PHONE THEFT!! WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOUR PHONE IS STOLEN - A MUST READ.
Later on ,I just remembered my phone was not with me and before I could get to the car ,my phone was stolen.
I was completely down cast, if you have ever lost a phone you will understand what I went through emotionally.
My wife has lost two phones, and the last one that got stolen was also left on the car while he was trying to put our baby in car seat.
Do you know that in London, according to report about 314 phones got stolen every day, which is about 70% of all the personals taken. Also in San Francisco, about 40% of all the robberies in 2012 were cellphones related. This shows the rate at which cellphones are being stolen not in London or San Francisco alone but worldwide.
The most painful aspect of losing cellphone is the fact that cellphone has become our mobile bank for saving a lot of information such password, bank details, addresses, credentials and vital document etc. And for the fact that there are some contacts that when you loss the phone you may not be able to get those contacts again.
What a great loss, when your phone is stolen, sometimes you will just be thinking where should I start from ,information that you have stored for many years such high school mates contact and information that since you left school you have never met them and don't even know when you will meet them again.
Apart from the information gone with the cellphone, the danger of using those informations against you or to defraud you is also a great fear, hence what can you do to safeguard yourself from this better experience, I have been there and I want to let you know that it was not a palatable situation for me, others who had such experience will tell you also that it was indeed bad.
My wife recently woke up in the middle of the night and the thought of her stolen phone came to her mind and she was bitter about it, it was almost a year by now and yet she could still feel the pain.
Without doubt, you will want to agree with me that our cellphone is becoming the pocket- size summary of our digital life. I hereby present to you THESE SAFETY TIPS TO PREVENT YOU FROM PHONE THEFT
THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOUR CELLPHONE GET MISSING
There are some things you can do before your phone get missing and it's very important you do these.It was a regret when we got to know that we can get my wife's missing phone through one of the things I will be sharing with in this article and we couldn't do what we should have done when the phone was with her and that would have helped us to get the phone back.
Unfortunately we couldn't get the phone back up till now. Don't let what happened to us happen to you by not doing these while the phone is with you.
I advice you to do these immediately you purchase a new cellphone or you do it right away as you are reading this article, let it not be too late when the phone is gone.
1) STORE YOUR PHONE UNIQUE ID NUMBER ELSEWHERE
Every cellphone has an ID that is unique to each phone it's called (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) or MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier) it's a serial number. This serial number has been etched to the circuit of your cellphone and it's difficult to removed even if the person that stole your phone wants to do so. The cell carrier already has this 15-digit serial number on their file, and may be able to use it to put the phone on a missing phone list.
This MEID is used by the police department return to your cellphone after it has been stolen and reported. You can find this number on your phone pack or through your phone setting. If you cannot find your phone pack ,you can dial *#06# and your IMEI number should pop up.
It was this IMEI we couldn't safe before we lost my wife's cellphone and we couldn't get the pack.
2) SET VERY STRONG PASSWORD
Using a very strong password can also provide safety and security for your phone.You should know that it's the first line of defence.You can set a very strong password by combining alphabet, number, special characters together and let it not be related to you in any way to make it difficult to guess. Something like Love2017 is a very simple and easy to guess but when you combine like this format L!1702 ,you can attest to this that it cannot easily be known.
Some cellphones wipe your personal information after 10 attempts ,hence when next you a get a new phone or the one in your hand now, do yourself good to set a very strong password.
3) USE FIND MY PHONE APP
Do you know that the same app that helps you locate the nearest restaurants, airport, shopping mall, hotel etc can also be used to find your phone if it's stolen. For this to function in your phone ,the WiFi or cellular connection must be ON and also the location tracking (GPS) must be on to find your cellphone on the map. Since the thief will be wise enough to keep your stolen phone from cellular or WiFi connection and put it Off, once you notice your phone is stolen ,the next thing immediately without wasting time is to find a computer and begin the search for your phone or you wipe the information and make it useless.
How to set up this app:
On android : locate your Google setting on your Android phone and search for android device manager, you can then set it up their. When you phone is missing, what you will just do is to access this android device manager on a computer using the browser address bar and access your stolen phone send the command that is appropriate.
On window phone: Just go to your main menu and look for "Find my phone "and set it up and when your phone is missing, you can track it by sign in into your Microsoft account and send the appropriate command to your missing phone.
On iPhone: You will need to download "FIND MY PHONE" from your iTunes app store and install it ,then sign in with your iTunes account . When your iPhone is missing, use a computer to track your phone by accessing your Find my phone.
4) YOU CAN ATTACH A NOTE
When you do this, you have actually increased the chances of getting your phone back if your phone is found by an honest person. This note can be attached or taped to the back of your phone, or inside your phone jacket. You neatly write your email address or office phone number (this is safer to prevent further exposure to potential attackers ).In placing this note,you must ensure that it can not be easily robed off by your palm or getting detached.
5) ENSURE YOU REGISTER YOUR PHONE WITH YOUR NETWORK PROVIDER
If your phone is registered with your network provider, including your IMEI. Not all network provider or operators do this ,but for those that do it ,they can help you block your phone even if the SIM card has been changed. Note that you may or may not be able to use the phone again even if you find it. But you have protected yourself from attackers that may want to defraud you through your phone
6) INSTALL ANTI-THEFT
This is a software that can be used to remotely control your phone even when it has been stolen
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
* Ensure you check your phone before you come down from the public transports
* Always keep your phone close to you when you are outside your home
*Always ensure that your phone is not out of sight for any reason
* Don't use your phone to check time for people in the public especially in an unsafe environment
* Don't put on a very flashy earphone such as Apple earphones, it may cost you your phone
* Hold your phone tight or keep it inside your pocket when moving by the road side
* Don't display your phone in an area where it's known for theft.
* Don't text while you are walking
* Keep your phone when it's not in use
*Be conscious of your environment, don't be carried away by what is happening around.
AFTER YOUR PHONE HAS BEEN LOST, WHAT TO DO
1) Change every important Password you saved inside your phone immediately
2) Inform your friends and relatives that your phone has been stolen to prevent them from being defrauded using your details
3) Inform your financial institutions about your stolen phone to prevent any fraudulent act on your account
4) Quickly long in to your computer and use find my phone and locate it on the map, try to cause it to ring if it's closed to you and if not ,clear all the information on the phone.
5) Ensure you go to the nearest police station to file a report of your missing phone .
Copyright : ALL SAFETY AND SECURITY TIPS
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Contact : arisetayo@gmail.com
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