Do you own an iPhone? Well, clutch onto it tight because you could potentially be a target for a growing number of thieves on the prowl for Smartphones.

ICrimes, or the more subtle “Apple picking,” is an emerging type of theft on the rise in densely populated places where people walk while using their phone — distracted from what’s around them.

Just as Smartphones have been increasing in popularity, so have phone thefts in recent years.

In fact, nearly half of all robberies last year in San Francisco involved a smartphone, according to The New York Times.

There are a few different ways you could protect yourself against lurking iPredators and Smartphone swindlers.

Install a tracking app on your phone, such as Find My iPhone, which can be downloaded from iTunes. Android users can choose from third party apps including Where’s My Droid and Lookout, available for free.

“The police have recovered stolen phones by tracking the GPS signal trail straight to a robber’s pocket or backpack,” according to The New York Times. “But for the apps to work, the phone has to stay on.”

Lock up your phone — having a password on your home screen could potentially help safeguard your personal information in case it is stolen and stave off chances of being blackmailed.

“Last month a woman was held up for her iPhone by two men, one with a gun, in El Cerrito, Calif.,” according to The New York Times. “After she handed it over, the robbers took one look at her older model iPhone and gave it back to her.”

If your phone is stolen, you should immediately report the theft to the police and your carrier so that service providers can disable or brick the device, which will lock it and prohibit anyone else from activating it even with a new SIM card.

Simple steps such as these will better assure that you won’t have to mourn the loss of a most beloved phone.