See which cell phone brands are most stolen in São Paulo. Find out the times when robberies occur.
Apple cell phones have surpassed Samsung and become the most stolen or robbed products in the city of São Paulo, comparing the first half of 2023 with the first half of 2022. This change of brands is striking. This is because the Korean manufacturer is the market leader in Brazil – with cell phones ranging from cheap to luxury models, with prices around R$10,000 – while Apple offers more expensive devices that tend to have a higher resale value.
That said, the research helps to give an idea of the characteristics of crime in the city of São Paulo and in this case the most targeted brands. Below, check out the complete list of the most stolen brands in the city.
Ranking of the most stolen brands in SP
It is worth remembering that the data is based only on the first half of 2023. Next to the percentage for this period is the comparison with last year's numbers.
Apple – 33,55% (28,37% in 2022)
Samsung – 32,57% (33,64% in 2022)
Motorola – 18,29% (21,49% in 2022)
Xiaomi – 7,59% (7,54% in 2022)
Others – 5.03 (3.87% in 2022)
LG – 1,65% (3,16% in 2022) Asus – 0.55% (1,05% in 2022)
Positive – 0.20% (same percentage in 2022)
Nokia – 0.18% (0.16% in 2022)
Multilaser – 0.15% (0.16% in 2022)
Robbery or theft?
Robbery occurs when things are taken at a risk to life. During a robbery, the criminal uses violence or serious threats to gain something. Victims are often threatened with weapons, sharp objects or even force.
Theft, on the other hand, occurs without any danger to the victim; it is something hidden. Like someone taking a cell phone from someone's pocket without the person seeing it.
Decrease in numbers
Overall, the device theft decreased slightly during the period In the first half of 2022 there were 108,914 devices, In the first half of 2023 there were 105,524 devices
What time is there most danger?
When it comes to crime times, the city of São Paulo has a certain pattern. Most police reports list nighttime as the main time for robberies to occur, followed by afternoon and morning. Check out the full list:
At night – 36,54%
Afternoon – 25.06%
In the morning – 23,92%
Early morning (or dawn) – 14.11%
For Guaracy Mingardi, a member of the FBSP (Brazilian Public Security Forum), the current situation is complicated because it depends a lot on the region and the type of crime. “Most robberies happen at dawn and at night. For example, in downtown São Paulo, pedestrians who walk alone have their cell phones stolen at these times,” he explained.
According to Guaracy, robberies tend to occur from night to dawn, when there are fewer people on the streets and there is often some type of threat to the victim.
Why are cell phones so attractive?
According to Guaracy, people generally don’t carry a lot of cash. But a large number of the population owns smartphones. And with one of these in hand, criminals can make a quick profit by selling it up to the price limit. At the very least, they have to pay between R$$ 200 and R$$ 300 for each stolen phone. The device can then be hacked, used for scams, disassembled for repair parts or simply restarted and shipped to another country.
The big problem, he said, is the fight against receiving stolen goods, led by professional gangs. To do this, it is necessary to invest in a major investigation carried out by the Civil Police. In places where many incidents have been recorded, such as downtown São Paulo, the activities still persist, he said. However, this will require the government to invest more in personnel and intelligence.
