Keeping your Phone Safe from Mobile Thieves; an Infographic

With the cost of smartphones rising each and every day, it is no surprise that you find thieves targeting our beloved phones, with some even doing it at gunpoint. Reports indicate that mobile phone users relying on public transport are at a higher risk of theft. However, that does not guarantee the safety of other users. Anyone can be a victim of phone theft regardless of the social status, job, age or location. However, several factors might increase chances of you being targeted by a mobile phone thief, including:

• Brand of your phone – No doubt some brands are more expensive and more attractive than others. Phone thieves would prefer to steal a costlier phone since it would fetch him a higher return than a low price phone.
• Location – Busy and crowded areas make you prone to phone theft. Thieves love crowded places where they can sneak around easily without being recognized. These sites also reduce your concentration and thus pickpockets find it easy to reach into your pocket or handbag and steal the phone.

How can I protect my smartphone and my data?

Replacing a stolen phone is quite costly. However, the greatest risk involving losing your phone to a thief is the exposure of your personal data and financial information stored on the gadget. If the criminal gains access to your banking information, passwords, social networks or emails, he can use them to steal your identity, rob your bank, stalk you or even extort money from you. Also, if you didn’t have a backup of your contacts, you can be greatly inconvenienced. It is, therefore, critical to always protect yourself, and ensure that even if your phone gets stolen, the thief can’t gain access to your stored data.

Here are some of the ways you can keep your data safe:

Lock it up – Using a unique pin code or password, or even both, reduces the chances of the thief accessing any information saved on the gadget.

Activate Tracker – Most smartphones come with an inbuilt tracker, and all you have to do is turn it on. Thus, if your phone is stolen, you can quickly know its exact location.

Remote data wipe – You can use any of the available mobile security software that enables you to remotely wipe data from your phone. This will prevent the thieves from doing further damage to your life.

Take precaution while in public – If you frequently find yourself in the streets, it is necessary that you keep your phone out of sight anytime you are not using it. Also, you can purchase a standard case to disguise your phone’s model to prevent attracting attention to your expensive phone.

Mobile phone insurance – This is a rather new concept in the phone industry, but it is helping most people replace their stolen phones. Mobile phone insurance helps you cover your phone with an affordable policy ensuring you get another phone in case it is stolen.

Backup data and contacts–No one enjoys having to ask all of their family and friends for their numbers again. It is important that you ensure you have a backup of your data either on a hard disk or online.

Mobile theft trends; the lowdown

Switched On Insurance have put together an infographic detailing all of the most useful and interesting mobile theft trends in the UK. Whether it’s which age demographic are targeted the most, how many thefts there are in one year, or the brands that are most targeted, the information is there.

It’s always useful to know the details, that way you stay one step ahead of these pesky thieves!