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Crime

Awesome: Musician Recovers iPhone From Thief Using a Computer, $20 and a Hammer

Jan. 4, 2013 10:37pm
Nadav Nirenberg Recovers Stolen iPhone by Seducing Thief on Onling Dating Site

Punk trombonist Nadav Nirenberg yesterday tells how he used a hammer to nail an iPhone thief by posing as a girl. Got it? (New York Post/Gabriella Bass)

We all know the age-old saying, “crime doesn’t pay.” Well, sometimes it can also be humiliating, one thief learned after his victim turned the tables with an elaborate ruse.

While out on the town on New Year’s Eve, 27-year-old musician Nadav Nirenberg lost his iPhone in the back of a cab. He called his phone several times, and when he got no answer, left messages promising a reward if the phone was returned to him.

Unfortunately, his messages went unreturned and he realized he may never see his iPhone again.

Then, just as he had lost all hope, Nirenberg noticed the phone thief had logged into his online dating profile on OKCupid and was trying to meet women. “Not only is he stealing my phone, he’s creepy and disturbing,” he wrote in a blog post.

But that gave Nirenberg an idea. He created a fake email and “half-believable” OKCupid account as “Jennifer Gonzalez.” Jennifer was 24 and had just moved to Brooklyn. She was also, conveniently for the thief, looking for a man to take her out.

“I sent a message to the thief (my account) and chatted him up as Jennifer…weird,” Nirenberg recalled on his blog. “I used lots of winks and smiley faces so I would seem like a girl,” he later told the New York Post.

After a few hours of online chatting and heavy flirting, “Jennifer” suggested that they meet for a glass of wine at her apartment. And the thief showed up, “all dressed up, had a bottle of wine and stank of cologne.”

But the thieving Casanova’s romantic date was ruined when Nirenberg appeared behind him — holding a large hammer. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked for his phone back. As a good faith gesture, he actually gave the guy $20 for his phone.

“He was ready for a date,” Niremberg told the New York Post. He described the man as a “small Indian dude.”

In what is perhaps the best part of this story, before the embarrassed man could get away, Niremberg jokingly told him, “You smell great, though.”

The Huffington Post provides a screenshot of Niremberg’s soon-to-be deleted OKCupid profile:

Nadav Nirenberg Recovers Stolen iPhone by Seducing Thief on Onling Dating Site

Bonus: TheBlaze accidentally stumbled onto one of Nirenberg’s trombone solos on YouTube — and he’s really, really good. Enjoy.

(H/T: HuffPo)

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Comments (109)

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  • GuruMeditation
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 7:32am

    Hahah. Fine business.

    Report this comment

    GuruMeditation  
    • M13
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 9:54am

      I didn’t know Encinom was that hard up for a date.

      Report this comment

      M13  
    • OhioRifleman
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 10:33am

      @ M13

      When you’re such an ass-duster as Encinom, even the dog doesn’t want to hump your leg. Finding real dates is more difficult still.

      Report this comment

      OhioRifleman  
    • needawhitepresident
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 11:23am

      What an ass – he gives the guy $20 and let’s him go?!! Are you kidding me? I would’ve punched him in the face and held him for the cops! And before the cops got there I’d have taken $20 from HIM! Now the guy is free to steal phones from other people. Thanks for nothing, jack!

      Report this comment

      needawhitepresident  
    • GETLIFE
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 2:22pm

      Once had a wallet stolen–complete with passport and international airline tickets. The thief, who obviously just wanted the money, had second thoughts and actually called me posing as someone who had “found” my wallet (not possible). We set up a meeting with the local police in hiding– as soon as I had my wallet they moved in. They were not about to let it go. Stealing other people’s property is ILLEGAL.

      Anyway, musicians ROCK!

      Report this comment

      GETLIFE  
    • SR1911man
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 5:18pm

      Here is what I got out of this-
      phone stolen
      cool story
      cool story
      cool story
      phone taken back by force
      cool story
      cool story
      cool story
      TROMBONE SOLO!

      Ha ha ha!

      Report this comment

      SR1911man  
    • Lamarr01
      Posted on January 7, 2013 at 2:41pm

      There isn’t enough cologne in Tijuana to cover up Encinom’s natural body odor.

