Category: Apple Insider

A British political adviser’s stolen iPhone leads to a scandal, pro athletes fall for an iCloud scam, and iCloud evidence is used against a man accused of stalking the FBI director’s girlfriend, all in this week’s Apple Crime Blotter.

Welcome to an occasional AppleInsider feature, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.

$2 million iPhone heist in Florida

A 64-year-old man in Florida has been charged with the heist of nearly $2 million in iPhones, which were taken from a FedEx facility in Doral.

According to NBC Miami, Jeffrey Moore has been accused of taking 38 boxes of iPhone 17 Pro Max phones from the FedEx facility, amounting to nearly 1,800 devices.

The facility, two days earlier, had received a call from a man claiming that his warehouse was “unable to receive deliveries and they wanted employees to pick up a shipment.” On March 19, per the criminal complaint, Moore showed up at the facility with “a photo ID badge on his chest and employee ID,” as well as a U-Haul truck.

As the theft was in progress, the real manager showed up and told FedEx to stop the theft, although by that point Moore and an accomplice had fled, per the report. He was stopped in Alachua County, more than 300 miles north, later that day.

After he was extradited to Miami-Dade County, Moore was charged with grand theft, conspiracy to commit grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud.

A row in the U.K. over the prime minister’s ex-chief’s stolen iPhone

Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to British Prime Minister Kier Starmer, had his government-issued iPhone stolen in October of 2025. Months later, the lost device has become part of a big political controversy that traces back to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Per Sky News, the lost iPhone means the loss of any messages McSweeney exchanged with Lord Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the U.S., who was removed from his post in September over the revelations about his ties to Epstein. Mandelson was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and the British government had compelled the release of “all papers and communications” related to Mandelson’s time in office.

In addition, the wrong address was recorded when McSweeney reported the theft of the phone to the police, and he did not disclose that he was the prime minister’s chief of staff.

Man posing as female porn star targeted iCloud accounts of pro athletes using phishing scam

A man posing as a female adult film star has been accused of running a phishing scam that targeted the iCloud accounts of NFL and NBA players.

Per The Athletic, federal prosecutors in Georgia have indicted 34-year-old Georgia man Kwamaine Jerell Ford, who had been previously convicted in 2019 of “hacking into more than 100 Apple accounts belonging to athletes and rappers,” and prosecutors say he began the subsequent criminal scheme while incarcerated.

Ford has now been charged with nine counts of wire fraud, seven counts of computer fraud, one count of access device fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and one charge of sex trafficking.

Prosecutors say the phishing scam involved both impersonating a popular female adult film star, while also posing as an Apple customer support representative, to gain access to iCloud accounts. The indictment does not name any athletes who were targeted.

“While serving time for stealing credit card numbers from athletes and celebrities to fund his lifestyle, Ford allegedly engaged in the same conduct again,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement.

“Disturbingly, the indictment alleges that Ford went even further and used a fraudulent online persona to allegedly traffic a young woman and coerce her to produce hidden camera videos of commercial sex acts with unknowing individuals.”

iCloud evidence used against man charged with stalking FBI director’s girlfriend

FBI Director Kash Patel had his email hacked, reportedly by Iranian hackers, in late March.

Also in March, a 35-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested for threatening Patel’s girlfriend, singer Alexis Wilkins.

According to Boston Globe, the FBI arrested the man after he sent the threatening messages “using an anonymized e-mail from an Apple iCloud account.”

The man had written “watch your back” to Wilkins and other threatening messages. He appeared in court on March 13 and pleaded not guilty to a single count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.

Woman fights $2,100 iPad bill

A Nebraska woman believes she is the victim of scammers, after her identity was stolen last year, with thieves using an “old account” to fraudulently purchase an 11-inch iPad Pro.

WOWT explains she has been receiving bills for the device with growing interest, to the point where she now owes $2,100. The woman, per the report, has “made a police report, sent in various government scam complaints, and filled out an identity theft victim’s complaint and affidavit.” But the situation remains unresolved.

