Overview

• Gabriel Ávalos seized the robber’s dropped phone on a bus in Ramos Mejía and unlocked it with the PIN “1234”
• When blocked by the thief’s contacts, he uploaded three intimate photos from the robber’s gallery to TikTok to force a negotiation
• The robber traveled from Barracas to Ciudadela to meet Ávalos and exchange both devices once the images went public
• Ávalos acknowledged he risked his personal safety to avoid the cost of replacing his device
• The viral TikTok clip has surpassed one million views and prompted polarized reactions over digital vigilantism and privacy rights