Yes, people really still do cam out to get their hands on the latest iPhone. The campers outside of an AT&T store in Houston took a calculated risk by waiting there instead of the more popular waiting spot at the Apple Store. The risk didn’t pay off: armed robbers came by in the wee hours of the morning.

Most of the faithful camp outside of stores in order to be the first to get their paws on the phones, but about ten people set themselves up outside of an AT&T store, figuring that with a smaller crowd, they would get their hands on the phones even faster. Instead, they were targets for armed robbery.

Police and victims say that the suspects took wallets and, predictably, iPhones and iPads from the campers. The credit cards were used at a gas station in a nearby town only a few minutes after the robbery. Security camera video from the mall where the AT&T store is located may have captured the robbers’ images, and police are checking into that.

There’s safety in numbers, but even more safety in being in a well-lit, highly-trafficked location that has posted security guards overnight. Of course, that advice didn’t help the customers waiting outside of the AT&T store: they were at a busy intersection, and there was even a police officer parked outside of a gas station across the street.

Better yet, get a more comfortable night’s sleep and have your shiny new phone shipped to you.

Robbers hold iPhone campers at gunpoint outside southwest Houston store [KHOU]

(Thanks, Rachael!)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.