On a Friday night in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, police reports show that out of $8,000 worth of stolen electronics, $6,000 were Apple (AAPL) products.

In Long Grove, Illinois, 35 miles northwest of Chicago, a man told police that his iPhone had been stolen from his gym locker. The thief used the iPhone to make $4,000 in losing stock trades.

While waiting for the subway in San Francisco, Gene Wood was attacked when a thief tried to snag his iPhone. Wood fought back:

"I jumped on his back and got my arm around his neck tackling him to the ground. We slide up against the brick wall that makes up the stairs going up at Church. I bring my other arm around and push his face into the corner of the wall and the ground with my elbow.

"At this point, I terrified myself a bit, as I'm on top of him screaming at the top of my lungs... I grab the phone, which is wedged between him and the ground, and pry it from his hands.

It goes without saying that people really, really, really want their iPhones. And for those who can’t afford to spend $299 on Apple’s latest, the 3GS, stealing one -- even at gunpoint -- isn’t so far-fetched.

For starters, petty thieves can steal the chic little devices for personal use, or in order to resell them. It isn’t difficult to find all sorts of iPhones being resold on Craigslist. (Zunes (MSFT), however, are rather scarce.)

Here’s a “legally” unlocked iPhone 3GS going for $310 (an unlocked phone from Apple goes for $599). Could it be legit? Um…of course it is.

Craigslist is also a good spot to unlock your iPhone for a mere $30, saving yourself the hundreds it would cost to have Apple unlock it for you. Although this gentleman’s service isn’t tantamount to grand larceny, its legality is no doubt questionable.

But iPhones aren’t tantalizing for petty thieves alone. As evidenced by the poor Chicago trader, some thieves can use iPhones to make false stock trades, conduct banking business, and steal personal information that can then be used in all sorts of harrowing ways.