Remember the days when everyone and their mom were making "Free Hug" videos on YouTube?

This was Orange County, California, in 2007:

WELL, NO MORE!!!

According to deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, those days are long gone. Now, authorities are telling southern Californians to please stop hugging strangers.

It all started when a car pulled up to a resident's driveway. A man was driving, and a female got out offering a free hug.

The resident thought it was all in good fun until he went in for the hug, and the lady pulled his gold chain off, darting back to the car.

Based on the description provided by the victim, it was later determined the same suspects were possibly involved in similar incidents in Orange County and surrounding counties.

When police finally caught up with the hugging bandits, it turned out they had been hugging a lot of people.

A subsequent search of the suspects' vehicles yielded approximately fifty pieces of jewelry belonging to different victims.

I guess it's true what they say.

Nothing is free.

Not even a hug.

If anyone you don't know comes in for a hug, you just do what they taught you in the cartoons.

P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