North Miami Beach police said that some of the iPhone applications that make life easier for users can also make life easier for criminals.
“If it’s a benefit to society, it can also be used against society,” said Officer Tom Carney, of the North Miami Beach Police Department.
Carney said law enforcement is struggling to keep up with the iPhone’s technology.
“Technology is usually way ahead of everything, so we usually have to play catch-up,” he said.
Local 10’s Sasha Andrade sat down with Justin Wetherille, the owner of an iPhone repair business called U Break I Fix, to find out why.
First, Wetherille talked about the Trapster and Marco Popo apps, which pinpoint police checkpoints. Wetherille said Marco Popo also tells users where red light cameras and speed traps are located.
If you tap on the caller ID faker app, you can change the way your number appears on someone else’s screen. It’s usually used for prank calls but, Wetherille said there could be other uses.
“I can see where it can come off as bad, people trying to disguise themselves as a credit card company, doing fraudulent things,” he said.
There’s also a new type of skimmer that attaches to the iPhone and can run credit cards. It’s good for small businesses. It’s also good for con artists.
“You can run someone’s card right there, right then, authorize it and charge it for as much as you want,” said Wetherille.
According to Carney, the police departments don’t have the kind of funding that Apple does.
A more advanced version of the iPhone is in stores on June 23. It is expected to be packed with even more technology. How do crime fighters fight back?
“We can’t. We just have to make people aware, and that’s what we’re here for,” said Carney.
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