      Dianne Feinstein should propose registration of all hammers and staple guns that can hold more than 10 staples.

      Report this comment

      Lamarr01  
  • DadRocked
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 5:43am

    VampireSmurf – We broke the story here for now the national news has started reporting it as of 05:30hrs Eastern…
    Thanks for your 2¢…

    Report this comment

    DadRocked  
  • DadRocked
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 4:30am

    ANYONE HEARD OF THIS YET? 7.7 ALASKAN EARTHQUAKE ????
    Not to change topic but report just now on the radio says: Edmond Bay ALASKA 7.7 earthquake.. Mandatory evac… Tsunami Warning 04:28hrs 05JAN2013

    Anybody up in ALASKA on line to confirm?

    Report this comment

    DadRocked  
  • Ben Stewart
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 4:26am

    A person scent fantastic, however. ” Of which looks like some thing Spenser might say.

    Report this comment

    Ben Stewart  
  • Lion420
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 2:37am

    Just when I was thinking music was dead….Jazz isn’t dead, it just smells funny(FZ)

    Report this comment

    Lion420  
  • confederacyofdunces
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 2:27am

    The new law banning hammers only requires the hammer have and of these characteristics, 1, a handle, 2, a head of at least 12 oz, 3, a claw. If one of these characteristics is present on your hammer it will be deemed an Assault Hammer requiring a $200 tax stamp and a background check. Aprons capable of holding more than 10 nails cannot be sold or passed on to a child.

    Report this comment

    confederacyofdunces  
    • Andre1130
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 5:05am

      Did you read the story that more people in the U.S are killed with hammers and clubs than rifles…. Not Making it up.

      Report this comment

      Andre1130  
    • SamIamTwo
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:13pm

      Prob one of those over priced gov’t hammers, no doubt!

      Report this comment

      SamIamTwo  
    • ynaylor4
      Posted on January 6, 2013 at 6:27pm

      You don,t know how bad I needed that laugh. Thanks Confederacy.

      Report this comment

      ynaylor4  
  • DADA
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 2:00am

    I feel stupid for having read this.

    Report this comment

    DADA  
    • DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 11:34am

      Ha ha ha ha I was looking for a feel good story too. Something ANYTHING positive to report. But this was sorta lame story.

      Report this comment

      DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT  
    • Jenny Lind
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 2:03pm

      I think what you missed was the embarrased theif. He didn’t steal it, but took it when he found it, not returning it.The fact he was embarrased struck me, and if he truely was, bet he doesn’t do this again. Some societies actually have a few values left, not so much for humiliation in this counry. I hope he learned his lesson, and this guy gave him a chance to learn and change his behavior, which may have made the whole thing worth while.

      Report this comment

      Jenny Lind  
    • YAHSHUARULES
      Posted on January 6, 2013 at 1:32am

      The ingenuity this young man displayed in getting back his Iphone came in-spite of all the effort to destroy a sense of individuality and creative thinking in this generation by government schools.They are training for the collective: Identity politics produce a collective, dependency mindset. Less then 10% of children in a poll believe in absolute right and wrong.
      https://vimeo.com/52009124

      Professors, educationalists and journalists are the Gramscian shock troops of the future to control the culture. What is being taught in government schools today is to break down basic rules of morality and move culture in a direction designed to destroy it. Large part of this agenda is to make us immoral people. Professors, educationalists and journalists are the Gramscian shock troops of the future to control the culture and once you control the culture you can shape the thought of rising generations and change the country in a way where it can never be changed back again.

      EDUCATION AND MEDIA: MULTI-CULTURALISM, SOCIAL JUSTICE, DIVERSITY, MORAL RELATIVISM, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS = CULTURAL MARXISM

      Ronald Reagan said that freedom was not transmitted in the blood stream from one generation to the next that it needed to be fought for.
      If America goes down, the free world will go down with it and it will be finished for a very, very long time.
      Free on line: Agenda: Grinding America Down
      https://vimeo.com/52009124

      Report this comment

      YAHSHUARULES  
  • Action-Not-Just_Words
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 1:47am

    It’s Bushs’ fault.

    Report this comment

    Action-Not-Just_Words  
  • mrs.janet.murgatroid
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 1:21am

    That’s probably the first time in history that a man from India has been told he smells great. Usually a bunch of house flies are trying to land on those guys.

