More than twenty cell phones were stolen Friday during the first weekend of the 17th edition of Igloofest, in the Old Port in Montreal.
While wanting to take a photo of the Belgian artist Apashe, around midnight, Nadia Aubin realized that her iPhone 16, purchased barely three days earlier, was no longer in her pocket.
At the lost and found kiosk, she was told that she was the tenth person to report a stolen cell phone that evening.
“I’ve never seen that in my life, Montreal is normally so safe,” emphasizes Nadia Aubin.
• Also read: Igloofest: at least 50 cases of cell phone theft reported to the SPVQ
• Also read: Wave of cell phone thefts at Igloofest
“It’s always stress”
Samantha Holin also had her mobile phone stolen on Friday evening.
“It was my first winter [à Montréal]my first Igloofest and it’s the first time I’ve had my cell phone stolen,” regrets the 28-year-old French neuropsychologist.
She claims she had her phone stolen from an outside pocket of her coat in less than a minute and reported the incident to police the next day.
“I spent my Saturday changing my passwords and deleting my bank cards. It’s always stressful. We have so much personal data on a phone,” she laments.
Images : Igloofest
No arrests
On social networks, around ten other festival-goers recounted similar situations.
On Tuesday, neighborhood station 21 of the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) received 22 reports related to cell phone thefts at Igloofest. No arrests had been made.
“Several affected festival-goers showed up at the site’s lost property to try to find their stolen phones and make a claim,” confirms to 24 hours the electronic music festival.
“The SPVM and the PDQ21, who are aware of the problem, have informed Igloofest that this is indeed a growing issue in Montreal over the past year,” adds the organization.
Victims claim to have received notifications indicating that their phone was now in Ontario.
Better protect yourself
Despite the thefts, the festival-goers encountered by 24 hours have every intention of returning to Igloofest.
“I will put my phone in a fanny pack under my winter jacket and I will buy a cord to have it around my neck,” says Charlène Meyer, a 28-year-old woman who also lost her cell phone.
And what does the festival intend to do to limit theft?
“Igloofest’s field teams are vigilant and aware of the issue which they take very seriously,” assures the organization. They try to intervene if possible, but these are thefts that occur extremely quickly and discreetly.
