Snapchat scrapped a speed filter that showed users how fast they were driving, following criticism that it might be encouraging rash driving.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/snapchat-used-coordinate-thefts/

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