According to a Gizmodo article, "the Associated Press reports that smartphone robberies now account for nearly half of all robberies in San Francisco." Additionally, they report that rates in New York City are up by as much as 40 percent, and in Los Angeles, they're up by 27 percent over last year. Thieves steal your phone, run up your bill, copy your data, then sell the device on the black market.  Save yourself some money by setting a passcode as soon as you get a new phone.  Use at least a six-character password to protect yourself from the slightly more tech-savvy criminals.