Another "Apple Picking" Street Theft of an iPhone at Gunpoint

EAST ATLANTA — Another iPhone, another "iTheft."

A man reported to police he was the victim of an armed robbery in the 1600 block of Flat Shoals Road late Tuesday.

The victim told police he was walking east on Flat Shoals Road just before 11 p.m. on April 7 when two men approached — one armed with a revolver and the other with a semi-automatic handgun.

They robbed him of his iPhone and wallet, which contained $30. The men then fled on foot.

This latest incident follows a string of iPhone armed robberies and attempted robberies that have plagued the city for the last several months including in Inman Park, Candler Park and Midtown.

The devices are so coveted, the street term for stealing them is "Apple picking," a play on Apple Inc., which manufactures the iPhone.

Atlanta isn't alone, of course in dealing with the thefts of iPhones, which retail for $650, or other smart phones.

It's an issue with which metropolitan police departments are grappling across the country.

In San Francisco, for example, almost half of all robberies recorded in 2012, involved the taking of a mobile phone, according to a report in The New York Times. That was an increase of 36 percent from the year before, the newspaper reported.

While thefts can't be completely eradicated, you can take steps to lower the chances of being a target.

The Prey Project has a list of steps you should take to reduce your risk.