D.C. Councilman Tommy Wells says phone robbery is such a problem he's introduce a bill Tuesday to revoke the licenses of businesses that pay cash for stolen phones:

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In the past, he's specifically mentioned Gamespot that has stores in D.C.

MPD Chief Cathy Lanier said Gamespot has been cooperating with police. Lanier said her biggest concern is with devices they have here at Iverson Mall in Maryland and Pentagon City in Virginia called EcoATm.

Some machines that look like ATMs will buy high end sell phones for up to $250, with no human contact only a driver's license required.

"That's instant cash where we've actually had cases where a single person has taken 23 phones in a 30 day period and been paid over $2000 in cash," Lanier says.

There are no such machines in D.C., so no control of them by Wells’ bill. But Wells believes there reason to be concerned and D.C. police have conducted stings and recovered hundreds of stolen phones.