Hi everyone,
My girlfriend and I are visiting London for the first time — just a short 2-night trip. We’ve loved the city so far, but something unfortunate happened today and I’m hoping for some advice.
We stopped for lunch at Five Guys and sat in a quieter area with only a few tables. After ordering our food, we sat down and started eating. I left my phone on the table when I went to refill our drinks — I know that was a mistake, but I thought it would be fine since it was a quiet spot.
While I was away, a strange woman (possibly of Middle Eastern descent, according to my girlfriend) approached our table. She threw a flyer on top of my phone and started talking nonsense about the flyer. Then she began touching our food, and my girlfriend pushed her away. I didn’t see any of this happen because the drinks machine is by the counter and doesn’t have a view of our table.
By the time I got back, the woman was gone and my girlfriend told me what happened. I immediately noticed that my phone was missing. We tried to look around the area, but couldn’t find her. Staff told us that this type of scam happens quite often there.
I tried using Find My to track my iPhone (location is enabled even when off), but unfortunately, it was already turned off. We went to the police station, but all they could do was ask us to fill out a form via a QR code. We submitted the form and returned to the hotel about two hours later.
Once we got back, I used my iPad to check again — the location updated and showed a spot about 1 km from where the phone was stolen. A little while ago, it updated again and now shows the phone is further out of the city center, in a location where there’s a phone repair/unlocking shop (I’ve attached a screenshot). We called the police again, but they said there’s nothing they can do because they can’t determine if the phone is in the shop or in a flat above it — so they can’t take action.
Our flight home is tonight at 8 PM, and I’m wondering:
Should we go to the shop and ask about the phone?
Is it worth trying to get it back, or is it hopeless at this point?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
by KoliaUS
37 comments
Unfortunately you’re probably not getting the phone back.
If you go to the shop they’re going to just tell you that they don’t have it, and then there’s nothing you can do about it.
Hi mate.
Where did this happen?
Exact same strategy was used to rob me in Crystal Palace last April. Woman also sounds similar.
It’s very much gone. Take it as a hard lesson learned, because this is like one of the oldest tricks in the book
I’d go there and cause a enough of a scene/refuse to leave till the police turn up and do their job
Hey mate, you should absolutely get there pronto. Be assertive and confident. We’re not the police so we don’t have to pretend to be mentally disabled – your phone is most definitely in that phone shop.
EDIT: Just wanted to add, if you’ve got Whatsapp on your ipad, pop that number (listed on the sign) in and send that screenshot of the tracking along with a message. Hope his daughter is proud of her daddy selling stolen phones. Dirty mugs.
Sorry you’ve had this experience mate.
Your phone is gone. Period. If you want to cause the scene, you are welcome to go to the shop, discreetly start playing the ‘find my phone’ alarm and cause the scene that you will write about it in every online review possible and that you’ll send info about this shop to your local MP (they don’t need to know you are visiting only). Won’t do much, but will cause a scene and trigger them. I’d do that if I were you and I would still write in every Google review about this shop
my phone was stolen in the same way two years ago around Tottenham court road. better to erase it remotely and buy another. its impossible to get it back unless u caught the thief on the spot
She might have sold it there for cash. See if you can buy it back
Omg! My phone was stolen on Sunday and is showing the exact same location!!!
Jesus. The police really are fucking useless aren’t they? The flat above? With a literal PHONE SHOP below? Give me a break.
I’m sorry this happened to you. But welcome to the UK where the police couldn’t give a shite.
Post the screenshot and story above to their Google review?
You’ve nothing to lose so maybe just show up to the shop and say your phone is pinging there and you’d rather deal with it privately than call the police. If they refuse then call the police on 999 and tell them your phone was stolen and that you know who took it and they’re standing right in front of you – giving the location.
I imagine they would rather keep the crime spree going than keep your phone so tell them you’ll not say anything if the just hand it over.
If this doesn’t work and you need to fly home then pls DM me the location of this shop and I may be able to stop this happening in the future – for better or for worse I’m tight with some of Londons underworld but I fucking hate phone thieves.
Ilford Lane…..of course.
My advice is, most likely you won’t get it back.
Worth going and seeing if you can locate it by playing the find my device siren.
Op bit late but you should Definitely visit, maybe you can offer to buy the phone I know it’s not right
I mean it’s well known now that London is the capital of phone theft. Police don’t do anything even with knowledge of where they get sold or where gangs operate.
But many will turn a blind eye to the reality.
Best to move fast. Phone will likely be on its way to [China](https://archive.ph/2025.05.24-064623/https://www.ft.com/content/752f84ac-329d-4e10-ae46-7a1c27319498) in the next few days.
What’s messed up if is you were to go destroy the shop, the same police would turn up and arrest you.
> (location is enabled even when off) but unfortunately, it was already turned off.
…so, what’s the issue?
As a community we should go wreck the google reviews on that shop.
