Daylight theft sparks 'ransom' text

Carterton man Michael Thomson was told to pay $100 for the return of his stolen iPhone.

If you want your phone back, give me $100.

This is the message Carterton man Michael Thomson was given after a brazen thief stole his iPhone from his parents' home in Carterton.

Mr Thomson was having lunch out the back of his parents home last month when a thief entered through the front door and took off with his iPhone and his mother's handbag.

Mr Thomson said at the time of the burglary, at the end of April, he had heard of similar burglaries in Carterton.

He alerted Carterton police, who went through due process but never recovered the phone.

Some time later Mr Thomson got a text message which read "we've got your phone".

Mr Thomson's contacted the person, who said they bought the phone off a friend on Facebook for $100, but were unable to use the phone because Mr Thomson had locked it.

They told Mr Thomson he could have the phone back if he gave them $100 to compensate what they had paid for it.

The person said they were $100 out of pocket.

Mr Thomson replied, "I'm out of phone".

Mr Thomson alerted Carterton police to the situation but said he was transferred to the police call centre.

He was given a file number from the investigations unit in Wellington and has called three times since then explaining and updating his situation.

"When I got put through to the police call centre I read them the full transcript of the [text] conversation, and followed this up after speaking to the second person and was told they would get back to me...and they haven't."

"What most troubles me is it seems a potential lead to apprehend what seems to be an organised group, not to mention people who came into my parents' home while they were present."

"The lack of interest from the Carterton police at the time, and indeed afterwards is in my opinion pretty much that it is "a common thing" and of little interest in preventing."

The Times-Age spoke to Carterton police who said they had no record of Mr Thomson's case on file.

The investigation unit in Wellington, which Mr Thomson has called three times about the matter, told the Times-Age the issue was for Carterton police or Masterton police.

When the Times-Age was put through to Masterton police they said they could not give any details on any case over the phone due to confidentiality issues.

The Times-Age spoke to a Consumer Affairs spokesperson who said the case could be considered as extortion but was "really a criminal matter and something for the police to follow up".

Mr Thomson said he had become increasingly frustrated with the police process, saying "they don't seem to care".

He said of the burglars:

"Whoever these people are doing this, they seem to have no regard if someone is home or not, opportunistic perhaps, but how long before they are caught in the act and commit an assault or worse?"

The Times-Age tried calling the number of the person suspected of having Mr Thomson's phone and was told "someone else used my phone" [to send the text] before the person hung up.

Mr Thomson says he had insurance on his iPhone so has got a new one but will continue to try and get the phone back without having to pay $100 for the privilege.