Mobile phone theft: What to do if your device is stolen

A quick guide to protecting yourself against phone theft

Many of us have a story about phone theft, whether that’s because your device was snatched or it happened to someone you know.

Some 78,000 people reported having their phones or bags grabbed in the year to March 2024, according to government figures. Hotspot areas are often train and bus stations.

Here’s what to do if your phone is stolen and how you can reduce the risk.

The best insurance is preparation and prevention

The Metropolitan Police advise using your phone for the shortest possible time on the street and avoid texting while walking.

Criminals often use bikes or mopeds when snatching devices, so watch out for any nearby when using your phone and stand away from the roadside.

Use robust phone security and know your IMEI number

It’s best practice to use a keypad lock or biometrics like fingerprint or facial recognition so thieves cannot immediately access your phone. You can set up a PIN for your SIM card too. This stops criminals from using the SIM in another phone.

Make sure you know your International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number - the 15-digital number used to identify your phone. This is much easier to get if you still have your phone. Type *#06# into your keypad or go into the settings app.

If your device is stolen, try to access your phone remotely

You can try to access, lock and even shut down your device remotely on a laptop, tablet or using another phone. Different manufacturers use different systems, but they all operate in a similar way.

iPhone - visit iCloud.com/find or open the Find My app on another one of your Apple devices

Android - visit android.com/find or open the Find My Device app on another one of your devices

Samsung - visit findmymobile.samsung.com and sign in with your Samsung account

You can also use these services to track your device remotely. Its location can then be shared with the police to help them recover the phone.

Alert your network provider so they can block the phone

These are the people who you pay your phone bills to. Tell them your phone was stolen and, ideally, give them the IMEI number. If you don’t already know this, you can sometimes find the number on the box the phone came in, or by using online services like Find My Device. UK network operators can stop a stolen phone from working across their networks with its IMEI.

Remember, if your phone is stolen you may have to pay the cost of any unauthorised calls or text. Some providers cap these costs at £100 outside of your phone allowance - but only if you report your phone as missing within 24 hours, according to advice from Ofcom.

Let your bank know

They can disable payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Wallet and suspend banking apps.

In some cases, victims who went to the police but didn’t alert their bank have lost thousands of pounds after their phone was stolen. For example, Niall McNamee, a musician and actor living in London, had his phone stolen on the London Underground and two days later discovered about £21,000 was taken from his accounts.

Report the incident to police

You can do this by calling 101 or going in person to a local station. You can also report the crime anonymously via Crimestoppers.

Give the police your IMEI number as it can help them track down the device.

It’s worth reporting the incident even if you think it’s unlikely the phone will be recovered, as you’ll need a crime reference number if you want to claim insurance and it helps build a picture of where crime hotspots are located.

Change the passwords to your accounts and apps

This is particularly important when it comes to online banking and accounts containing sensitive information, like your emails.

It’s also worth changing the passwords for your social media, shopping apps and subscription services like Netflix or Spotify.

Contact your insurance company

If you have mobile phone insurance, call their claims line when you have your crime reference number.

If you don’t have separate mobile phone insurance, Money Saving Expert recommends you check whether the phone is covered under any home insurance policy.

Written by Rosemary McCabe

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