Their Google reviews seem to have a few fake/own reviews by the looks of it. Several “coustmors” not making sense.
Your phone is on the way to Shenzen, China as most of the phones stolen in LN and NY.
You can read articles about in on the BBC, Financial Times, etc.
They are part of a crime organisation. The people who stole phones and resell it there are not only random women but also the “masked bike riders” that often carry knives, etc.
Be very careful
Ilford the breakers yard of phones I sorry to say some parts of London are just a lil fudged at times what I will say it is more than likely in the shop and will be parted out was this near the McDonalds in Ilford by the bus stop if so the only thing that guy understood was a foot in his a$$
Go there with a second phone and show the shop keeper that your device is there and hit the ‘ring my device’ open and threaten to call the police if he doesn’t return it
There are about 200 *reported* stolen phones per day in London (between 70000 and 100 000 per year). You will not find it but get the police statement for your insurance
Just don’t erase it or remove it from your devices. Keep it locked.
For people saying it’s gone, it probably is, but it reminds me of an amazing story from a month or so ago. I left my phone in a random taxi in Oaxaca, Mexico. I told my hotel and they checked the cameras, found out what taxi company it was, called the taxi company, they asked all their drivers to check their seats, my driver found my phone and returned it to my room. I had it back within an hour. I felt like the luckiest person ever.
All that being said, hope you get it back. And then see if your credit card has phone theft insurance.
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Go 1st thing in the morning, they open 9:30am, I’d join you if it was close to me…ask for the shop owner and tell them you want your iPhone back as it was brought there yesterday after being stolen…look them in the eye when you say this…do not accept no for an answer, I’m half kidding…look if you got the balls to go ilford then you’re all on at this point, the shop isn’t run by gangsters just intermediary petty thievery folks, there’s nothing to fear…you can do this!
Go there and show them what happens when YOU FUCK A STRANGER IN THE ASS.
Alright, to people telling OP to go visit, make threats and cause the scene… Have we considered the possibility that advice might lead to a physical altercation? And do we all understand that we live in London? Where people get stabbed for less? And how even the little fights might turn into a big hospital, prison or cemetery stay?
OP, I know it feels shitty and the way police works is disappointing at least, but your health and freedom are more valuable than any phone. Phones are replaceable, you and your girl are not. I, personally, would wipe the phone clean and take it up with the insurance back home. Would definitely report the store as buying and handling the stolen goods online, but would try to keep me and my girlfriend out of harms way.
Ilford lane. You’re never seeing your phone again.
Sorry for your loss.
We have a bunch of useless morons for police in this city who would rather congregate at a BP petrol for free coffee than do their goddamn job.
So, I’m sorry this happened to you! There really needs to be a public notice for anyone visiting London.
Firstly, about your phone, I would write it off and move on. Honestly nearly every colleague travelling from overseas or friend from out of town has had this happen to them once. Just chalk it up to your real London experience lol. (And I am sorry).
It’s a major operation, fine tuned to perfection. I take it you had an iPhone? Stolen phone goes straight to an export location and travels en masse with all the other iPhones to china. The reason being is Apple can brick your phone remotely, but it only applies in certain countries, you can escape this block in China. Then there is a whole process there where they refurb the phones and resell.
Secondly, there are a lot of very common daily scams like this you need to familiarise yourself with. Well probably not now as you’re leaving but if you return. The old leaflet on the phone and confusion one you experienced is very common. Some more to watch for:
– never wander around with your phone out within reaching distance of any bicycles passing
– if you have a bag at a restaurant, one trick for bag thefts is they take a decoy bag and replace with yours. It’s smooth, so even if you have your foot on your bag to know it’s safe, they can easily switch them without you knowing and leave.
– if anyone ever comes up to you asking for help, unless it’s clearly another tourist looking for directions, do not make eye contact, do not interact, and do not let them know you have noticed them. Just trust me here
– on the tube, if someone walks along the carriage putting little notes and maybe a packet of tissues on all the empty seats, do not look at them and most definitely do not touch them. They will come back and harass you for money even if you don’t want the packet of tissues
– Londoners generally do not like close interaction lol. So if someone is walking at your pace within 3 feet of you when they don’t need to be, especially if behind, stop and make them aware you know they are there
It happened to me before, macbook ended up in a gadget shop in hull. I went to the shop and got it back
I’m not sure I recommend doing this but I know someone who went to this exact location and asked for a her phone back. For a few minutes he denied all knowledge but she threatened to call the police.
Eventually he agreed but asked her for £150 to return it to which she said no but at this point he could no longer deny he had it so she was persistent and assertive, held her ground and eventually he gave in and called someone who retrieved it from the back.
She’s a lot braver than me!
OP go to your network provider(EE, O2, vodafone etc) and tell them to imei blacklist your phone so that even if they manage to sell your phone it will be worth nothing.
Definitely go to the shop, and say you know phone is there and threaten to phone police
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