Skilled pickpockets swiped as many as dozens of cell phones during two concerts in Brooklyn this month — less than a month after 20 phones were taken during a local show in the growing targeted scam.
A man filed a police report for his missing phone after a performance by the metal band Silverstein at the downtown Brooklyn Paramount on Saturday night – and according to social media, dozens more were snatched during the event, too.
Thieves looted more cell phones at bustling Brooklyn music venues in December, according to authorities and concertgoers. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post
“Was just there last night and again over 30 people got their phones stolen at Brooklyn Paramount,” a Reddit user fumed.
Another person wrote, “My phone was stolen along with many others.
“Really sad that this is what’s happening at these events.”
The thefts are believed to be part of a global crime network, with the illicit goods often winding up in China as part of a wildly lucrative resale market. Ruan J/peopleimages.com – stock.adobe.com
About a week earlier, at the Bushwick music hall Brooklyn Monarch, two people told cops their phones were stolen after a Dec. 14 show featuring several metal bands
“I was at [the show],” and about 11 people got their phones stolen last Sunday,” a Reddit user wrote. “It was a group of younger people who did it, enough of us figured it out but they fled pretty quickly.”
The crimes come after The Post revealed 20 phones were reported missing from Paramount concertgoers following a Nov. 7 performance from the emo band Hot Mulligan there.
“Did anyone else get their phone stolen at the Silverstein show? I’m convinced the same pickpocket that was at the Hot Mulligan show got this one too,” a Reddit user said.
Many such thefts either don’t go reported to cops or remain unsolved. Christopher Sadowski
Another person wrote of the Paramount, “Seemed inevitable, the venue is starting to become notorious for this” — adding that new signs were placed outside the venue and on indoor screens warning fans to “be aware of pick pockets.”
A rep for Paramount told The Post in a statement, “We are taking these reports very seriously and continue to operate in close partnership with the NYPD.
“We’re also providing additional guidance for fans about how to look after their personal belongings during a show.”
A Post request for comment from Brooklyn Monarch was not returned.
Cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano previously told The Post that the ongoing wave of concert thefts are part of a global crime network, with the goods often winding up in China as part of a wildly lucrative resale market.
At the Brooklyn Monarch in Bushwick, a pair of phone thefts were reported to police after a Dec. 14 show. Google Maps
“This is an organized effort, no question about it,” Siciliano said.
“The problem is that the devices themselves are getting much more expensive” with iPhone prices nearly doubling over the past decade, he said. “US-based devices that are stolen can easily be used in countries like China because their networks aren’t following the same blacklist protocols as we do.”
Some concertgoers outside the Brooklyn Paramount said they are taking measures to protect themselves. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post
Pickpocketing and grand-larceny reports are both down citywide year-over-year, according to police data — but Siciliano noted that many of these types of incidents aren’t reported to authorities, and even the active cases seldom get solved.
“If anything, five to 10% [of cases are solved] at best, and that’s when they go after the middlemen responsible for packing up the hardware and shipping it out overseas,” he said.
Some concertgoers said they are taking measures to protect themselves.
“Usually when I go to festivals, I don’t take my phone with me anymore,” said Dan Novakov, whose phone was pickpocketed at a festival in Orlando, Fla., a few years ago, outside the Brooklyn Paramount.
Venue concertgoer Aldo Battista said, “We are from Italy and are pretty used to [pickpocketing].
“My secret is to put everything at the front, in my pockets.”