Cell phone theft and robbery have reached unprecedented levels in the city of Rio de Janeiro this year. Between January and August 2025, the Public Security Institute (ISP) recorded 36,158 incidents, marking an average of 148 per day — or one cell phone stolen roughly every ten minutes. The crimes occur across all areas of the city and under a variety of circumstances: in bars, on busy streets, inside buses, laundromats, and even near police and army battalions. The spread and frequency of these crimes reflect a worsening pattern of urban insecurity, with victims often targeted during routine daily activities.
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Record
The total number of cases represents the highest level since the ISP began its historical series in 2003. Robberies accounted for 11,936 of the cases — more than twice the figure reported a decade ago. Thefts, defined as cases without the use of violence or direct threat, reached 24,222 incidents, nearly triple the number registered in 2015. Analysts note that this persistent upward trend illustrates both the growing sophistication of theft networks and the challenges faced by authorities in curbing repeat offenses.
Criminals Demand Passwords
A concerning development is the rise in cases where criminals demand the victims’ phone passwords during the robbery, often to gain access to digital banking apps and personal data. In Freguesia, a couple was assaulted by a man on a motorcycle who not only stole their phone but also ordered them to unlock it. Similar incidents were reported in Ipanema and Flamengo, where assailants disguised themselves as delivery drivers to ambush victims. In Méier, three drivers were robbed at a traffic light before 8:00, suggesting that the criminals are acting with increasing boldness.
Analysis:
The surge in cell phone theft and robbery in Rio de Janeiro reflects a growing urban security crisis that extends beyond opportunistic crime. The record number of incidents, surpassing 36,000 in just eight months, signals not only the normalization of these offenses but also their integration into organized and semi-organized criminal networks. The distinction between theft and robbery—where thefts now far outnumber violent cases—suggests that offenders increasingly opt for lower-risk methods that still offer high financial returns through the resale of devices and digital fraud schemes.
A particularly troubling trend is the escalation of cases in which offenders demand victims’ passwords, indicating a convergence between street-level theft and cyber-enabled financial crimes. By forcing access to banking and digital payment apps, criminals are exploiting the expanding role of smartphones in personal finance, transforming each stolen device into a potential gateway for large-scale fraud.
Source: G1
