Police are warning about new cell phone scam - and this one's not an urban legend - Chicago

Police are warning Chicago residents of a new cell-phone scam that's leaving people without their phones. Although the operation is not particularly sophisticated, a string of robberies has police on the lookout.

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CHICAGO, IL (Catholic Online) - It reads like an urban legend, however police insist the crime is real. A group of three or four males, aged 14-25, have been working together to steal cell phones.

The scam reportedly works in two ways. In the first, a scammer finds a victim who has left their cell phone at the edge of a table. The scammer approaches the victim and places a flier on the table, soliciting donations for a youth basketball team.

While soliciting, the scammer picks up the phone under the flyer and exits the restaurant.

In the second version of the scam, one person simply asks a waiter for a glass of water and while staff are distracted, they snatch a vulnerable phone and run. Not particularly sophisticated.

The scammers have been seen getting into a tan sedan.

Police ask victims not to pursue the robbers, but simply to call 911.

Meanwhile, watch where you leave your phone!

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