CITYWIDE - Police are looking for three people after several Lyft drivers were robbed through their phones.

“That’s pretty scary, and I feel bad for them, really I do,” said one person.

The crimes date back to April, and police say there have been at least three dozen instances in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Investigators say the robbers, once getting into the Lyfts would tell the drivers they wanted to change destinations and needed the drivers phone to do so. Once they got the phone, they would access the driver’s personal accounts and transfer money into unknown accounts.

“Why would someone give their phone to a stranger is my thing?” said another person.

But police say they did, and in one instance in the Bronx, police say the men seen here got into a Lyft car on July 24th and after the driver handed over his phone one of the men pulled a knife on him.

The robbers then transferred almost $650 into an unidentified account and ran off.

Another incident happened in the East Village near 6th street and Avenue B.

According to the NYPD, on August 10th, an unidentified man transferred 356 dollars from a 25-year-old Lyft driver's phone.

“I think they’re reliant on tips so they’re kind of put in that position given their employment situation that they can’t really say no to their customer is going to potentially be tipping,” said another person.

According to police, in many of these incidents, the robbers took the victims phones by threat of force. Now, the New York State federation of taxi drivers is warning drivers to never lend their phone or tablet to a passenger.