After the TV station reached out, however, AT&T said it had “escalated” the complaint.

‘Buffy’ actor, shortly before his death, was accused of placing an AirTag on a contractor

Nicholas Brendon, an actor best known for appearing on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, passed away on March 20, at the age of 54. Brendon was reportedly found dead in his home in Indiana.

Just over a week before that, Brendon was in the news for a legal case involving his dispute with a contractor. Per People, Brendan was accused in March court papers of placing an AirTag on the person of a contractor who was renovating his home.

Brendan had earlier sued the contractor’s business for $120,000, alleging there was unfinished work.

In December, after discovering the AirTag, the contractor placed a Civil Stalking Protection Order against the actor.

Three years later, $500,000 Alderwood Apple Store break-in remains unsolved

It was one of the most high-profile Apple Store robberies of recent years: On April 2, 2023, burglars broke into the Alderwood Mall Apple Store in Lynnwood, Wash., by cutting through the bathroom wall of an adjacent espresso machine store.

The theft netted $500,000 in merchandise, including 436 iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.

The theft marked its third anniversary on Thursday, and it remains unsolved.

“I do recall that case,” a spokesman for the Lynnwood Police Department told AppleInsider. “That case is currently inactive due to a lack of evidence/investigative leads. I don’t know if federal authorities did work beyond this.”

A spokeswoman for the departmenthad told AppleInsider in 2024 that they had heard the case was “being worked on at the federal level.”

Suspect sought in iPad theft from Dollar Tree

Police in Odessa, Tex, are looking for a man who they say stole a $500 iPad from a Dollar Tree store.

KDH News reports the theft took place on March 20.

AirPods stolen in broad daylight

In Kawana Waters, in Australia, on March 20, a man stole a pair of AirPods from a boy, with the entire theft in broad daylight and caught on video.

Per Cairns Post, the thief repeatedly asked the boy to empty his bag and threw one of the AirPods on the ground. The victim then informs a passing woman, who tells him, “You need to move on.”

Amazon is blowing out M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro inventory this weekend, with a staggering $400 discount on the upgraded spec with a 20-core GPU and 1TB SSD.

Update at 2pm ET on April 3:: Amazon has sold out of this deal.

Shoppers on the hunt for the greatest MacBook Pro savings can snap up a $400 discount with a closeout deal on the last-gen M4 Pro 14-inch model with multiple upgrades.

Buy 14″ M4 Pro/24GB/1TB for $1,999

The M4 Pro chip in this spec features a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU, which is an upgrade from the standard 12C CPU/16C GPU chip found in the M4 Pro line. The Space Black laptop also has a bump up to 1TB of storage.

After the $400 markdown, the price of the laptop has fallen to $1,999. To buy the current M5 Pro model, it would cost a minimum of $2,049.99, but you’ll get fewer GPU cores (16 vs. 20).

You can check out available MacBook Pro offers in our Price Guides, which are broken down by chip and screen size.

If you’re looking to take advantage of the closeout savings, it’s recommended to do so now, as delivery dates are slipping on Amazon, which indicates inventory is likely limited.

Apple’s conclusion to its 50th anniversary celebration at Apple Park is confirmed to include a performance by Paul McCartney, as well as a small selection of employee gifts to mark the occasion.

Apple has been holding a series of events around the world, as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. The grand finale will take place at Apple Park on Wednesday, while it will be a big party for Apple employees, some more details about the event have been unearthed.

A photograph shared to Reddit by user u/Live_Football2343 shows the soundcheck for Wednesday’s performance within the rainbow arch at the middle of Apple Park.

The shot does confirm something that was hinted at on Sunday about a “British Invasion” singer who Steve Jobs would’ve been happy to see. On large screens on either side of the stage, Sir Paul McCartney is shown playing an electric guitar during a sound check.

Swag bag

Apple isn’t just going to hold a concert at its headquarters to mark the major company anniversary. It’s also going to give its employees some physical treats too.

Images shared by Mr. Macintosh on X on Tuesday shows the contents of a goody bag that will be provided to attendees.

