2/27/2023
Originally Published: 26 FEB 23 17:45 ET
Updated: 26 FEB 23 18:02 ET
By Zoe Sottile, CNN
(CNN) -- If you're an AirPod Max owner in New York, you'll want to hold on tight to your headphones.
Since January, the New York City Police Department has recorded 21 incidents in which thieves riding mopeds stole Apple AirPod Max headphones off their victims' heads. The popular headphones retail for $549 on Apple's website.
A group of four individuals are being sought in connection with the thefts, according to an NYPD statement shared with CNN over email. In each incident, the group approached a victim from behind with two individuals riding each moped, one red and one black.
The first incident occurred on January 28, according to the statement. The most recent theft occurred on February 18. All of the incidents took place in Manhattan, police said, and no injuries have been reported in any of the thefts.
New York University, which has campus buildings near the locations of some of the thefts, sent out an alert to students about the incidents on February 10.
In the email, the university said that two NYU students had been the targets of attempted headphone theft and one student had their AirPod Max headphones stolen. The university advised students to be aware of their surroundings and keep their phones and other valuables in their pockets.