The Federal Communications Commission hopes to put a damper on a recent crime wave: Smartphones are the favorite target of thieves and purse snatchers. The black market for popular smartphones makes them tempting for crooks. Thefts are soaring across the country.

The wireless carriers are moving to make stolen phones worthless. An industry expert says (quote) “We want to dry up the aftermarket. Hopefully, there will be no sense in stealing a phone and a once valuable piece of hardware will essentially turn into useless metal." They want to create the ability to cripple phones once they're reported stolen.