It’s a short list of items, including an Apple-branded t-shirt, complete with a scribbled Apple logo. It’s wrapped in a thin cardboard band, also branded with the Apple logo.

There’s also an enamel pin, which is simply a number 50 springing upward with rainbow layers. The cardboard holder for the badge also shows the date April 1, 1976, as a reminder of when Apple’s journey began.

A poster is also included, again using the scribbled Apple logo, as well as the text “50 Years of Thinking Different.”

The contents of the gift bag are also confirmed by a photograph shared by long-time leaker @L0vetodream. However, Apple may also provide some extra items to some of its more valued employees, aside from the gift bag itself.

Employees are able to pick up their gifts on-site between March 31 and April 30.

Cosmic Perspective is filming NASA’s Artemis II Moon mission launch in Apple Immersive Video to create a flagship experience for Apple Vision Pro.

NASA plans to send Artemis II on a roughly 10-day flight around the Moon, marking the first crewed mission in the Artemis program. Cosmic Perspective has set up specialized Blackmagic immersive cameras at the Florida launch site to capture the event.

Apple’s immersive format uses 180-degree stereoscopic video and spatial audio to place viewers inside a scene, unlike traditional video. Recording a rocket launch with this format recreates the scale and intensity of liftoff for viewers.

Cosmic Perspective has focused on filming space launches in 3D and immersive formats. The Artemis II mission stands as its highest-profile project viewable on Apple Vision Pro.

The company has confirmed it’s capturing Apple Immersive Video specifically for Apple Vision Pro.

Apple has been steadily building a library of immersive content across sports, concerts, and nature programming. A NASA Moon mission, even if by a third party, adds a different category entirely.

The choice of Artemis II matters because it carries astronauts, not just instruments, which raises the stakes and emotional weight of the footage. A crewed mission brings human risk and anticipation.

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale delivers sale prices on AirPods starting at just $99.

Kicking off today’s Big Spring Sale, AirPods 4 are marked down to $99.99 without Active Noise Cancellation and $148.99 with ANC.

Buy AirPods 4 from $99.99

Apple AirPods Pro 3, meanwhile, are on sale for $199. That’s a $50 discount off MSRP.

Buy AirPods Pro 3 for $199

Today’s top AirPods offers

Even more Apple deals

There are plenty of end-of-quarter sales going on across Apple’s product lines. Here’s a sampling of our top picks, with hundreds of bargains available in the AppleInsider Apple Price Guide.

A US appeals court has found in favor of Masimo in its fight against Apple over pulse oximetry patents, but in the court that matters, a ruling makes it clear that there won’t be another ban on the Apple Watch.

In the now six year-long legal battle between medical technology firm Masimo and Apple, this particular appeal concerns a ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC). The ITC ruled that Apple had stolen trade secrets and violated patents with its blood pulse oximeter in the Apple Watch.

Masimo wanted a ban on the Apple Watch and in October 2023, the ITC issued an order barring Apple from importing the Apple Watch into the US, and in December denied the company’s appeal against it.

Now as first spotted by IP Fray, the US Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit has backed the original ITC ruling. The text of the court filing is a single sentence saying that the ruling has been affirmed, and gives no explanation for this conclusion.

The listing for this filing says a little more, that the appeal was “terminated on the merits after oral argument.” Apple will be required to pay costs.

However, this ruling on March 19, 2026, followed a ruling by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) the day before. That filing, presumably written knowing the appeals court’s decision, states that Apple does not now have to do anything more to remedy the case.

Listing each of the specific patents named in the various cases, the ITC says it finds that Apple does not infringe any of them. It repeatedly refers to what it calls the “Apple Redesign 2 Watch,” presumably meaning that Apple’s software update removed the claimed infringements.

“We thank the Administrative Law Judge for her careful consideration, and are pleased with the decision,” Apple told AppleInsider and likely other venues as well. “For six years, Masimo has brought dozens of false claims against Apple, nearly all of which have been rejected. We will continue innovating to create industry-leading health, wellness, and life-saving features for our users.”

