Officials: Smartphone thefts fastest growing crime in U.S.

CLEVELAND - Officials across the country are warning consumers about the rise in iPhone thefts, dubbed "Apple picking."

According to police reports, the thieves, many of them juveniles, would either ask to borrow the victim’s cell phone and run off with it or simply grab it from their unsuspecting victims.

The problem has become so large that the Federal Communications Commission is now working to help protect people if their phone is stolen.

A new system, expected to be launched in the coming months, would allow users to report their device stolen and their carrier will block the device from being used.