Mobile Phones
Mobile phones have become more of a necessity than an accessory,
making them an attractive target for thieves.
Whether you use yours for business or chatting with friends, you
won’t want to lose the collection of important phone numbers and
family snaps stored on your phone, so keep it safe.
Advice
Follow our advice to keep your mobile out of reach of
opportunist thieves:
- Don't leave your mobile phone on show in your car. If you have
to leave it, make sure it’s secure and out of sight.
- Don't bring attention to your mobile phone by leaving it on
view on tables in pubs, cafes, restaurants and other public places.
It has been known for thieves to distract mobile phone
owners, place a magazine or other item over their phone and
then scoop it up with the phone.
- If you have a smart phone, think about activating the 'find
my phone' app. It provides an accurate
GPS location of the phone and gives the owner the option to
instruct it to let off a loud alert even when in silent mode.
Activating the app could help police trace your phone if it is
stolen.
- Don't leave your phone unattended in jacket pockets and
bags.
- Try to be discreet if you have to use your mobile phone in the
street.
- Make sure you lock the keypad using a PIN number when you are
not using your phone. That way it can’t be used to make calls if it
does get stolen.
- Mark your phone, its battery and other accessories with your
postcode using an ultraviolet marker pen. If your phone is stolen
and later recovered by police this will make it easier to trace it
back to you.
Smart phones
Smart phone owners encouraged to activate an application which
could help police track down their phones if stolen.
Officers in Essex have been able to locate stolen iPhones and
return them to their rightful owners by using an application which
gives the current location of a phone.
The ‘find my phone’ app provides an accurate GPS location of the
phone and gives the owner the option to instruct it to let off a
loud alert even when in silent mode.
If your mobile phone is stolen
If your mobile phone is stolen you should call your service
provider and quote the phone’s IMEI
number. This is the International Mobile Equipment
Identity number and can be used to isolate your mobile so no one
can use it.
To find your IMEI number
dial *#06# from your mobile phone.
Your IMEI number will appear as 14 to 17 digits on your mobile
phone screen – this number is unique to your phone.
You can register your mobile phone and IMEI number at
www.immobilise.com.
This information is automatically placed on the National Mobile
Property Register, which is searched regularly by all UK police
forces.
Registering your details makes it more likely that you will become
reunited with your mobile phone if it is recovered by police.
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