Rash of iPhone thefts have earned the culprits a name: the Apple Pickers Gang

They may not have the high-end panache of the Wet Bandits from Home Alone, but after forty attacks on pedestrians in Stamford, CT, the “Apple Pickers Gang” has clearly made a name for themselves. It isn’t just the way they commit their crimes that makes them unique and apparently organized. It’s the fact that they’re somehow able to be extremely selective. You can keep your Androids and Windows phones. They only want iPhones.

The team of at least two adorned in grey hoodies finds women (with one exception) walking alone in broad daylight talking on their iPhones. They then ride bikes up to them and grab them right out of their hands before taking off.

This time of year in Connecticut, it’s not uncommon to see someone fully dressed, hoodie up over their head, and possibly even a winter mask over their face. Despite the abundance of attacks since just prior to the holidays, there has not been a good description other than that they wear their trademark grey hoodies. They are able to disable the phones’ security quickly. They can get $150 each on the streets.

Here’s a report from CBS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u12RZEw7VW8