Image via Shutterstock.

Image via Shutterstock.

Riders using a shiny iPhone 6 on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines are at particular risk of getting it stolen, WMATA warned this afternoon.

There have been a number of incidents involving the Apple phone reported on trains or at stations between Eastern Market and New Carrollton or Largo Town Center this month, and Metro believes that they may be linked.

Many of the cases occurred while the train was at a station with the door open to let passengers on or off. A rider would be using the device when a person or group of people snatched it out of their hands, ran off the train, and dashed out of the station. The incidents have mostly happened in the afternoon, but several were reported between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., Metro said.

Transit Police believe that the following incidents are linked:

June 16 – 3:10 p.m. – Aboard Orange Line train at Deanwood
June 10 – 3:30 p.m. – On platform at Capitol Heights
June 9 – 1:30 p.m. – On platform at Eastern Market
June 6 – 8 p.m. – On escalator at Benning Road
June 3 – 7:25 p.m. – Aboard Orange Line train at Deanwood
June 1 – 10:37 p.m. – Aboard Orange Line train at Deanwood

Metro has stepped up patrols in the area, both at the stations and on board trains. They also ask riders to be vigilant and report suspicious activity to Transit Police.

WMATA advises that riders refrain from using their phones near train doors or on escalators and “look around frequently if you choose to use your phone on a station platform.” They also recommend activating tracking services like Find My iPhone, and said that “Metro Transit Police will attempt to track your phone if it is stolen, but this can only happen if you have a tracking app active.”