How we got here

The original lawsuit was filed with the US District Court for the Central District of California by Masimo in 2020. It was then followed in 2021 by Masimo’s complaint to the ITC.

By 2023, the initial lawsuit had ended with a mistrial after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. But this separate ITC case was won by Masimo in January 2023.

The ITC recommended a ban on the US import of any Apple Watch models that violated Masimo’s patents. The recommendation triggered a 60-day review period within the White House, which could have decided against the ban — but didn’t.

With the ban then certain to come into affect for the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, Apple stopped importing and selling the affected models ahead of the ban taking place.

At the same time, however, Apple worked on the idea of a software update to circumvent the allegedly patent-violating feature. The update essentially just disabled the blood oxygen feature, which the US Customs and Border Protection agency decided in January 2024 was sufficient.

In November 2025, Masimo won a $634 million verdict in a federal jury trial. That ruling has not been affected by the new filings, and Masimo called it “a significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property.”

For its part, Apple told AppleInsider that the November 2025 decision was “contrary to the facts.” It claimed that “Masimo is a medical device company that does not sell any products to consumers.”

“We plan to appeal,” concluded Apple.

So regardless of the latest decision regarding the appeal, the legal battle between the two companies is set to continue. However, they have now been in dispute long enough that patents in question may expire within less than three years, allowing Apple to resume using its feature.

Apple is finally fixing one of Family Sharing’s most awkward limitations in iOS 26.4, letting multiple adults on one family pay for their own purchases without breaking shared access.

For years, Family Sharing forced everyone into a single payment method whenever purchase sharing was enabled. The approach worked for traditional households, but it created friction for anyone sharing with friends, partners, or extended family.

One person effectively became the default payer, even when it made no practical sense. iOS 26.4 changes the structure by letting adult members use their own payment methods while still joining shared purchases.

The old system tied access and payment together, which made sharing restrictive. If you wanted shared apps, music, or subscriptions, you also had to accept one shared payment method.

Apple finally separates sharing from paying

Apple’s update breaks the link between access and payment. Adults can now use their own payment methods while still participating in purchase sharing, so shared access no longer requires a shared wallet.

Children still route purchases through the family organizer, which keeps parental controls intact while giving adults more independence.

The update looks minor, but it fixes a long-standing design problem that constrained how Family Sharing could be used. Apple has spent years expanding its services business, and Family Sharing sits at the center of that ecosystem.

Growing subscription costs and more flexible group dynamics make a single payer model harder to justify. Making payment optional opens the feature to more realistic setups beyond tightly managed households.

The change removes a lot of friction without giving up Apple’s control. Purchase sharing still works the same way, but one person isn’t stuck paying for everyone else by default.

Amazon’s M5 MacBook Pro sale delivers steep discounts on multiple configurations, from the standard model for $1,399 to the upgraded 1TB spec for $1,499.

March MacBook Pro deals are in full swing, with the standard M5/16GB/512GB spec discounted to $1,399.99, reflecting a $200 markdown off MSRP.

Buy M5/16GB/512GB MacBook Pro for $1,399.99

Prefer more storage? The 1TB M5 model with 16GB of memory is marked down to $1,499 — also a $200 discount off Apple’s new MSRP of $1,699 (and the lowest price ever).

Buy M5/16GB/1TB MacBook Pro for $1,499.99

You can also pick up a MacBook Air at a discount, with this closeout M4/16GB/512GB spec that’s down to an all-time low price of $1,079 while supplies last.

Apple shuttered its Grand Central Terminal store on March 13 for a surprise Alicia Keys concert, marking the start of 50th anniversary celebrations.

Apple CEO Tim Cook showed up with several senior executives. They transformed one of Apple’s most iconic retail spots into a temporary live music venue.

The company invited select media members, creators, and guests while keeping the performer secret until Keys appeared on stage.

Preparations began on March 12 with crews installing a stage, lighting, and audio equipment inside the retail space. Keys performed alongside her signature pink piano after the store was temporarily converted into a small concert venue.