    Report this comment

    mrs.janet.murgatroid  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on January 6, 2013 at 2:33pm

      During Obama’s first 9 months, flies seemed to seek him out. Do you remember the video of him speaking with a fly crawling on his face? Guy must have stunk something awful.

      Report this comment

      Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • Soundstorm
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:55am

    “You smell great, though.” That sounds like something Spenser would say.

    Report this comment

    Soundstorm  
  • brasasman
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:14am

    He should have said: It’s Hammer Time!! You can’t touch this!

    Report this comment

    brasasman  
  • MisterSarcastic
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:10am

    Who’s Castanova? Is he Casanova’s son?

    Report this comment

    MisterSarcastic  
  • 666Sucks
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:07am

    What the F*#k kind of leftist bull crap is this? Is he that stupid to give the guy who stole his phone and hacked his site $20? Oh, that nimrod will never steal again! And he told him he smelled good? God, go a head and just Sodom and Gomorrah us now, we deserve it!

    Report this comment

    666Sucks  
    • blanco5
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 9:53am

      He HAS to be a demonrat b/c only a demonrat would PAY a thief. Idiot!

      Report this comment

      blanco5  
    • chjaka
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 7:44pm

      I don’t know which guy disgusts me more, the thief or the *****.

      Report this comment

      chjaka  
  • DEFCON4
    Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:02am

    Quite humorous, I suppose if the ‘entire’ “head-line”, walked into a bar…….

    Report this comment

    DEFCON4  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 1:01am

      Well, he showed up with a hammer to nail the thief. They didn’t say if it was a claw or Ball Pean.

      If it was me, I would have showed up with a chainsaw and a Micheal Myers mask, I might as well get my 20 dollars worth of fun.

      Report this comment

      Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • Proverbs17-12NLT
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:36pm

    Time to ban hammers democrats

    Report this comment

    Proverbs17-12NLT  
  • mrmikejohnson
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:32pm

    Nice!

    Report this comment

    mrmikejohnson  
  • brickmoon
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:28pm

    This is an outrage! There’s no reason for anybody but a certified carpenter to possess an assault hammer like that.

    Report this comment

    brickmoon  
  • Ronthebeek
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:15pm

    Very creative. Maybe he should help with the debt ceiling! Go Packers

    Report this comment

    Ronthebeek  
  • miamisammy
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:13pm

    Gave him $20!! For What????? He should have extracted $100 from the crook to avoid
    being reported to the police.

    Report this comment

    miamisammy  
    • beps
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 10:06am

      Finders fee, so the thief knows crime doesn’t pay! What do you think?

      Report this comment

      beps  
    • shorelineliz
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 11:34am

      He should have given him an East India wedgie. With curry. Hot curry.

      Report this comment

      shorelineliz  
  • CommonSenseTalk
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:12pm

    Apple has the find your iphone/ipod. I went to AMC dinner theater and we left it on the table. We had our two girls with us and we had waited until every left before we did. I tract the ipod to his house went to AMC manager, he said call the police, we did, filed a report, manager did get ipod back but the guy had erased it. He was arrested two days after Christmas. This guy was 18 and told the manager, “I didn’t know they could do that” Letter to those who think you can steal Apple products, why do you think Apples cost so much more?

    Report this comment

    CommonSenseTalk  
  • GoodStuff
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:09pm

    He paid him $20?? Good grief..he should have punched him.

    And letting a criminal know your home address? Insanity.

    Report this comment

    GoodStuff  
    • beps
      Posted on January 5, 2013 at 10:10am

      The article didn’t say it was his home address; he ‘appeared behind’ the guy, could have been anywhere!

      Report this comment

      beps  
  • tnman65
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 10:53pm

    I hate a thief. If it were me, the ending wouldn’t be so happy. The guy would have left with a severe knot on his head.

    Report this comment

    tnman65  
  • denkat56
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 10:51pm

    Who you gonna call?

    Report this comment

    denkat56  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 10:47pm

    The Blaze is starting to suck !!!

    Report this comment

    dealer@678  
  • Trail_Jumper
    Posted on January 4, 2013 at 10:47pm

    That’s awesome!

    Report this comment

    Trail_Jumper  
1 2 3

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