Mexico City Commuters Trick Robbers with Fake Smartphones

Commuters in Mexico City are buying fake smartphones to trick muggers. Incidents of muggings in Mexico City have reportedly increased by around 22 percent in the last two years. In addition, during the first four months of 2019, an average of 70 muggings happened every day in the city. The perpetrators of these muggings often attacked buses, instilling fear in commuters. Faced with the continuous increase of armed robberies in their city, commuters have come up with the idea of using fake smartphones to fool their attackers. If mugged, the commuters would give away their fake smartphones, which cost around $15 to $25 per unit. The phones have start-up screens and weigh as much as real ones, making the imitations seem convincing. Most of the time, robbers are in a hurry to get away and do not notice that they have stolen imitations. The tactic was inspired by a practice that started around 14 years ago, when smartphone vendors bought fake phones and put them on display to trick thieves. The idea of giving imitation phones to thieves received mixed reactions. Some vendors of fake phones support the idea, not only because it is good for their business but also because they think it keeps commuters safe. Other vendors object, however, because they believe it is still possible that a robber would recognize that the phone is fake. When this happens, muggers may retaliate on their victims and hurt them. For this reason, critics of the idea suggest buying a real, cheaper second phone that commuters can give to muggers instead.