People inside Grand Central Terminal could catch parts of the performance from outside the store. It’s unusual for Apple to close one of its most famous locations, especially since they usually keep their retail spaces open during business hours.

Tim Cook and Apple executives attend the event

Cook attended the concert alongside Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak, retail head Deirdre O’Brien, and hardware engineering chief John Ternus. The executives watched the performance inside the Grand Central location with invited guests.

The Grand Central store sits inside one of New York City’s busiest transit hubs and serves as one of Apple’s most visible retail spaces. The setting allowed Apple to host a private event while drawing attention from commuters and visitors.

Keys has appeared at several Apple-related events over the years. She performed at Apple Music Festival 10 in London in 2016 and later headlined Apple’s NYC Holiday Masquerade Ball in December 2022.

The artist also appeared on Apple Vision Pro through the immersive performance Alicia Keys: Rehearsal Room, one of the early music experiences released for the spatial computing headset.

Part of Apple’s 50th anniversary celebrations

Apple announced that it plans to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary over the coming weeks. Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, placing the milestone anniversary on April 1, 2026.

Cook said the anniversary would recognize the “creativity, innovation, and impact” made possible by Apple’s global community of users and developers.

The Grand Central performance is one of the first public events connected to the anniversary. Apple has not yet detailed additional celebrations tied to the milestone.

Adobe has issued a statement agreeing to pay a hefty fine after years of customers complaining about a lack of transparency in its billing agreements — but it still doesn’t think it did anything wrong.

Adobe has announced that it has finalized a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. It officially marks the end of the more than two-year long saga surrounding its much maligned cancellation practices.

Of the $150 million Adobe has agreed to pay, $75 million will go directly to affected customers in the form of complimentary services. The remaining $75 will go directly to the Department of Justice to settle the lawsuit.

While Adobe agreed to pay the fee, it hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing. In fact, the company says, “While we disagree with the government’s claims and deny any wrongdoing, we are pleased to resolve this matter.”

To be clear, Adobe isn’t fixing the abhorrent cancellation fees – it’s just now required to be significantly more transparent about them.

To understand why this shook out the way it did, you’ll need to understand how Adobe handles subscriptions. And, if you’ve never seen this before, I apologize ahead of time for how confusing it is.

Starving artists need not subscribe

When a user subscribes to something Adobe offers, they’re given three options to pay: monthly; annual, paid monthly; or annual, paid upfront. Here’s what each of those options means.

None of the subscriptions, by the way, are terribly cheap. If you’re an independent artist who needs Adobe products, that can account for a large portion of your monthly overhead.

Monthly subscription: The most expensive option, Adobe’s monthly subscriptions are often twice the cost of the other subscription options. However, if a user needs to cancel the subscription, Adobe does not charge a fee.

Annual subscription, paid monthly: Typically half the price of the standard monthly subscription, Adobe allows users to subscribe at the yearly price while still paying monthly. The downside is that Adobe will charge 50% of the remaining contract if canceled.

Annual subscription, paid upfront: Users may also choose to pay upfront for a full year of service. While this has advantages, such as preventing surprise billing, Adobe warns users that there are absolutely no refunds on this plan after the first 14 days.

The outcry came when Adobe hid its cancellation terms and conditions in the fine print. This meant that anyone who suddenly couldn’t justify — or afford — paying $69.99 per month for the all apps plan could be hit with up to a $384.95 cancellation fee if they cancelled between day 15 and day 30 of the first month.

Even if a user cancelled in the seventh month, they’d still be forced to pay nearly $175. Which, again, for many individual users isn’t just inconvenient — they might not be able to afford it at all.

So, the high cancellation fees remain, but Adobe at least now discloses them a bit more clearly.

Interestingly enough, if you poke around the Adobe site, you’ll find that this cancellation fee varies from location to location. South Korean users only pay 10 percent of the annual commitment as a cancellation fee.

Adobe subscribers in Brazil only pay 20% if they choose to terminate the contract early.